On becoming less left-wing (Part 1)

As humans, we're evolutionarily wired to prioritize short-term gain. Hunter gatherers had no use for five-year plans, and those instincts are still within us. Combine that with our current economic system, ad-driven business models, and algorithmic social media platforms, all of which visibly reward cynical short-term games, and you've got the perf... See more

Thus state intervention came to be discredited by a value proposition that was no longer aligned with individual aspirations. The laissez-faire approach was never attractive: it deprived the poor and even the middle class of access to affordable essential services. But the interventionist counter-offer ended up looking not that attractive, either:

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Over the years, plenty of responsible experimenters – think of the more pragmatic elements among the back-to-the-landers, kibbutzim, Tolstoyan farmers and so on – have managed to demonstrate that new societies can form successfully at modest scales. The best among them also managed to establish a productive and beneficial relationship with the worl... See more

But opponents of state intervention didn’t lay down their arms. Fueled by ideological fervor, the fear of communism, and in-depth works by prominent economists, the ideological warfare against state intervention began again right after World War II in the form of neoliberalism[381]. It gained steam because of major societal changes. The rising aspi

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