End of history proponents in late 20th century: "LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES AND CAPITALIST MARKETS WILL BRING PEACE AND STABILITY BRO I SWEAR JUST GIVE IT TIME"
Lenin rolling in his grave looking at the growing tensions in the entire world as a consequence of Imperialist tensions in the 2020s as he predicted it inevitably happens in his 1916 essay "Imperialism: the highest stage of capitalism"
It's incredible how much of the "things getting better" hinges almost entirely on a small number of elected and unelected ultra wealthy people realizing the shit is over.
I was thinking today, randomly, how in fiction you might read from anytime from like 1950-1990 the US and USSR were working together in some sort of mutual respect in space stuff and it would lead to some fabulous future where we could all live our lives to their full potential, travel the universe as a species, etc.
I know it's still early on in this new "Cold War" the US is adamant on forcing with China, but I do wonder if there will be fiction made where the US and China finally reluctantly work together for the advancement of humanity. I almost feel like things are so bleak that these dreams can't be dreamed.
I try not to get too wrapped in some of this stuff, but it does seem those in the west at least have totally lost the ability to dream and desire something better. Dreams and industrial might were traded for consumption and mundanity
in fiction you might read from anytime from like 1950-1990 the US and USSR were working together in some sort of mutual respect in space stuff
This is actually a really nice prospect for expanding some of my recent writing on how the USSR's success allowed it to serve as a kind of counterbalance stabilizing the liberal developmentalist pipe dream, if only briefly. Thanks for mentioning that
In my lifetime we've gone from voting to kill what thin social services existed in this country (Clinton) to voting for change and getting the iron clad throne of the imperial presidency (Obama/Biden), to doing the genocides as loudly as possible and calling anyone who stands against it a nazi (Biden). On every single issue I care about as a "this effects my life and those around me immediately", particularly living near-ish the southern border, It seems to just be a cycle of "rally against the racist Repulican!" followed by "Do everything that man promised, 10x harder, nobody will say a word" with Dems in office. The Janus face of capital, both masks, equally cruel, but damn one is a lot more effective at being evil.
Every US admin in most of our lifetimes has grown the federal government. None have meaningfully reduced spending long term or decreased involvement in military adventurism. It is difficult to see how the future would be different.
Definitely focus on your own community and vicinity. Politics is downstream of culture.
Probably, but we can do our best to help those around us and that counts for something. Everything may go to shit, but if you help one person avoid falling into the shit you’ve made a big difference. The cure to doom is focusing on the possible good within your own reach, even if it may seem small. It matters to the person helped either way.