Perhaps it is worth recognizing the work done by writers at places like Quillette that have been sounding alarm and taking up this fight for several years now. It is good and laudable that cultural figures with significant institutional backing are now taking this situation seriously enough to organize against it but some gratitude to those who sounded the alarm on this (often thanklessly and from positions of far greater vulnerability) would be appreciated.
First, bravo! I’m very excited for what you’ve started Yascha. And in the spirit of picking up your call for a space for discussion and community, I’ll offer one reaction to your first post.
In your short history of the traditional liberal institutions, which I recognize for purposes of this intro was necessarily abbreviated, I think you leave out a rather large third shortcoming: that these institutions promoted “meritocracy” on a basis that was often misleading and at times corrupt. This is basically the thesis of Chris Hayes’ excellent Twilight of the Elites, a book I think any analysis of why these “gatekeeper” institutions have been/are being torn down has to reckon with.
And indeed I think the conundrum of the gatekeeper function is one this community also needs to wrestle with, if not solve for. On the one hand, as Levitsky and Ziblatt wrote in How Democracies Die, the role of gatekeeper institutions has been important in preserving democratic stability. And indeed the dismantling of American Party machines as gatekeepers gave us Trump. And on the other hand, these gatekeeper institutions are almost always mechanisms by which one order is preserved, and alternative orders oppressed. They have been used as tools of the powerful for self protection, as you note often along race, gender and other discriminatory lines, including especially along financial lines.
A core question to me, and you allude to this in your intro here, is how do we revive the beneficial elements of gatekeeper institutions in the intellectual space (i.e., I think we largely would agree we want a media with journalistic standards around facts and truth, an academia that promotes racial equity and rejects things like eugenics) without the harmful elements. Indeed, we need a solution that may go further and help undo the harms of the past. That seems to me a primary challenge for this sort of liberal endeavor.
I am excited for y'all and that there is a place for thoughtful discussion on the American identity, which has been maladapted and disguised or revered by many incredulous actors. I am so glad and humbled to be apart of this network. I can't wait to hear from Professor Haidt and Dr. Anne Applebaum. Phenomenal academics are here to lead. 👏🏼
Thanks so much for taking the lead and the time to begin this initiative. As soon as I heard your call, I was on board - as you say, the need for a community such as you are creating / facilitating extends beyond the US. I’m in Australia and want to ensure the illiberal left and right do not overwhelm the liberal institutions we enjoy
There is a great song by the 1970's singer songwriter Harry Chapin called "I wonder what would happen to this world." which fits this mission perfectly. The first lines are, "Now, if a man tried to take his time on Earth and prove before he died what one man's life could be worth, I wonder what would happen to this world."
The policy failure may lead you to where the policy failed but that only indicates that the policy was badly formulated or dishonest or token or unfairly implemented, or a combination of these. Then there are the unmentionable and politically incorrect problems that arise from specific cultural and social problems in a community, which unfortunately are often connected to race (or religion or gender). These have to be addressed of course (drugs, prison, guns, single parent household, etc.) In some cases addressing poverty and education, and enforcing existing laws, will deal with these. But not always. And it is very easy to simply blame
"systemic racism" for these. And that is the situation we have today. Under these circumstances it is in fact an easy way out of a situation where you dont want to address anything in an honest matter because it might require discussion of race. It becomes much easier to just blame the whole capitalist or patriarchal or white-controlled system.
Enjoyed this introduction and looking forward to this new online publication site. A few thoughts. First, I'd never considered AEI to be a "libertarian" entity per se, but perhaps it was before I began to consume their work in the 1990s. Second, the phrase at the end is "chomping" at the bit (sorry for the pedantry). Congratulations on a successful launch and thank you for doing this.
Thank you Yascha. I'm excited to be a part of this and hope this catches an ideologically wide net united by these common values and (fruitfully) divided by much else.
Thanks for starting this "movement." Having been led to Persuasion by Jennifer Rubin's comment in today's WaPo, and already planning to use Yascha's "The People vs. Democracy" in a course I am teaching to local retirees in the Hanover, NH area, I wanted to see what he was doing. My course will give space to populist predecessors, to show that this phenomenon is not merely current. (See p. 181 of his book.) Best Wishes.
Perhaps it is worth recognizing the work done by writers at places like Quillette that have been sounding alarm and taking up this fight for several years now. It is good and laudable that cultural figures with significant institutional backing are now taking this situation seriously enough to organize against it but some gratitude to those who sounded the alarm on this (often thanklessly and from positions of far greater vulnerability) would be appreciated.
First, bravo! I’m very excited for what you’ve started Yascha. And in the spirit of picking up your call for a space for discussion and community, I’ll offer one reaction to your first post.
In your short history of the traditional liberal institutions, which I recognize for purposes of this intro was necessarily abbreviated, I think you leave out a rather large third shortcoming: that these institutions promoted “meritocracy” on a basis that was often misleading and at times corrupt. This is basically the thesis of Chris Hayes’ excellent Twilight of the Elites, a book I think any analysis of why these “gatekeeper” institutions have been/are being torn down has to reckon with.
And indeed I think the conundrum of the gatekeeper function is one this community also needs to wrestle with, if not solve for. On the one hand, as Levitsky and Ziblatt wrote in How Democracies Die, the role of gatekeeper institutions has been important in preserving democratic stability. And indeed the dismantling of American Party machines as gatekeepers gave us Trump. And on the other hand, these gatekeeper institutions are almost always mechanisms by which one order is preserved, and alternative orders oppressed. They have been used as tools of the powerful for self protection, as you note often along race, gender and other discriminatory lines, including especially along financial lines.
A core question to me, and you allude to this in your intro here, is how do we revive the beneficial elements of gatekeeper institutions in the intellectual space (i.e., I think we largely would agree we want a media with journalistic standards around facts and truth, an academia that promotes racial equity and rejects things like eugenics) without the harmful elements. Indeed, we need a solution that may go further and help undo the harms of the past. That seems to me a primary challenge for this sort of liberal endeavor.
This mission is so wonderful, and I’m going to do everything I can to support it.
I am excited for y'all and that there is a place for thoughtful discussion on the American identity, which has been maladapted and disguised or revered by many incredulous actors. I am so glad and humbled to be apart of this network. I can't wait to hear from Professor Haidt and Dr. Anne Applebaum. Phenomenal academics are here to lead. 👏🏼
Thanks so much for taking the lead and the time to begin this initiative. As soon as I heard your call, I was on board - as you say, the need for a community such as you are creating / facilitating extends beyond the US. I’m in Australia and want to ensure the illiberal left and right do not overwhelm the liberal institutions we enjoy
Curious as to why The Economist is not mentioned? Genuine question.
Thanks Yascha, this is so needed.
There is a great song by the 1970's singer songwriter Harry Chapin called "I wonder what would happen to this world." which fits this mission perfectly. The first lines are, "Now, if a man tried to take his time on Earth and prove before he died what one man's life could be worth, I wonder what would happen to this world."
The policy failure may lead you to where the policy failed but that only indicates that the policy was badly formulated or dishonest or token or unfairly implemented, or a combination of these. Then there are the unmentionable and politically incorrect problems that arise from specific cultural and social problems in a community, which unfortunately are often connected to race (or religion or gender). These have to be addressed of course (drugs, prison, guns, single parent household, etc.) In some cases addressing poverty and education, and enforcing existing laws, will deal with these. But not always. And it is very easy to simply blame
"systemic racism" for these. And that is the situation we have today. Under these circumstances it is in fact an easy way out of a situation where you dont want to address anything in an honest matter because it might require discussion of race. It becomes much easier to just blame the whole capitalist or patriarchal or white-controlled system.
Thanks a lot Yasha. Congratulations on such a positive response.
Thank you for your work, Yascha!
Enjoyed this introduction and looking forward to this new online publication site. A few thoughts. First, I'd never considered AEI to be a "libertarian" entity per se, but perhaps it was before I began to consume their work in the 1990s. Second, the phrase at the end is "chomping" at the bit (sorry for the pedantry). Congratulations on a successful launch and thank you for doing this.
Thank you Yascha. I'm excited to be a part of this and hope this catches an ideologically wide net united by these common values and (fruitfully) divided by much else.
Thank you Yascha, that was well said.
Excited to join!
Thanks for starting this "movement." Having been led to Persuasion by Jennifer Rubin's comment in today's WaPo, and already planning to use Yascha's "The People vs. Democracy" in a course I am teaching to local retirees in the Hanover, NH area, I wanted to see what he was doing. My course will give space to populist predecessors, to show that this phenomenon is not merely current. (See p. 181 of his book.) Best Wishes.