Richard Rorty published a collection of essays on the public relevance and application of pragmatist thought under the title Philosophy and Social Hope ((London, New York: Penguin, 1999). Included is an essay entitled "Looking Backwards from the Year 2096" (originally "Fraternity Reigns" in The New Times Magazine, 28 September, 1996). In this essay, Rorty presents an intriguing look at what he calls, at the end, a "chastened" America. In the book, Rorty posits a military coup leading to dictatorship from 2014-2044.
When I first read this last summer, I thought, "Pshaw!". Now, I wonder if he wasn't off by a few years on the beginning of the whole thing. For Rorty, part of the price of overcoming our current predicament is surrendering our sense of American uniqueness. Since the days of the Mathers in the Massachusetts bay Colony, American intellectuals have insisted that there is something different about the project of life here in North America. This indefinable "something" has come to be called "American uniqueness". Whether in Christian or secular forms, it is the conviction that there is a qualitative distinction between the United States and all other countries that have ever, or will ever, exist. It has guided us through expansion, Civil War, recovery, industrialization, two world wars, the Great Depression, and the convulsions of living under the thumb of OPEC and our decreasing ability to dictate terms in the international arena.
While certainly a tragedy, Rorty sees a period of dictatorship as a blessing in disguise. We will no longer consider ourselves above the historic fray, including the temptation to absolute power. We will no longer sacrifice the lives of millions of our fellow citizens on the altar of "economic opportunity". We will no longer insist that we always be more powerful, more productive, more threatening than the rest of the world. The endless pursuit of power corrupted our national psyche to the point of the collapse of our republican institutions. This is much too high a price. We may no longer think of ourselves as #1, but there are other social goods that don't threaten to destroy what is good about us as a nation. Things like more equitable distribution of income. Things like a separation of political power and economic concentration. Things like surrendering rights talk for social goods talk.
For the past few days I have grown desperate as I watch the combination of incompetence and unreality of our Executive Branch continue to destroy and degrade our public sphere. Our press is either myopic, stupid, or compromised, but whatever the reason the press refuses to acknowledge what is visible to most of the rest of us - our country is in the midst of terrible times and the choices left to us are dwindling. Just consider - after Alberto Gonzalez' performance before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, I was confirmed in my belief that the rule of law has collapsed. As long as the Executive refuses to acknowledge the power of the Legislature to hold it accountable, and as long as the enforcement mechanisms are in the hands of the Executive, there is literally nothing Congress can do to enforce its will. There are no independent police forces anywhere that can act to hold these people accountable. This is de facto authoritarianism. Whether or not they yield the government next year, the line has already been crossed. Until and unless the Republican Party either (a) disavows the President and acts for the good of the country; or (b) is held accountable as a group for the destruction of our public institutions, there is little to prevent them from doing similar things in the future. In fact, as the precedent has been set, the Democrats can now do it, too.
Rorty's "look back" is most chastening when one thinks that he saw clearly over a decade ago what the rest of us are now living through. The only difference is, we haven't come out the other side yet, and I fear there is a long slog ahead of us.
