quote Originally posted by Wichita:

The Topic (as set up by MidEngineManiac) is "Why liberalism failed."

Leave it to Wichita to post a cartoon without further elaboration, which is generally the laziest and most unthinking way to engage with a forum topic. (What's even less agreeable to me than the cartoon without elaboration, is my expectation that there will be no elaboration forthcoming, from Wichita... except for another cartoon.)

Leave it to Wichita to respond to "Why liberalism failed" by trying to switch the focus to socialism.

Leave it to Wichita to ply his usual, traveling carnival-style shell game in which he tries to erase the distinctions between liberalism and socialism.

Maybe Wichita could make a case that liberalism has failed because it has degenerated into socialism, but making that case would require more than just cartoons, memes and meaningless epithets like the undifferentiated or One Size Fits All references to "leftists", or the ridiculous and all too frequently recurring word salad that is "Biden brats."

I am not going to try to react directly to "Why liberalism failed," which makes the assertion that liberalism has failed.

Instead, I'm going to offer some elaboration of why I think Wichita is plying a traveling carnival-style shell game with the words "liberalism" and "socialism."

First up, a 13+ minute talking essay from Scott B. Nelson, who is (or was, recently) a Research and Strategy Advisor at the Austrian Economics Center and Hayek Institut in Vienna. It's posted on YouTube as Liberalism VS Socialism AND Conservatism [What Would Hayek Say?] and here's the link:
https://youtu.be/4eXZSfyAgCM

This accompanies the YouTube video:

quote Left, right, liberal, socialist, progressive, conservative—these concepts are ubiquitous in contemporary political debate. They are categories that help us organize our own thoughts about politics, ethics, history, and even human nature itself. But what do they really mean? In this week's "What Would Hayek Say?" we take a look at Hayek's famous essay "Why I Am Not a Conservative" and outline his views on liberalism, socialism, and conservatism. We examine some of the limitations of the left-right political spectrum and the triangular spectrum that Hayek proposed as an alternative, which helps us better understand what some of the similarities are between socialism and conservatism and how Hayek's liberalism differs from both of those philosophies. Interestingly, it is precisely Hayek's liberalism that is under attack by sections of both the left and right today. We conclude with looking at some of liberalism's own limitations - which is an essential exercise for anyone who wishes to preserve liberalism.

September 17, 2020.


Second, a brief (just under 5 minutes) and whimsical presentation from The Economist, about the emergence and evolution of liberalism, from its origins to current times.
https://youtu.be/KO8OxfFiVv8

quote Liberalism has been the dominant political philosophy in the West for more than 200 years. Populists say liberals are too elite and are out of touch with ordinary people. Here's what you need to know about liberalism and its place in modern society.

April 17, 2018.


And finally, a 3-minute presentation on "Neoliberalism" from Harvard Online. This is animated, somewhat whimsically, although the narrative itself is straightforward and without any jokes or gags.
https://youtu.be/t41rFqVpB1I

quote Does an unrestrained free market promote peace and prosperity, or does it exacerbate economic and social inequalities?

July16, 2018.

I think it's important to distinguish between "liberalism" and "neoliberalism."

I adjourn.

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 08-02-2023).]