This article was originally published by Tho Bishop at The Mises Institute.
In recent decades, any challenges to the reigning hegemony of American leadership, NATO allies, and a network of neoliberal NGOs, financial institutions, and corporations has often been depicted as threats to “liberal democracy.” This charge has been aimed at a variety of dissidents, from state actors, such as Russia or China, to populist politicians, such as Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, and Matteo Salvini, to secessionist movements, such as Brexit, to respect for basic individual rights, such as free speech and the right to bear arms.
The degree to which the powers that be seriously view any of the above as a threat is open to conversation, given the degree to which hyperbole is a default setting of political discourse. The phrase “liberal democracy” itself had little literal meaning, given the general consolidation of power in the West away from federalist frameworks, coupled with a managerial framework that has sought to increasingly heighten the power of bureaucrats and alleged public policy “experts” at the expense of individual rights.
Nothing has highlighted how meaningless both the term “liberal democracy” and the performative concern about its well-being are than the policy response to covid this past year. To the surprise of no one that had been following their actions carefully, the enlightened technocrats from neoliberal institutions have proven to be the greatest cheerleaders of rising authoritarianism in the West.
While this was put on vivid display in 2020, which saw unprecedented lockdowns and the incredible expansion of domestic authoritarianism from allegedly “liberal” regimes, a pivot in the discussion over covid vaccine mandates in recent weeks highlights a new escalation in the collapse of the façade of “liberal democracy”—the rejection of pluralism.
This concern over pluralism—or political tolerance of variously defined minority groups—has long been one of the rhetorical focuses of defenders of the status quo. Concerns about refugee programs in Europe, for example, have been presented as xenophobic modern revivals of the past national sins that projects like the European Union were meant to solve. The fact that nationalistic tensions have been exacerbated by the direct policy decisions of an isolated bureaucratic class has been far less important than the populist threat challenging the wisdom of state-subsidized massive population changes in European towns.
As such, the established narrative of the elites has long been that the expanding powers of modern progressive states are necessary to protect minority groups that may be threatened by majorities motivated by vulgar nationalism, traditionalism, and other loyalties viewed as primitive and regressive by those in power.
Of course, it is precisely the growth of power of these modern states that has eroded away the institutions of political norms that offered what protection of minority political rights existed. In the US, we’ve seen the erosion of Senate procedure designed to make the upper chamber a moderating force in political decision-making; in the EU, we’ve seen increasing aggression on the part of the EU in subverting national political decisions; and in general, we’ve seen a growing appetite for censoring political debate and discussion on the largest communications platforms.
None of these changes have come in the form of explicit major changes to the underlying governing documents of these institutions, but rather through what Garet Garrett would have called a “revolution in the form.” The coercive nature of modern nation-states, always existent—but often overlooked by the majority of the population willing to absorb levels of security theater inconvenience at airports in order to stop the threat of terrorism domestically—has now become part of daily routines as states revert to mask mandates, school restrictions, and in some countries new rounds of military-enforced lockdowns.
The next level of covid escalation is questioning the justified existence of citizens that refuse to be vaccinated. It is with some irony that we are seeing the expert class increasingly sound like dissident political pundit Stefan Molyneux: “The time for arguments has passed.” Any concerns that once existed about the individual rights of those concerned about covid vaccines—including those who have a natural immunity to the virus from prior exposures—are quickly being dismissed by those in power.
With increasing zeal, corporations are seeking to mandate vaccines among their employees, while universities, bureaucracies, and other government institutions around the world are following their lead. Meanwhile, “liberal” pundits have been increasingly advocating for forced vaccination of the population if nicer approaches fail.
None of this should be surprising. Just as democracy has long been whatever people in power want it to be, so has liberalism become a cheap intellectual cover for the most heinous of policy aims. Less a consistent intellectual foundation, it is aesthetic, indicating support for a regime that wraps itself up in concerns about “human rights” while escalating devastating military warzones around the world.
Ultimately, it wasn’t “fascism” or “Russia” that normalized lockdowns, mandates, and massive whirlwind profits to politically connected cronies in the West—it was the alleged defenders of “liberal democracy.” The same coalition of intellectuals, corporate media, and political leaders responsible for the progressive revolutions of the twentieth century.
Any rhetorical value that once came from appealing to the façade of “liberal democracy” should now be dead. The technocratic class is just another group of imposters—and those who reject their narrative become the imposed upon.
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So we can change everything next year when the elections come around.
But will we do it?
Probably not.
A.I. is back at it, posting these hysterical incoherent multi-thousand word rants that never make a point. The volume of his posts alone are greater than all the articles and all the other comments combined. Is he for real or is someone trying to wreck this site?
A.I works for a mouse manufacturing company and is trying to increase their sales by making you wear out your mouse wheel through continuous scrolling past those really long posts to find and read the ones that have some value to them.
Bill, I agree. That person must be unstable. On another note, as preppers we may have overlooked something. We should contact our local churches and ask them to stock up on supplies so they might be able to help in case of total collapse or natural disaster. Remember the Civil Defense days?
Him – You’re so right, and have made the suggestion where I attend, thank you.
I agree with both of you. A.I. there is something wrong there. To think he went and got his head operated without his consent and they put something in it … that tells me this person is being controlled or completely insane. However to say they are killing his family and for WHY? Notice the person never states why they are after him and his so-called family. He did mention he was mentally ill and is obvious obsessed compulsive. TO write long comments is not rational. If they wanted him so bad he would have been dead already like the other suicide victims. Obviously a disgruntled Manchurian Candidate. Lol.
That’s HER name and she is a real person.
The only mystery here is why are mods refusing to intervene?
Something doesn’t pass the smell test here.
Clearly A.I suffers from paranoia.
These Covid mandates and tactics are just to soften up the slaves. When they feel the time is right they will lower the boom
up to and including Marshal Law – Forced vaccinations etc
Will the supreme court do anything ??????
Also, I would not count on any government ,local included ,to be of any help. You are on your own with your family and trusted friends. BTW you have always been on your own wether you knew it or not!
Mac
Your site is a joke
Moderated then dumped – FIX THE DAM THING!!
I’m just about ready to forget this site, all the moderations and late postings – sometimes several days, are a few problems.
Andrea Iravani
Doing a 5 minute or less search of such name … I received information on this individual.
Unfortunately for Andrea – this indeed is a real name – this person is using her real identity on the net – no wonder she is getting threats and thinking it is only the Gov trying to end her life. I’m not a Psychologist but I can see from her post she is dealing with bi-polar/Schizophrenia symptoms.
Though … I do have to give her some credit … she is very much informed but at the same time “preaching to the choir” as if she is the only one who has such information that nobody else has.
I know your are reading this Andrea … please stop with the habitual post and copy/paste articles. Thank you … but you are not providing anything that we already don’t know.
Iravani Surname: most commonly used in Iranian culture. Does not make her a bad person, but probably born here in the States and she’s most likely a 50/50 mix.
There was a time she was a devout DEMOCRAT supporter … some time shortly after the Obama Administration … she somehow found the glorious “red pill” and has been saved.
It appears now that she realizes that both parties of the USA are full of shit, have always been full of shit … and she is mad.
This explains her long … multiple postings of the same thing on different topics on SHTFplan. It’s a amateur move, cant’ completely fault her for it … but … then again … it appears she’s been awake since 2015 – I say “Welcome to the club …. no please stop posting copy/paste items that we already know – thank you very much.
Andrea lives in Wisconsin – she has been a care giver for the elderly as employment (very honorable) but she has also been a volunteer for the Democratic Party platform (boo! on you)
The past is the past and whoopteeDoo I’m not gonna beat you down – there is no point in it. Join in the conversations … don’t beat them down with long … copy/paste shit that we are all very much aware of – in a way … it fucks up the functionality of a forum and or blog – don’t be that person that ends up being the utter asshole of civilization.
Thank you for your indulgence Andrea Iravani
Like all trolls, Andrea Iravani is best ignored. There is a scroll function on your computer, use it.
Covid Tyranny Destroys the Myth of “Liberal Democracy”?
Yes, but only to late, after the tyrant has gained total power. So many people are to stupid to see the signs, they think somehow the tyrant is on their side.