Edward Luce, "The Retreat Of Western Liberalism" 

Why should wealth be a proxy for intelligence when wealth can be passed on to undeserving progeny?

Lost me at the moment he said he worked for Larry Summers and that was a big honor. Summers was one of the architects of the 2007/08 economic meltdown. So, not interested in his perspective

All this talk of democracy and we don’t have it in the US. We don’t even have democracy in our workplace where we spend most of our waking hours.

Funny how Bernie Sanders is criticized for not "paying" for his programs, but the GOP is not.

Having worked and lived in what, during the period of my employment as an ex-pat Brit., was West Germany (1978-1992) and, from the late 1980s onwards for what was, effectively, the Austrian government, I totally concur with the comments about which of those countries accepted responsibility, and/paid or accepted the necessary retribution for their contribution to the atrocities of WWII.

Expanding the earned income tax credit which is measured on your income... so only the poor can get it... but we should expand that upwards to $50,000... and increase tax on those earning $500,000 and above. It has been shown those that receive the earned income tax credit continue to work at the same rates if not more. In Alaska they already have a sort of universal income in their state and it is working... so it could work. I think it is ignorant to dismiss it out of hand. But more importantly we need to encourage a sector in the market which supports democratic employee owned and employee run enterprises.

Liberal democracy provided a framework in which institutions could advance the interest of the common man/woman. Those institutions, most obviously trade unions, have been in decline for decades, hence Luce's call for a Marshall plan for the middle classes is 'nice' but has no institutional basis rendering it wilfully naive.

Rise of Populism: Luce highlights the rise of populism as a significant challenge to Western liberal democracies. He argues that economic inequality, cultural anxiety, and a loss of faith in traditional institutions have fueled the growth of populist movements around the world, which often promote illiberal and nationalist agendas. Erosion of Trust in Institutions: The book emphasizes the erosion of trust in traditional institutions such as governments, political parties, and the media. Luce argues that this decline in trust has weakened the foundations of liberal democracies and contributed to a sense of disillusionment among citizens.Technological Disruption: Luce explores how technological advancements, particularly in automation and artificial intelligence, are transforming economies and job markets. He suggests that these disruptions can exacerbate economic inequalities, leaving many individuals marginalized and contributing to the overall dissatisfaction with the status quo. Shift in Global Power: Luce highlights the shifting balance of power in the world, with rising powers such as China and India challenging the dominance of Western nations. He argues that this changing global landscape poses significant challenges to Western liberal values and institutions, as the influence of these rising powers grows.Need for Renewed Engagement: Luce concludes the book by emphasizing the need for Western liberal democracies to renew their commitment to the values and institutions that have defined them. He calls for a more inclusive and fair approach to governance, as well as a focus on addressing the underlying causes of populism and social discontent. These insights provide a thought-provoking analysis of the challenges facing Western liberal democracies and shed light on the complex dynamics shaping the current world order. They highlight the importance of understanding and addressing the underlying factors driving the retreat of Western liberalism.

I would also add the men and women who are wealthy in the nation maybe are so due to the average American fighting wars and wealthy profiting.

Denmark doesn't have the wealth gap that we do, nor the military "budget."

If you have to manufacture consent can it be called a democracy? 🤔

POLITICS & PROSE MY UNIVERSITY .

His arguments against UBI aren't very good. "People want to work". Yes, they do. 15K a year is not going to stop anyone from working, in fact it wouldn't even cover shelter for the vast majority of people. It does however allow people slightly more freedom to take time off to go back to school and develop useful skills, start a family, start a business, work on your artistic side, take a job that might not be as high paying but you are passionate about etc etc. It's supposed to free people from the stress of having to work 60 hours a week just to survive and allow them to live.

Although Trump is unable (for now) to fully subvert the rule of law, other Trump-like autocrats, with a parliamentary majory, have no difficulty in doing so, such as Orban, Kaczynski and now even Doug Ford in Canada's largest province, Ontario. 40:05 A "civics test" would be yet another, massive, vote suppression technique, similar to complex ballots and strict ID requirements as in some of the Southern States.

We shouldn’t want the country to be like it was before Trump. He’s awful, but he’s a product of neoliberal capitalism and corporatism.

Awesome.

Democracy is the worst kind of government, except for all the others.

My response to the first question is: Just because you did not experience the political situations, as described earlier in this presentation, is there is any serious suggestion that you have knowledge of the world outside of ???

What hasn't liberalism ruined?

Bernie Sanders of the Tree of Life synagogue

Be an Altruist giving more than what you need

Let's articulate our words a little bit better.

In Islam Jesus PBUH is human being, prophet and messenger like Moses PBUH and Muhammad PBUH. Christian turned Jesus PBUH into GOD and turned his status from human being into Divine therefore historical jesus pbuh turned into Myth. When Historians started to dig into it they found it fiction therefore they left the faith. Bart Erman RObert M Price Richard Carrier came to same conclusion. Read more REPLY

No to having a middle class! Why would we want to have an under class? A middle class is comfortable and will oppose any meaningful revolution needed to improve the lives of the poor!

Jewish wars in middle east and Jewish bankers caused the decline of Western democracies and economies.

Listening to this guy's pontifications one-and-a-half year later, is a positively cringe-inducing experience. He discusses the decline of WEstern liberal democracy without mentioning once such trifles as 9/11 and the rise of militant Islam waging war against the West, or the mass migration of low-grade, unskilled, unassimilatable muslim migrants from the worst hell-holes on earth, pushed by the leaders of the said liberal democracy - especially in Germany. Populism? Far-right? Not the elites pursuing hard-core, far-left programs under the cover of liberal centrism? No Muslim populations in Europe? This is not even pathetic.

Ridicolous. Just read any book by Ann Coulter and afterwards any libertarian economics book. Half of the questions rising in Mr. Luce's speech will be answered