Really like the definitions of liberalism presented. This essay cuts straight to the most difficult aspects of living in a pluralistic society. Excited to see where this publication goes!
Agreed. But if you subscribe to the Substack, you can at least read the essays in email (so long as she keeps within the email length limit) and that eliminates the green-background problem.
Liberal young person here. I think you're really fighting the good fight with this publication! I see a lot of people around me (understandably, I think) cynical about liberalism because they look around and see so much bad stuff in our history and our present. And so I'm totally on board with your mission—we need more people uncynically articulating an updated vision of liberalism, showing, among other things, that believing in liberalism isn't about maintaining the status quo and doesn't have to mean sweeping a bunch of history under the rug.
Really glad that you're starting this project. A lot of what you've written here is how I think about liberalism and why I'm happy to think of myself as a liberal.
Liberalism is an enlightenment term and a believer in “natural rights”. The country since TR has been drifting to more government programs and the need in troubled times for the government to act. Protecting at all cost transgender right is not liberal but radical. But in the abstract the term liberal is a code word.
How do we live with each other: Allow for change through rule of law? Isn't that liberalism? If Buckley's definition of conservatism is to say "Stop," and Mitch McConnell's response to the Obama presidency was "No," isn't the liberal answer "Yes," "What if"? Always harder to persuade people to change the status quo, but I think that's the liberal project.
Crediting liberalism with creating “Social Security, clean water and workplace safety regulations” is like crediting Republicans with ending slavery and creating the EPA: technically true but irrelevant today. Modern liberalism has morphed into an authoritarian, intolerant, and viciously anti-Semitic caricature of itself. I’m pretty sure the Founding Fathers would have voted for Trump in 2024 as he was the best of the two options. Perhaps the Democrats will get their sh*t together and be the best option in 2028. That doesn’t look likely right now, but it’s a long way away.
first essay I’ve seen this year that isn’t afraid of the m dash
We must reclaim it from Chatgpt and the other LLMs.
Great essay, great vision. I'm very excited to see where this goes!
Hearing someone express this sentiment so intelligently and clearly is cathartic
Really like the definitions of liberalism presented. This essay cuts straight to the most difficult aspects of living in a pluralistic society. Excited to see where this publication goes!
Extremely excited for this. But PLEASE do something about the green background. It hurts my eyes.
Agreed. But if you subscribe to the Substack, you can at least read the essays in email (so long as she keeps within the email length limit) and that eliminates the green-background problem.
Liberal young person here. I think you're really fighting the good fight with this publication! I see a lot of people around me (understandably, I think) cynical about liberalism because they look around and see so much bad stuff in our history and our present. And so I'm totally on board with your mission—we need more people uncynically articulating an updated vision of liberalism, showing, among other things, that believing in liberalism isn't about maintaining the status quo and doesn't have to mean sweeping a bunch of history under the rug.
Appreciate you. Keep preaching pluralism, the power of immigration, the beauty of diversity, and the prosperity of globalism.
Really glad that you're starting this project. A lot of what you've written here is how I think about liberalism and why I'm happy to think of myself as a liberal.
Let's do this!
This is terrific. We have been losing respect for (and understanding of) pluralism for a long time now. My 2 cents on this issue (in the context of climate and energy policy) here - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t7xocnwp8w96s5h65oe0s/Spence-Climate-of-Contempt-Introductory-Chapter.pdf?rlkey=24yfxs7nlnznr08f4eu67816q&st=ccdcv834&dl=0
Hooray!
Extraordinary work. I am looking forward to reading more from you and your contributors.
Liberalism is an enlightenment term and a believer in “natural rights”. The country since TR has been drifting to more government programs and the need in troubled times for the government to act. Protecting at all cost transgender right is not liberal but radical. But in the abstract the term liberal is a code word.
excited about the project
How do we live with each other: Allow for change through rule of law? Isn't that liberalism? If Buckley's definition of conservatism is to say "Stop," and Mitch McConnell's response to the Obama presidency was "No," isn't the liberal answer "Yes," "What if"? Always harder to persuade people to change the status quo, but I think that's the liberal project.
Crediting liberalism with creating “Social Security, clean water and workplace safety regulations” is like crediting Republicans with ending slavery and creating the EPA: technically true but irrelevant today. Modern liberalism has morphed into an authoritarian, intolerant, and viciously anti-Semitic caricature of itself. I’m pretty sure the Founding Fathers would have voted for Trump in 2024 as he was the best of the two options. Perhaps the Democrats will get their sh*t together and be the best option in 2028. That doesn’t look likely right now, but it’s a long way away.