The Dissolution of Liberal Universalism — Alastair Crooke

Occasionally, Alastair Crooke hits one out of the park and this post is one of those. He reiterates a point that Alexander Dugin ("Putin's brain" NOT) makes foundational in The Fourth Political Theory. He argues that the twentieth century was about fascism and communism, and that that dichotomy no longer exists. Presently, the historical dialectic has shifted to the conflict between liberalism and traditionalism, which will occupy at least the first part of the twenty-first century, as civilizational states assert themselves against liberalism as a homogenizing force based on 18th century Enlightenment European values and ideology that negates the traditions of civilizational states.

I think he is essentially correct about this historical conflict between liberalism and traditionalism, but I disagree that fascism and communism no longer exist as key players on the world stage. Fascism is again on the rise within liberalism as a paradox of liberalism, the illiberalism of demanding that all conform to an "exceptional" way of life. Communism remains an ideal, attempts to actualize it prematurely having failed owing to the level of collective consciousness not being elevated enough to sustain it.

Whatever, Alastair Crooke has put his finger on an underlying dynamic that is shaping world events. While he doesn't mention Alexander Dugin, he does cite Samuel Huntington.

In a way, these woke generations are paraphrasing Samuel Huntington, who writing in his Clash of Civilizations, asserted that “the concept of a universal civilization helps justify Western cultural dominance of other societies and the need for those societies to ape Western practices and institutions.” Universalism is the ideology of the West for confronting other cultures. Naturally, everyone outside the West, Huntington argued, should see the idea of one world as a threat.

There are two sides (at least) in a dialectical argument. I am not taking either side, and personally am happy to see the "conversation" taking place not only intellectually but also in history. I also think that is a transformational process that will extend over perhaps hundreds of years. 

Strategic Culture Foundation
The Dissolution of Liberal Universalism
Alastair Crooke | founder and director of the Conflicts Forum, and former British diplomat and senior figure in British intelligence and in European Union diplomacy

See also

Open Culture
The Story of Fascism: Rick Steves’ Documentary Helps Us Learn from the Hard Lessons of the 20th Century

Medium
We Don’t Know How to Warn You Any Harder. America is Dying.
Umair Haque

Counterpunch
The Empty Theater
Kenn Orphan

The Atlantic
The Lesson Americans Never Learn: Trying to replace the government with personal initiative requires an impossible amount of energy.
Annie Lowrey