Hi @Michael_Stumpf, how about we schedule a Café to explore these intertwingling topics? (I’m busy until mid-March, so maybe the week of the 16th?)
Ezra Klein asks some good questions and offers a somewhat plausible (obviously partial, still pretty weak, I think) diagnosis of what got us into the political situation we are in. I think there are strong counter-examples to his argument. For example, I thought the Obamas had a sense of beauty and style. (Not talking about policies or actions here.) But there is also a meaning crisis among liberals in the absence of a strong mythical framework. The myth of perpetual technological and economic progress, without spiritual fulfillment or social purpose, is underlying the void that maga has stepped into.
At the same time, I don’t think Klein goes nearly deep enough, as if there were just some simple corrections we could make (such as cultivating a sense of taste) and suddenly market liberalism would be a stable system that works just fine. (I’m sure he would have said more with more time, so that’s not a totally fair critique.) Either way, I think it would be interesting to discuss these questions in the light of other recent posts, such as this one from @care_save: