World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

In the World Politics course we will be discussing the ideology of liberalism extensively.  We will spend a great deal of time defining the ideology but The Economist, which is probably the most authentic expression of liberalism in the contemporary world, has published an editorial on the state of liberalism in the world today.  Perhaps the most important part of the editorial makes this point:

Liberals have forgotten that their founding idea is civic respect for all. Our centenary editorial, written in 1943 as the war against fascism raged, set this out in two complementary principles. The first is freedom: that it is “not only just and wise but also profitable…to let people do what they want.” The second is the common interest: that “human society…can be an association for the welfare of all.

“Today’s liberal meritocracy sits uncomfortably with that inclusive definition of freedom. The ruling class live in a bubble. They go to the same colleges, marry each other, live in the same streets and work in the same offices. Remote from power, most people are expected to be content with growing material prosperity instead. Yet, amid stagnating productivity and the fiscal austerity that followed the financial crisis of 2008, even this promise has often been broken.”

The most important part of the excerpt is the attention to “the welfare of all”.  That aspect of liberalism needs to be retrieved. 

It is not at all clear that the US and China are going to engage in an all-out trade war, but the signs right now are not looking good.  US President Trump has expressed views that suggest he believes that, in this game of chicken, China will concede first.  My personal view is that he does not fully understand the extent to which the current Chinese leadership is committed to restoring China to great power status, an aspiration that makes backing down to the US highly unlikely.  Additionally, President Trump seems to underestimate US vulnerability to trade disruptions, particularly in the agricultural sector.

The Hampshire Gazette has published an essay I wrote as a letter to my granddaughter, Emilia.  If you wish to see it, you can click here.