Peggy Noonan's alarm over socialism's surge reveals her flawed analysis: she blames the consciousness of the wounded instead of capitalism, which thrives on historical injustices like dispossession and slavery. As the capitalist structure crumbles under its contradictions—where collective production is shackled by private ownership—Noonan dismisses the urgency of socialism, painting it as a radical force aimed at destruction. Yet, socialism is rising not from whimsical ideology but out of necessity, as younger generations face economic precarity and disillusionment. The question isn’t whether capitalism is natural or just; it’s who truly controls the wealth and future built by the collective.
The Mandate of Heaven: Empire, Civilization, and the War Over History’s Future
The ancient Chinese concept of the Mandate of Heaven was never superstition — it was a theory of political legitimacy rooted in material life, popular welfare, and historical judgment. This essay revives that framework as a weapon of analysis, comparing a United States empire that rules through coercion, sanctions, and decline management with a Chinese... Continue Reading →