A Post-Liberal World Order

tldr: An invitation to join us in a conversation about “Where do we go from here?” A Post-Liberal World Order

Let’s define liberalism as a political and philosophical ideology. One that centers:

• Individual freedom

• Equal rights

• Democracy

• The rule of law

It is an unfulfilled promise. But it is a framework that has allowed us to coexist. As well as the framework that allowed us to fight for justice.

Liberalism is under attack. Some say it is at risk, and that we must fight to protect it. Others say that it is over. That it has reached its logical conclusion. And that we have to be thinking about what is next.

I believe that evolution “integrates and includes” the best of what came before. When we grow in a healthy way, we let go of what no longer serves us. And we keep the best of what came before.

I am starting to believe that it is better for us to start thinking in terms of post-liberalism. That it does not make sense to try and return to a now broken status quo. But mine is not a rejection of liberalism as a whole. Mine is a question of what it is we need to keep as we start to open to what is next.

The Right has a well articulated post-liberal project. Hell! Some are even thinking about bringing back the monarchy. There is a whole lot of effort to bring church and state back together. And the whole scheme centers racialized nationalism hidden under the banner of “Western Civilization.”

Are we able to come up with an alternative? Something better than: “we need to save the status quo!” Is there an affirmative way to imagine a post-liberal world order? How can we account for what went wrong with liberalism? I mean, it certainly brought more freedom to more people. And more widespread prosperity and stability.

But never for all.

And it anchored an extraction economy that continues to cannibalize the planet and steal wellbeing from our descendants.

Can we offer something better instead?

Believe me when I tell you that I do not pretend to have the answer. But I have been in conversation with good people who saw this coming. And I want to share what I am learning. The parts of the diagnosis that I have found most resonant. I want to be in conversation about this with you.

We had a powerful session last week. And this week we are coming together on Friday, March 21, 12PM to 1:30PM East.

We will see where the conversation takes us.

To be clear, this is not a conversation aimed at rapid response to the current crisis. It is instead an effort for us to make sense of what is happening while making room to dream something better. Because when we lose our dreams, that’s when we lose everything.

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A few recommendations:

What I really want to do is write about each of these, and I will indeed write about some. But in the meantime, I want to offer a few links:

Writing

Joining the Dance, Moving from Complexity, Imagination and the Deeper Dreaming

Julian Noriss’ writing on complexity is the most resonant with my own thinking. And this piece right here is truly inspired.

Podcasts

Rooted in Light - Reclaiming the Divine Masculine

Tuesday brought me back to her podcast to interview me about the Divine Masculine, this one feels quite vulnerable, a little risky. And I am more explicit than usual about my cosmology.

Divine Intervention

Brendan Hughes released this long awaited podcast series on revolution, resistance, faith and love. It features Dorchester, our Boston neighborhood, and the story of one of my dearest friends and elders, Marianne Hughes, who founded the Interaction Institute for Social Change.

Music Video

La MuDANZA

Bad Bunny latest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is a masterpiece. One for ageas. A love letter to Puerto Rico, our music and our culture. Stay with this one after the first minute, to get a felt sense of the beauty of our people.