Those who are most discontented with liberalism have done far more than “forget” about the importance of constitutional governance. For many, liberalism is a conscious object of utter contempt.
Kendi et al. view liberalism as a pillar of a tyrannical white supremacist patriarchy — an existential threat to minority communities.
Deneen et al. view it as a spiritually hollow worldview that does more than “undermine the conditions for its own renewal” — it destroys them completely and so is doomed to fail precisely because it succeeds.
In Martin Gurri’s account, much of the discontent is rooted in a crisis of authority — not merely a perceived crisis, but an actually existing one — that elites can no longer withhold from public view, thus giving rise to a potent nihilism that’s unspecific in its criticism and unconcerned about alternatives. It takes many forms but always posits that liberalism has failed so miserably that anything would be better than the status quo.
I don’t think that any of those three audiences will be receptive to reminders about the importance of constitutional governance. The only folks who will be are those who are already convinced of its importance, or perhaps those who don’t yet have well-formed beliefs.
Those who are most discontented with liberalism have done far more than “forget” about the importance of constitutional governance. For many, liberalism is a conscious object of utter contempt.
Kendi et al. view liberalism as a pillar of a tyrannical white supremacist patriarchy — an existential threat to minority communities.
Deneen et al. view it as a spiritually hollow worldview that does more than “undermine the conditions for its own renewal” — it destroys them completely and so is doomed to fail precisely because it succeeds.
In Martin Gurri’s account, much of the discontent is rooted in a crisis of authority — not merely a perceived crisis, but an actually existing one — that elites can no longer withhold from public view, thus giving rise to a potent nihilism that’s unspecific in its criticism and unconcerned about alternatives. It takes many forms but always posits that liberalism has failed so miserably that anything would be better than the status quo.
I don’t think that any of those three audiences will be receptive to reminders about the importance of constitutional governance. The only folks who will be are those who are already convinced of its importance, or perhaps those who don’t yet have well-formed beliefs.