Friday, October 14, 2016

A Reactionary Right & The Continuity of Democracy

There a growing reactionary right. It is "reactionary" because it looks toward an idealized past. It is fueled by a large segment of the population that once felt to be at the center of politics and at the heart of a nation; one which now feels left out. Many are white working class. This needs to be integrally addressed to assist in reconciling them with the other necessary reconciliation (and mutual recognition) of more moderate conservative and liberal segments.

I think that the reactionary right has been becoming more politically influential not only in the U.S. but also in England and - in other ways under local contexts- in other Republics were nativist, semi-fascistic movements and leaders are using democratic means to take center stage. They have also become more active and influential in places where theocratic political systems are possible.

These movements seem to be more dionisiac than apollineal, more like gut-and sentiment-based calls to somehow move back to an idealized mythic state than they are modern, rational and evolutionary. They are quite Nietzschean, self-assertive and will-to-power based. These plutocratically-supported movements inspired by less nuanced "power" and authority figures speaking in plain terms also become the cause of unmanegeable/uncompromising levels of political polarization in which centrist, more reasonable, liberals and conservatives not wanting to look "weak" are also simultaneously being dragged further to the right while confronting demonizing attacks all the while many try to pluralistically represent politically correct but wishy-washy/unclear political positions. Thus, there's a danger that far-right extremism may win over and dismantle rational democratric procedures.

In terms of Integral Theory concepts, these movements may be expressions of extreme "amber altitude" resistance to evolutionary change all the while "green altitude" politics is also increasing in some regions as with many millenials supporting Bernie Sanders instead of centrist Democrats like Hillary. In either case, large segments to the right and the left of the political spectrum are dissilusioned with "politics as usual." Not only Democrats must win back the disillusioned white working class speaking plainly to it and offering solutions. Reconciling integralists must also understand the dynamics of this segments endangering the continued evolution of democracy itself.