What to Make of the Global Center-Left?
What to Make of the Global Center-Left?
The folly of luxury beliefs
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This quite long article is succinctly summarized here, but for comprehensive understanding, I recommend you read the full article.
My article posits that the center-left is influenced by luxury beliefs, which blind them to the repercussions of their actions. I offer a nuanced definition of luxury beliefs, highlighting that they often stem from good intentions but can cause unintended harm due to their imprudent application. Additionally, I outline five traits that illustrate a luxury belief: 1. A frequent lack of factual grounding, 2. A rarity for proponents to face the consequences, 3. An oversimplification that stifles debate, 4. High costs without tangible outcomes, and 5. Their absence outside Western contexts.
Next, I examine four instances where luxury beliefs have had detrimental effects: 1. The notion that debt can perpetually fund economic growth, 2. The equation of identity with knowledge and expertise, 3. The assumption that all immigration bolsters economic growth and mitigates population aging, and 4. The conviction that we must save the climate at all costs.
For each example, I explore the fallout of blindly adhering to these beliefs without weighing the consequences. I also highlight two additional adverse impacts of luxury beliefs: the marginalization and vilification of dissenters, and the extreme animosity that divides rather than unites us globally.
To overcome the current impasse, I advocate for meritocracy. By prioritizing knowledge and experience in selection processes over other criteria, we can elevate the overall standard. Furthermore, no diversity initiative measures up to the efficacy of a meritocracy.
The Paradox of Center-Left Politics
When the article "What to Make of the Global Far Right" appeared in my inbox last week, I let out a deep sigh. It was another discussion on how "left-wing educated decent people" ought to engage with those holding opposing views. I was keen to read the author's conclusions, but a paywall obstructed them, locked away from my prying eyes. While I usually appreciate this author's thoughtful writing, I find a disconnect when it comes to political or typically left-wing topics such as immigration, climate change and DEI. In such instances, it appears we live in different realities, even though I consider myself well-educated and progressive. What, then, could explain this discrepancy?
The center-left tends to view ordinary citizens with real concerns as problems to be solved, rather than as people with legitimate questions and needs. This attitude is evident in the way they write and speak about these groups. The arrogance and disdain for people with differing opinions have strongly polarized our Western societies.
The current primary worry for the center-left is the ascent of the far right. This worry is coupled with a profound fear of eroding democratic values, prompting the use of any available method to prevent 'the enemies of democracy' from gaining power, even if such methods are themselves questionable and undemocratic. It's a case of the end justifying the means. This creates a paradox: those obsessed with the enemy eventually become the enemy, with all the resultant implications.
In this essay, I contend that the erosion of democracy stems not so much from external forces or the far right, but rather from the wishful thinking inherent in center-left policies. While good intentions and strong convictions can steer a society, they can be detrimental if not grounded in proper knowledge. Especially, the luxury beliefs flaunted by our leaders as badges of honor appear to be having adverse effects. Consequently, Western civilization might become the first in history to collapse internally rather than being conquered from the outside.
What Are Luxury Beliefs?
The term "luxury beliefs" has garnered multiple definitions, but here is a concise description:
Luxury beliefs are ideas grounded in good intentions and noble motives, but when implemented as policy, they often result in disastrous outcomes.
Luxury beliefs have some key characteristics:
Rooted in Intentions Over Facts: Luxury beliefs are based more on good intentions, assumptions, calculation models, and fallacies, rather than on solid, underlying facts.
Detachment from Consequences: Individuals who uphold luxury beliefs often do not experience the negative consequences of the policies derived from these beliefs.
Lack of Nuance: Luxury beliefs are frequently oversimplified to the extent that any nuance or alternative interpretations are disregarded. Consequently, well-founded criticism is almost impossible to acknowledge.
High Cost, Low Results: Luxury beliefs often demand significant financial resources without yielding measurable results.
Western Phenomenon: Luxury beliefs cease to exist when you cross the border.
While agreement on factual matters is ultimately achievable, ideologically based positions are much harder to dispute. In the realm of beliefs and faith, facts can be presented extensively, but if they do not align with the inner truths of the ideologically motivated, all arguments will be dismissed.
Luxury beliefs are not confined to a specific political movement; rather, they are characterized by their dogmatism and intolerance of opposing viewpoints. Criticism is often perceived as a personal attack, causing individuals to retreat into echo chambers with like-minded people, erecting walls against those they deem non-believers and enemies of the greater good. At the heart of the issue is this: individuals who sincerely think they are acting correctly can be oblivious to the outcomes of their actions. They fail to see the reality, instead choosing to believe in an idealized version of what ought to be.
A historical instance of this pattern is the Dark Ages, a period marked by economic, intellectual, and cultural deterioration after the Roman Empire's collapse. Progress halted as rational thought was supplanted by ideology and dogmatism. While luxury beliefs are not solely held by the center-left, their repercussions are most acutely felt today. This is the regrettable outcome when a political faction becomes extreme, adopting a strict egalitarian ideology and enforcing it upon others as if it were a 'left church'.
The Major Luxury Beliefs and Their Consequences
Due to space constraints, I'll focus on the four most significant luxury beliefs.
1. The Luxury Belief of Free Money and Eternal Growth
In the past two decades, we have been inundated with free money. This money, created out of thin air to support rampant government spending, bail out banks and large corporations, and "buy" us out of various crises, has had profound consequences. Critics of excessive money printing are often quickly dismissed with the argument that the economy has grown and that we have all benefited. However, a closer examination of the figures reveals that our current prosperity is almost entirely funded by future poverty.
In the Western world, government debt has soared to unparalleled heights as production wanes. The shift to service-based economies laden with debt has led to a loss of self-sufficiency. Decades of relocating production to Asian nations and dependence on easy credit have culminated in debts too vast to be settled in our lifetimes.
Furthermore, central banks' unrestrained money printing has led to sustained high inflation, which has steadily diminished our wealth. In the last thirty years, our currency's value has been reduced by half. Initially, this was mitigated by the widespread integration of women into the workforce and an increase in working hours. Yet, as many households reach their financial limits, the continuous currency devaluation persists. Consequently, a growing number of citizens struggle to make ends meet, with an increasing inability to pay their bills.
2. The Luxury Belief that Identity Equals Intelligence, Knowledge and Skill
The belief in our fundamental equality is a noble one. Indeed, to some degree, it holds true: in the eyes of the law, we are endowed with identical rights and should receive equal treatment in identical situations. However, this does not imply uniformity in every aspect of life. In my novel "Coddled Children," one of the principal characters, Rupert, remarks on this subject as follows:
"What's the big deal with socialism?" Rupert starts, leaning back in his chair. "Equality, right? That's the magic word. Everyone's the same – man, woman, black, white, fat, thin, intelligent, stupid; doesn't matter. Same rights, period. That period? That's the killer. Treating people equally under equal circumstances is a noble pursuit, yet in reality, conditions are rarely equal. The socialist, however, remains blind to these disparities. In their rigid system, everyone receives the selfsame treatment regardless of context. And then you get absurd situations: I, utterly devoid of your expertise, could stroll into your position tomorrow, all under the banner of equity. You could exert yourself tirelessly, while I contribute nothing, yet at day's end, our rewards would be identical – equals, after all. As intellectual disparity is rendered irrelevant, the pursuit of knowledge becomes redundant, reducing each challenge to a monotonous repetition of bite-sized chunks. We dress uniformly, behave identically, erasing the very essence of our individuality – man and woman vaporized in the name of equity. Does this rings any bells?"
We now mistakenly equate identity with competence. The notion that simply existing makes one as valuable in terms of knowledge and skills as someone who has studied extensively or gained practical experience is dangerously misleading. This illusion of equity devalues genuine competence and expertise, ultimately harming society as a whole.
In striving for equality, the goal has shifted from providing equal opportunities to enforcing equal outcomes. However, achieving equal outcomes necessitates lowering standards so that even the weakest performers meet the same results. This focus on equity punishes excellence, leading to national stagnation. It is the inevitable result when people are judged and rewarded based on their weaknesses rather than their strengths.
3. The Luxury Belief That Immigration Is Good For The Economy And Can Accommodate The Ageing Population
For years, criticism of mass immigration has been dismissed as xenophobia and racism, making it nearly impossible to address the negative impacts. It's important to acknowledge that not every migrant is a terrorist, opportunist, or criminal. Most are simply seeking a better life, which is a universal desire.
Still, even when we assume the best intentions of migrants, we cannot ignore that years of uncontrolled immigration have disrupted many Western societies. This disruption stems from a mismatch between the types of migrants arriving and the needs of our economies. For over thirty years, it has been clear that there is diminishing demand for low-skilled labor in highly developed countries. Yet, the majority of migrants to Europe and America in recent decades fall into this category. We are thus bringing in many people who cannot fill the high-skilled jobs that are increasingly in demand. Simultaneously, we make it difficult for skilled workers to immigrate legally, prompting companies to relocate their operations abroad. This results in importing poverty while driving away the talent that could mitigate this poverty.
The way many Western countries have managed high immigration has created a new social underclass that competes with the native low-educated population for jobs, housing, and social services. This competition is intensified by housing shortages, declining social services, and rising living costs. The middle class, in particular, feels its prosperity eroding, leading to societal stagnation and disruption. These negative effects largely bypass the upper class, as the disruptions occur in neighborhoods they seldom frequent. By dismissing legitimate concerns about immigration, we provoke a nationalist backlash that opposes all forms of immigration, effectively throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Countries such as Australia, Denmark, and Japan have shown that tightly managed immigration can benefit society without compromising its own citizens, traditions, and culture. Conversely, countries like Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States have demonstrated how immigration, when coupled with misguided beliefs, can destabilize societies from within.
4. The Luxury Belief That the Climate Must Be Saved
Over the years, hundreds of climate reports have consistently warned that if we do not drastically alter our lifestyles, the Earth will become uninhabitable. This belief has led to significant consequences. On one side, extreme activist groups emerge, convinced that the end of the world is imminent and resorting to drastic actions like blocking highways, defacing artworks, and storming airports. On the other side, governments commit to rigid climate agreements and spend billions on measures that have minimal impact on the global climate crisis.
In March of this year, I spent a month in Mexico for HSCT treatment. I stayed in Monterrey, a city of five million people nestled between mountains, where everyone relies on cars—none of them electric. The air was thick with smog, making it nearly impossible to go outside safely. Ironically, there was not a climate activist in sight, gluing themselves to the asphalt, warning that the world would end tomorrow.
Climate protests in places where our air is much cleaner and emissions are lower than in less developed economies? Absurd! Spending tens of billions on climate measures that would reduce global temperatures by a mere 0.000036 degrees? Ridiculous! A friend of mine who traveled to Indonesia noticed the same thing: beyond our borders, the crises consuming our current prosperity seem irrelevant.
A major issue is the unreliability of many climate research findings. This is often due to models that poorly represent reality and the consistent omission of variables that could lead to different conclusions and solutions. Climate researchers face incentives by lobbyists and are pressured by scientific journals to overstate the role of humans in climate change and downplay other influencing factors. The luxury belief being that instilling enough fear will make the public more willing to accept expensive climate policies aimed at reducing emissions.
However, this fear-mongering can backfire. When people sense they are being misled, they seek out their own information and form independent opinions, often focusing on the information that is being withheld. By lacking transparency and presenting only partial truths, the climate debate risks devolving into accusations of a climate hoax.
The outcome of using half-truths in scientific research is a loss of public trust. Confidence in both government and science is at an all-time low. This is a predictable consequence when trying to manipulate public opinion without fully considering the profound impacts on people's lives.
Why Luxury Beliefs Backfire Despite Good Intentions
Luxury beliefs, despite their noble intentions, often lead to disastrous outcomes. The reason lies in the essential role of knowledge and skills in turning good intentions into effective policies. However, this is contrary to the dogmatic equity thinking of the center left: if all people are equal, regardless of the circumstances, then a good intention is always good, regardless of the consequences. This mindset explains the rigid attitude of many proponents of luxury beliefs: the intention outweighs the outcome, the right opinion being more important than being right. Yet, luxury beliefs also have other negative side effects.
The Consequences of Tarring Everyone With the Same Brush
Notice how the media often discusses the center-left but rarely mentions the center-right? Instead, terms like far-right or alt-right are prevalent. If you criticize high inflation, uncontrolled immigration, or the erosion of prosperity, you are quickly labeled a racist, fascist, or conspiracy theorist, lumped together with those holding extremist views.
Rather than addressing genuine concerns with reasoned arguments, many with luxury beliefs dismiss, insult, and cancel those who disagree. Facts that conflict with the prevailing narrative are branded as conspiracy theories. People aren't foolish; they see their dwindling finances and realize that lofty claims about economic growth and purchasing power don't fill their plates. On the contrary, bills are higher than ever.
Another consequence is the dilution of terms like Nazi, fascist, and far-right. If expressing doubts gets you compared to Hitler, then others labeled far-right might not seem so extreme. By generalizing and demonizing, luxury believers have normalized terms like far-right, making them synonymous with anyone feeling abandoned by the center-left. To many, being called a fascist is preferable to being a fool.
The Consequences of Enemy Thinking
According to those with luxury beliefs, threats abound. We must combat climate change and defend against enemies aiming to topple our democracy. Consequently, measures are taken against these perceived enemies: internal foes are deplatformed and monitored, while external foes are excluded and sanctioned.
It is remarkable that there is extensive discussion about enemies, yet seldom is there dialogue with them. Diplomacy, democracy's cornerstone, is neglected. Instead, a one-sided narrative is promoted through legislation and media. Democratic tools like motions, referendums, and court rulings are ignored when they conflict with luxury beliefs. When the will of the people is relegated to a secondary role, it results in varying standards for different citizens. Democracy must be preserved at all costs, even if it means undermining its principles.
Luxury believers often overlook that insults and isolation don't foster friendship. People stop listening when faced with hate and venom, especially without rational arguments to support the beliefs.
Enemy Thinking Leads to Conflict
Russia and China are often labeled as part of an "axis of evil," equated with countries like Iran and North Korea. Sanctions are imposed, and bank accounts frozen without dialogue. We condemn and punish while committing undemocratic acts ourselves. This approach has brought us closer to a third world war than ever before.
Ironically, an invasion by Russia and China isn't necessary for our downfall; we're already on that path. There's no evidence that these countries aim to expand into our territories; it's more beneficial for them to watch us falter. Our debts are soaring, and our education is declining. All they need to do is amass enough gold to back their currency when the dollar and euro collapse, which is their current strategy anyhow.
I'm not denying that our democracies are under pressure. They are, but in my opinion it's our collective ignorance that's driving its stagnation and decay, not external enemies.
Is There Hope?
Although it may sometimes feel as though we are confined amidst crises and threats to humanity, it's important to remember that we hold the power to make a difference. We can choose new paths, elect new leaders, and shape how we live together. Increasingly, people are voicing their concerns about issues such as DEI, gender treatment of minors, men participating in women's sports, uncontrolled immigration, and the declining performance of education. Although these protests may appear small, they have the potential to drive significant change.
The key is to recognize our shared humanity. By setting aside our differences and seeing each other as individuals, we can reduce polarization. Ending polarization starts with a simple step: just take a break, look around, and start thinking for yourself once more.
The Case for Meritocracy
The greatest threat to our democracy is the collective ignorance that has infiltrated our government and institutions. The public sector has become an echo chamber of luxury beliefs, preached from ivory towers. With bureaucrats and politicians indulging in luxury without the necessary knowledge and expertise to govern effectively, our societies have weakened and are on the brink of collapse.
Restoring meritocracy is the only way to recover without resorting to conflict. Meritocracy emphasizes selecting the best person for a position based on knowledge and skills, rather than identity or skin color. A democracy grounded in meritocracy offers three major advantages:
Selection Based on Knowledge and Experience: This approach allows us to halt the process of degeneration and elevate the country's standards once again.
Individual Treatment: People are treated as individuals rather than as representatives of a (minority) group. Traits like skin color, gender, and sexuality become secondary to intelligence, talent, skills, and work ethic.
Elimination of Victimhood: In a meritocracy, everyone has equal opportunities but is responsible for what they do with those opportunities.
Meritocracy is a truly anti-racist principle. No single group holds a monopoly on intelligence and excellence. By fully embracing meritocracy, societies not only achieve diversity in backgrounds and talents but also in ideas and perspectives. It is this diversity—of people and their opinions—that enriches our humanity.
Has this sparked your curiosity? I've authored a successful fiction novel depicting life in a totalitarian state founded on radical equality. The novel is being translated into English and will be released in the coming months. Meanwhile, if you're interested in receiving more articles offering new perspectives on contemporary topics, sign up!
