“Once upon a time leftists and radicals talked of liberation or the abolition of work. Now the talk is about full employment.”
Jacoby emphasizes in his novel the absence of new political ideas that aim towards a utopian vision. The liberal movement in the West has become less radical in its vision of the future. Rather, it allies itself with the interests of the larger group. In the assertion, he affirms that the leftists have abandoned their roots of radical change and that of a utopia. Instead of the movement to nurture their core values, they have settled for the interests that better suit the present politics. While he recognizes the negative extremes of radicalism, he also advocates for liberals to still embrace a strong notion for change.
“The left once dismissed the market as exploitative; it now honors the market as rational and humane. The left once disdained mass culture as exploitative; now it celebrates it as rebellious.”
The statement further accentuates the middle ground the liberal movement has created that contradicts their core values. Jacoby contends that leftists no longer harbor skepticism towards mass media as long as it conveys their interest. He highlights that instead of resisting the capitalist market for exploiting the lower class, they now support the rationale of the market. He upholds that the liberals think they might still be skeptical of the current climate but they have compromised their ideals.
“No group is able, and few are willing, to stand up to the potent homogenizing forces of advanced industrial society.”
Jacoby advocates for progressivism even if the utopian vision is achievable or not. He asserts that a progressive movement should always be active in order for society to grow or change for the better. Resistance against the status quo is a significant aspect of politics because our society can never be perfect enough. In the assertion, he observes the current Western civilization as lacking this aspect in that the leftist groups have conformed to the status quo.
