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Good arguments, and I agree, but my point is less about their embrace of Peterson himself, and more the paucity of alternative, more respectable, less unhinged options. Is this the best they can do?

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Cinder

@Triquetrea

Nov 13, 2018

Replying to @Triquetrea and @Grimeandreason

Peterson says weird conservative stuff on a fairly regular basis, but his actual politics are neolib even on social issues. He's a hardcore moderate, scared of turning dials. So establishment embracing him is totally unsurprising. It maintains a veneer of ideological openness.

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Peterson is just more interesting than the usual suspects. Who even remembers the typical talking heads? If you mean the lack of charismatic alternatives, then yes, that makes perfect sense. Right is energised & networked. Left is scattered and infighting. The Center is dying.

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The system will spit out multiples of Petersons and people further right for every Corbyn.

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Oh, the ratio is like 50:1 in that respect, in neoliberal hegemonies, anyway.

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It's not really a hegemony if it can't sustain itself, is it? The nativists and fascists are already pouncing. Saw someone wanting to throw Spain out of the EU over criminalising the Catalan referendum. Problem is, they'd have to also throw out Slovakia, CR, Poland and Hungary.

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The EU is the closer WRE analogue I'd you regard it as more of a mercantile empire. It has shown some ability to project force (Greece), but it's overstretched and burdened by corruption, infighting and weak leaders. Moreso than the US.

11:35 AM · Nov 13, 2018Twitter Web App

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No one has explained to me yet how the EU goes left to avoid fascism and climate breakdown when fascists and climate deniers hold veto powers. What worked in good times doesn't work in times of collapse. History is pretty clear about that.

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Yeah. I'd be more excited about Corbyn, Varoufakis et al. if I didn't have to imagine them lined up in front of a firing squad... People mock the low number of actual fascists as if they need more than 10% to take over under the 'right' circumstances.

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The US managed something pretty unprecedented with FDR, but it's not like it did it without mass destruction, large scale violence, and the looming and real threat of worker led revolt. None of which apply thanks to the power of neoliberal hegemony this time round.

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It had been going on decades by the time FDR pushed through those reforms. We don't have decades to wait. It's like the world is holding its breath. Which sounds nuts to most in 2018, I'm sure. But again, that's relative to neoliberal hegemony. They've seen nothing yet.