Enlightenment Values - Where now for Democracy, does anyone care?
By tractorboy
@tractorboy (62)
June 19, 2008 3:40pm CST
Our forefathers believed in Reason, Technology, Science and Human Endeavour as the powerhouse of human progress. But today we've rejected all that.
Capitalism, Free Trade and Immigration were the 19th Century fuel of the furnaces of British and American development. Now we have retreated into a superstitious, fearful society of pessimism and low confidence, and our politics has nothing positive to offer. The default ideology has become Environmentalism, with only negative values - lowered expectations, guilt, coercion, taxes, apocalyptic prophesies, contempt for our freedoms. Where should we go from here?
2 people like this
2 responses
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I guess I never really thought of it until your post. I believe that if we do not change our views on these issues we will return to the dark ages, so to speak. The counties will be lead with ignorance and nothing else. Hopefully we will have a leader soon that will make these changes because it's a shame that we are falling behind most countries when we are suppose to be one of the most powerful nations on this planet.
1 person likes this
@tractorboy (62)
•
19 Jun 08
I take it you are American. Which leader do you think will enable such changes, and why, or are you thinking a little further into the future than the forthcoming elections?
2 people like this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
19 Jun 08
I don't really know if either one of them have it in them to do it, but if I have to pick on it would be Obama. McCain flip flops too much for me, first he wants this then he changes his mind. He reminds me of a woman and yes I am a woman. I think he is to old to create any change. I also believe that to many Americans are focused on our pee poor economy to care about anything else. I think they would vote my dog in if he said he would lower oil prices and strenghten the dollar.
2 people like this
@tractorboy (62)
•
19 Jun 08
I think you have similar problems to us in England. People will take a short term view based on petrol and food prices and the real issues will be ignored. But you can't blame them, if your earnings no longer cover your expenses, that's a real crisis. But it's not politics.
2 people like this
@Citizen_Stuart (2016)
•
20 Jun 08
I'm hoping that we're in the early stages of a reaction against extreme environmentalism (and all other forms of statism and collectivism). The public reaction to David Davis' resignation seems to indicate that a lot of people are getting sick of being bossed around, and everyone seems to be angry at the level of taxation. This could be the right kind of environment for libertarianism to start to take hold, if libertarians can get organised enough to promote the ideas effectively. People need to see that they can't trust political leaders to sort their problems out, and that most people have it within their power to run their own lives without outside interference.
Welcome to MyLot, by the way, I hope you enjoy it here. You seem to have made a good start.
1 person likes this
