The Myth of Change as Progress in Progressivism
Clifford Humphrey
February 20, 2019 Updated: February 20, 2019
The ancient Chinese author of “The Art of War†wrote that “supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.†This advice applies to political debate.
Presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) recently proposed eliminating private health insurance entirely in order to force all Americans to adopt universal Medicare. Then, with a whimsical wave of her hand, she exhorted, “Let’s move on.†As if socialized health care is the inevitable next step in the United States’ future. Resistance is futile.
This rhetoric is common nowadays, especially among those who identify as progressive. Central to the idea of progressivism is the belief that every morally significant change from the status quo is necessarily progress. If you disagree with the change, you are morally “backward-looking.â€
The presentation of morality as a historical development is powerful because it shuts down future debate. But is the status quo by necessity morally inferior to some inevitable future condition toward which we are being driven by the mysterious force of history?
https://m.theepochtimes.com/the-myth-of-change-as-progress-in-progressivism_2800152.html
