From: Steve Davies (steve365@btinternet.com)
Date: Fri May 23 2003 - 11:27:48 MDT
> >> On Wed, May 21, 2003 at 05:06:50PM +0100, Steve Davies wrote:
> >
> >> Optimistic authoritarians (socialists/social democrats)
>
Lee Daniel Crocker responds
> I don't see this at all. I can't imagine a group more pessimistic
> as a rule than typical socialists/social democrats. The are constantly
> harping on how the environment is being devastated (despite the
> fact that it's getting better in most places), how big business is
> exploiting the working classes (by making them rich, I suppose), how
> technology is destroying humanity (instead of improving it), how
> governments are oppressing the population (when for the most part,
> freedom is on the rise worldwide).
>
> Chicken little was definitely a democrat.
This is true *now* but historically was not. In the past most
socialists/social democrats are big believers in the power of reason and
science, coupled with political power/planning, to create a perfect or at
least much better world. See for example J D Bernal, J B S Haldane, Lenin,
Trotsky, the 'mature' Marx. The current anti-science/technology trend among
such types has really got going since the 1970s (obviously there are
precursors such as William Morris). I think it reflects the failure of
socialism/communism which has enormously disillusioned many people and made
them shift (in my scenario) from "optimism" to "pessimism". Hence the
growing alliance IMO between so called 'rightists' and 'leftists' over such
things as globalisation, free trade and modern science.
Steve D.
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