Warning about institutional ossification. Can society re-invigorate itself?

I've been wondering...what if the core Cultural Creatives are actually Ideational, rather than Idealistic? Could society have several Ideational currents at the same time?

pdf for civilization theory. Note that a rout or rally is supposed to last four generations, about 134 years.

Oddly enough, television tropes includes an End of an Age description.

Originally Posted by TimWalker

Oddly enough, television tropes includes an End of an Age description.

Not really oddly. The sense that we're in the end of an age actually predates TV by several decades, and hasn't ceased. An era ended around WWI, and we've spent over a century trying to create the coming era, with a detour that looked solid and sound (the American Century) but is bidding fair not to last. Popular mass media sense these things and package them for consumption. Just as they do our fears of the parasitic elites (vampires), mindless hungry masses (zombies) and young men in gangs (werewolves).

Originally Posted by The Grey Badger

Not really oddly. The sense that we're in the end of an age actually predates TV by several decades, and hasn't ceased. An era ended around WWI, and we've spent over a century trying to create the coming era, with a detour that looked solid and sound (the American Century) but is bidding fair not to last. Popular mass media sense these things and package them for consumption. Just as they do our fears of the parasitic elites (vampires), mindless hungry masses (zombies) and young men in gangs (werewolves).

It will last the next 400 years. Around WWI was indeed the end of an era. 1892 to be specific. What we make of this new era we live in is up to us. We're not doing too well these last 32 years. Why are we so stubbornly holding on to the ideas of the pre WWI era, like trickle-down economics and the free market ideology? Why don't we move forward into the new era with a sense that new possibilities have opened for us, and new ways to be creative and expand human potential, and more tools available to more people to be creative than any time ever? Why instead is our nation being held hostage to people who want to go back to individualism, old-time religion and old-time science?

Once the next era finally gels: 1. No Western domination of the world. 2. If we are lucky, it won't be dominated by anybody else. In terms of one's values, one may prefer number 1. Otherwise, 2 may be the next best situation, if one can figure out a way to thrive within its constraints.

Article-the rise and decline of the west

Jame's Bennett's claim that the Anglosphere is becoming a new civilization.

I recall certain movements, such as Nazis and Greens, being described as quasi-religions. Here it is claimed that Western Civilization is governed by a triumvirate.

There’s a global government developing. It may not be fully American or Western, but that is where the wealth and military power is at the moment. It has two political parties: the Transnationalists that want to preserve national governments and regional laws only so the rich and powerful can float above them and exploit them, and the Globalists that want an activist, moralist central world authority to enforce minimum standards of economic development, environmental protection, etc. The difference is the ones attending WTO/G8 meetings and those outside protesting.

Regarding the "triumvirate" I expect the Capitalism category (with its 3T flavor) to be eclipsed by (4T/1T) social democracy.

Originally Posted by chrono117

There’s a global government developing. It may not be fully American or Western, but that is where the wealth and military power is at the moment. It has two political parties: the Transnationalists that want to preserve national governments and regional laws only so the rich and powerful can float above them and exploit them, and the Globalists that want an activist, moralist central world authority to enforce minimum standards of economic development, environmental protection, etc. The difference is the ones attending WTO/G8 meetings and those outside protesting.

I agree; there's much truth in that. And it is reflected in the two sides in the domestic issues as well.

An eample of a culture betwixt and between. Some sophisticated new elements added to a culture with many aspects from the past.

In this site Quigley's stages are outlined for the West.

Originally Posted by TimWalker

In this site Quigley's stages are outlined for the West.

That's a good summary. From the perspective of the planetary cycles, and a critique of Western Civilization, we can see that the shorter "age of expansion" in the 19th century was not an "expansion," but a dissolution and destruction called "industrialism," thus continuing the process he mentioned as beginning in 1690. The new age of expansion is not to be Western-driven, but global; and that's what's happening, right on schedule, coming after the final fall of the "1420" civilization in the world wars. Of course, the new global civilization is largely a result of the colonial age of expansion that began in the 15th century and continued up to the 1890s.

Originally Posted by TimWalker

In this site Quigley's stages are outlined for the West.

Page bookmarked to read at leisure. Sounds good!

Perhaps we will see a stage not listed by Quigley or Melko or Sorokin or any of the other historians-a Muddle Through stage.

Perhaps the next saeculum will be part of this long interregnum...betwixt and between.....

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This site is interesting partly because of Neil Howe, and discussion of generational theory.

Originally Posted by TimWalker

This site is interesting partly because of Neil Howe, and discussion of generational theory.

Ah, yes. Western Civilization. I've read about that in history books.

Originally Posted by TimWalker

Perhaps we will see a stage not listed by Quigley or Melko or Sorokin or any of the other historians-a Muddle Through stage.

Maybe, but things seem like a muddle when Neptune is in Pisces

Originally Posted by The Grey Badger

Ah, yes. Western Civilization. I've read about that in history books.

Looks like an interesting site, with a Neil Howe interview. But "Western Civilization" yes it's a passe concept. The future of western civilization is global civilization.

I see Andrew Cohen has been on too. I quoted him here in the philosophy thread. The show must be pretty good then, in spite of its title.