Reply to Homogeneity allows for more progressive policy. T/F?

Forum Index » Political Discussion

Reply to "Homogeneity allows for more progressive policy. T/F?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here - interesting blurb in a big atlantic piece written today:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/12/hillary-clinton-working-class/509477/

[quote]The long-term future of the U.S. involves rising diversity, rising inequality, and rising redistribution. The combination of these forces makes for an unstable and unpredictable system. Income stagnation and inequality encourage policies to redistribute wealth from a rich few to the anxious multitudes. [b]But when that multitude includes minorities who are seen as benefiting disproportionately from those redistribution policies, the white majority can turn resentful. (This may be one reason why the most successful social democracies, as in Scandinavia, were initially almost all white.) Nobody has really figured out how to be an effective messenger for pluralist social democracy, except, perhaps, for one of the few American adults who is legally barred from running for the U.S. presidency in the future.[/b][/quote]

over two years after I made my OP, it seems like some of the mainstream left is starting to admit this. 
[/quote]

OP, it's very timely that you've revived this thread, and I'm glad you shared this article because I would have otherwise.  It's more interetsing in the context of this thread, though.

I think your original post did very much identify perhaps the central tension within the liberal movement today, but I think it's oversimplifying to take this election's outcome as a demonstration that diverse societies cannot have progressive policies, though they may be harder to implement.  Small-government Republicans have been demonizing social programs for decades, and I know enough people in the elite of that group to know their objection is not about benefits going to non-whites.  For a variety of reasons, some of which are very much rooted in fears about government overreach as a threat to liberty, they truly believe the government has no place in many of the arenas it's in.  I don't think that's been the overarching goal of the majority of the Republican party, but a fundamental mistrust of government is deeply embedded in the modern GOP.  And that very much informs how voters view social programs in general.  This does not in any way negate the fact that Republicans (and occasionally Democrats) have also been using racially coded language since the 70s to rile up opposition to these programs as well, but it does complicate the simple picture of diversity vs. progressive social policy.

I think it's strange that the last line in your quote suggests that Obama was "an effective messenger for pluralist social democracy".  I think Obama won by largely ignoring pluralism in his rhetoric...and early on in his policies as well.  He shifted more toward pluralism in his second term, which probably contributed to Clinton's loss (e.g. his tacit support for BLM).  And the rabid white tribalism that has been a response to his Presidency from day 1 also suggests that he was never really able to unite the country in a meaningful post-racial way.  [None of this is intended as criticism of him.  I don't know anyone who could have done this, and I give credit to Obama for much of the grace with which he handled the backlash against his blackness.]

I think the real challenge facing liberals is figuring out how to deliver the message that pluralism is good for America in every way including economically.  This seems like it would be an obvious argument to make, considering the more diverse parts of this country are almost all economically better off than the more homogenous ones.  But in the era of poll-tested politics, neither party really seems that interested in leading and instead drifts toward whatever random sentiments voters are expressing.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics