Quote:
Originally Posted by America
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"Political theory" is ideology, not hard science. Power relationships are a systematic component of politics but there are, actually, culture and individual character playing their roles in things -- among other forces. If you are just talking about power you are being an ideologue. Black and white thinking.
As for what we're trying to accomplish: we are clinging to power while we devise an information-control matrix that can bend every culture into the world order which has us at its head. It may well work and be something of a political singularity; the top of the info matrix could be a permanent crown on the permanent head of human civilization. The next 30 years will be very important.
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Political theory is attempt to organize and make sense people's muddle-assed thinking about ideology. It is not an ideology in and of itself. As far as the academic subject of Political Theory goes (which mostly got started in its modern form under Niccolò Machiavelli).
Plato did have an ideology, one of Meritocracy. It's one of the foundational ideas of Western ideology. In that sense maybe it is black and white. Meritocracy is an ideology that philosopher kings would do the best on top, then lower down rungs everyone has their place. Including slaves at the bottom who are better governed by other rather than themselves.
IDK where the grey is though. You either believe society should be organized according to merit or not.
The biggest threat to US hegemony is itself. It's co-option by corporations and its subservience to undisciplined private interest with no vision beyond enriching themselves. Oligarchy in short (which Aristotle identified as an unstable system).
It creates unprofitable military adventurism, predatory capitalism, kleptocracy, and undermines popular support for our country and global support for its position as a leader.
Google is giving away the mechanisms you are talking to China ATM...why? Because the US Government serves Google more than Google serves the US Government. And that is a problem.
Trump talks a good game on some of this "America First" rhetoric. But he has more or less kept the status quo from what I can tell -- accelerating subservience to limited private interest that have no actual loyalty to this country, its ideals, or anything except "GIVE ME MORE."
Bernie might at least help more people reach more of their potential and actually start contributing to the country. But he might just as much hobble things dated ideas and programs. We'll have to see.
I'm not a huge fan socialism becoming the party of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism shouldn't be a party. I think its a failure as far as policy goes, other might disagree -- that's fine, just not along high stakes winner take all party lines.
The multicultural vote needs to be split, were as the economic populist and nationalist vote needs to be concentrated in one party so it can take over for at least awhile. We have the opposite right now and its not good.