If supply and demand equilibrium were an economic “law,” the 1929 and 2008 financial crises would not have occurred. Rather than ready-made theories, economics needs the practical background provided by systems thinking.
Intellectual Elites against Democracy
James Madison’s reference to the “confusion and intemperance” of the multitude used to be the rationale of a government by the elite. What is the intellectual legacy of elitism in the United States today?
Beginnings of the Imaginary of a Permanent Global War
Since WWII, the U.S. official doctrine is that it is the legitimate guardian of freedom in the world. To Sheldon Wolin, this signs the ideological drift from an open “constitutional imaginary” to a dictatorial “power imaginary.”
Vision of Tomorrow
After finding something small but popular to rally around, the cause needs a vision of tomorrow that speaks to people’s needs. This transition was notably illustrated in the Maldives when the local dictator was ousted in 2008.
Make Oppression Backfire
“Making oppression backfire is a skill, sort of like jujitsu, that’s all about playing your opponents’ strongest card against them. Before you can do that, though, you need to understand exactly how oppression works.” (Srdja Popovic)