inspired a great deal by @lionel_trolling i have been thinking a lot about america in the late 19th century and in particular the expansive visions of democratic life that you see from the Populists, the early socialists, and the progressives
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the logic of these movements is that democracy is a way of life that must be manifested and bolstered throughout society, lest it is overcome by the forces of modern society: financial capitalism, industrial organization, etc.
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i think you can argue that one of the ills of america in the present moment is the profound absence of democracy from much of everyday life. of the ability of ordinary people to have real control over the larger forces that shape their life.
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one of the reasons i think “the new deal” has gained traction as a progressive lodestar isn’t just because it stands for expansive social policy but because it holds out the possibility of reinvigorating democracy of the deep sort—
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democracy at the workplace as well as the ballot box. democracy as a way of relating to each other as equal citizens deserving of dignity.
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just a thought
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Replying to @jbouie
the flip side of this how much the IDW people sound like gilded age liberals with their democracy phobia
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Replying to @lionel_trolling @jbouie
Yes, exactly. All that language about "the mob" is straight up 19th century elitism. In that sense the "classical liberal" self-description is accurate.
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Yeah, a lot of elite hostility towards populist tradition comes from those traumatized intellectuals (like Hofstadter).
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