That sound you hear is not the world ending - it’s liberalism being monstered

Key Points:

• The article explores how people across the political spectrum perceive "monsters" differently, reflecting deep societal polarization and discontent with the current political and social order.
• It argues that the conventional political and social system has fundamentally failed to deliver the promised "good life," with cumulative crises spanning economic, social, political, and cultural realms contributing to widespread disillusionment.
• Key events such as 9/11, wars, climate change, the global financial crisis, Covid-19, and recent geopolitical conflicts have compounded a near-constant sense of crisis, which cannot be resolved by policy tweaks alone.
• The rise of post-liberal movements—both conservative and progressive—reflects a broader rejection of liberalism, the foundational philosophy of Western democracies, which emphasized individual freedom, equality, and progress without sacrifice.
• The author suggests that while liberalism is in trouble and facing significant challenges, it is not yet dead; instead, we are witnessing the end of a particular version of the world order that has dominated since World War II.