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How is then of the possible recent and ongoing attempts to reform the capitalist system like the gig economy, use of automation to make manual labour obsolete,

How is then of the possible recent and ongoing attempts to reform the capitalist system like the gig economy, use of automation to make manual labour obsolete, rise of a democratized social media, disruptive innovation etc seem to have more stronger opposition from the left rather than the right, esp in the USA. Many on the left seem to deeply in favour of preserving the status quo, and seems to not have the means or methods or vision of changing the very broken systems into something better.

throwanem 7y ago
A leftist would say that's because neoliberalism, despite having the word "liberal" in its name, is at best a center-right ideology, and would be very surprised at your assertion that leftists want to preserve the broken status quo.
- billfruit 7y ago
  Yes but left seems more critical of change/possibility of change than the right.
  - throwanem 7y ago
    I don't understand in what context this can seem accurate, unless it's one of confusing liberalism and leftism. The US presidential candidate favored by the left, in the current and prior election cycles, is a democratic socialist whose candidacy and appeal are both founded on the promise of restricting the power of, and ameliorating the consequences of, the same laissez-faire (ie unregulated) capitalism so beloved of neoliberals. The left and the right, as a major distinction between either and status-quo-favoring centrists including neoliberals, have in common the idea that radical change is necessary; the idea has been expressed in terms I roughly paraphrase as "capitalism has failed, and in the face of that, we'll have either socialism or fascism", a statement with which leftists in my circle would not disagree. The difference between left and right lies not in seeing a need for change, but partly in means and entirely in desiderata.
    - billfruit 7y ago
      Who is the more vocal critic of the disruptive changes that has happened in our lifetime like the rise of social networks, and gig economy, disruptive innovation, etc. It appears to me the American left is more vocal than the right in criticising/opposing changes.
      - throwanem 7y ago
        I can't speak for how it appears to you, but to claim that the right has been uncritical or even less critical than the left, of recent changes in US and global society, is frankly absurd.

throwanem 7y ago

A leftist would say that's because neoliberalism, despite having the word "liberal" in its name, is at best a center-right ideology, and would be very surprised at your assertion that leftists want to preserve the broken status quo.

billfruit 7y ago
Yes but left seems more critical of change/possibility of change than the right.
- throwanem 7y ago
  I don't understand in what context this can seem accurate, unless it's one of confusing liberalism and leftism. The US presidential candidate favored by the left, in the current and prior election cycles, is a democratic socialist whose candidacy and appeal are both founded on the promise of restricting the power of, and ameliorating the consequences of, the same laissez-faire (ie unregulated) capitalism so beloved of neoliberals. The left and the right, as a major distinction between either and status-quo-favoring centrists including neoliberals, have in common the idea that radical change is necessary; the idea has been expressed in terms I roughly paraphrase as "capitalism has failed, and in the face of that, we'll have either socialism or fascism", a statement with which leftists in my circle would not disagree. The difference between left and right lies not in seeing a need for change, but partly in means and entirely in desiderata.
  - billfruit 7y ago
    Who is the more vocal critic of the disruptive changes that has happened in our lifetime like the rise of social networks, and gig economy, disruptive innovation, etc. It appears to me the American left is more vocal than the right in criticising/opposing changes.
    - throwanem 7y ago
      I can't speak for how it appears to you, but to claim that the right has been uncritical or even less critical than the left, of recent changes in US and global society, is frankly absurd.