Against Nihilism - 4 comments

I should read the Drink Soaked Trots more; here's a great article from Eric (via Paulie), though sadly it may mark his farewell from blogging:

Much has been written by commentators about the so-called arrogance of those "liberals", for want of a better word, who wish to impose Western democracy on other cultures (a straw man in itself) and who wish to protect their own liberal democracies from totalitarian and reactionary forces who will use violence to further their cause. In reality, the more arrogant voice of liberalism is that coming from those downplaying the threats, who big up the (non-existent) threat of an authoritarian centrist government (Labour or Conservative). It's as though they believe that democracy is some sort of natural condition, not susceptible to attack or degradation. That it exists in some other parallel universe, never at threat from external forces in the world.

And also:

Politicians are attacked for providing answers, yet the media do not create the space for sensible public debate in the game of cat and mouse they play. It isn't just the media either, it is a wider malaise and disenchantment within the political class - and by that I mean in the very broad sense of all those who actually pay any attention to politics. Has there ever been a time before when there have been so many people utterly unhinged about contemporary politics?

Read it all, it's intelligent blogging.