Who Needs Conspiracy Theories When Progressives Openly Describe the
Post-Corona World? By John Horvat II
Anyone who thinks that
the coronavirus crisis represented a truce in the raging culture war is very
mistaken. The war is only going to accelerate.
Likewise, anyone who thinks there is a need to construct
complex conspiracy theories to explain what is happening is also mistaken.
“Progressive” thinkers
clearly state how they conceive the post-corona order. They do not think in
terms of a narrative in which everything will return to normal. They say the
storm will pass, but the world will be changed forever, preferably in their own
liberal image and likeness.
The thoughts of these visionaries should be a cause of
concern to those who defend a moral order and the Faith. Their forecasts
exclude the views of such defenders as hopelessly backward and even dangerous.
A Visionary Speaks
One such visionary is
Yuval Noah Harari, a history professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He
is no writer on the fringe of things. His books have become New York Times
bestsellers and enjoyed endorsements from people like former President Barack
Obama and Bill Gates. If anyone can speak for the liberal establishment, Harari
has the credentials. His post-corona forecast appears in the staid establishment mouthpiece, The
Financial Times.
His worldview also
reflects a secular world without Faith. In his 2017 book, Homo Deus, Dr. Harari
argues there is no God, no soul and no free will. For him, life is merely a
succession of chemical reactions and algorithms that interact and evolve with
nature. He believes that techno-enabled humanity will eventually become
immortal gods.
Thus, this postmodern wizard represents the cutting edge
of progressive thought. That is why when he speaks, it makes sense to listen.
The author makes three chilling observations about the post-corona future that
should not be ignored.
Major Changes Made Quickly
The first observation is that the coronavirus crisis is
going to change the economy, politics and culture radically within a short time
frame if world leaders act “quickly and decisively.”
This crisis will “fast-forward historical processes.” They
will allow officials to conduct massive experiments, using even dangerous
technologies. Decisions that normally would take years or even decades of
deliberation will be passed in a matter of hours. In this climate of panic,
people will accept measures that they would never agree to do in normal times.
Those who share this vision do not desire a return to
normal. They want a different order that reflects their worldview. This future
is not presented as a choice but a consummated fact. The crisis will quickly
impose it upon the nations. There is no turning back to an old order.
Implicit in the declarations of Prof. Harari is that old
paradigms must change in conformity with “global solidarity.” Old fashioned
ideas will no longer work in this brave new world. Informed technocrats using
“science” and data will be much more capable of ruling the world than elected
officials.
The most disturbing
aspect of this observation about the future is its stealth character. It enters
into the scene, not unlike the coronavirus, quickly and without the consent of
those directly affected.
Totalitarian Surveillance or
Citizen Empowerment
The second observation of Dr. Harari is the coming age of
universal surveillance of citizens. He notes that the coronavirus crisis is
already bringing online instruments of public monitoring that dwarf all past
efforts to keep watch over people. The coronavirus crisis threatens to
“normalize the deployment of mass surveillance tools in countries that have so
far rejected them.”
The progressive visionary is not so naïve as to think this
technology cannot be harmful or dangerous. A smartphone that transmits the
location of virus victims can also be programmed to monitor temperature and
blood pressure. Medical monitoring can also record biological phenomena like
emotions, joys and anger. It might measure reactions to conservative or liberal
ideas found online. All this data can be harvested and sold to corporate
marketing departments…and government agencies.
However, the writer claims that universal monitoring can
also be a source of citizen empowerment. Monitoring can be beneficial when
moderated by institutions that build relationships of trust. His solution is
not to rebuild trust in the family, community or church. Instead, he lists
institutions that have betrayed this trust in the past and are found at the
core of the culture war.
“People need to trust science, to trust public
authorities, and to trust the media,” he notes. Adding to the tension, he
decries the conspiracy theories and “irresponsible politicians [who] have
deliberately undermined trust in science, in public authorities and in the
media.”
Thus, the progressive
narrative of the coronavirus crisis follows the Harari script by presenting the
false dilemma of either accepting an enlightened technocracy or irresponsible
totalitarianism. He excludes real alternatives more in line with America’s past.
Global Solidarity
The final observation presents yet another false dilemma.
The professor claims the post-corona society must choose between what he calls
“nationalist isolation and global solidarity.” The normal option of a nation
that affirms its own identity yet shares a common humanity is not on the table.
Effective action facing the crisis can only be done through
not-always-voluntary global cooperation.
Thus, nations need to “share” information, technology and
discoveries globally. There must be a spirit of global cooperation and trust.
It is a rather ironic conclusion since few trust the Chinese authorities who
failed to “share” the news of the illness when it broke out. Western scientists
continue to question the Chinese communists’ creative use of statistics to
support their agenda.
This new solidarity must transcend all political,
philosophical and cultural differences. A communist government, Islamic
theocracy or brutal dictatorship are all equal in this vast effort to save
lives. He foresees a kind of universal community coordinated by enlightened
leaders and technocrats.
“Just as countries nationalize key industries during a
war, the human war against coronavirus may require us to ‘humanize’ the crucial
production lines.” The noted author foresees rich nations coming to the aid of
poor countries even to the point of pooling medical personnel and distributing
vital supplies more fairly. Global cooperation is also needed on the economic
front as rich nations will be “invited” to share the wealth.
Such communal dreams of global cooperation are hardly new.
They have long populated the dreams of utopian social planners who are only too
willing to impose their plans upon the world, always with catastrophic results.
Nevertheless, the panic of this crisis is how the inconceivable becomes
possible.
A Future Without God
The three observations of
Yuval Harari all have characteristics in common. The first is a noted hostility
toward the culture war perspective of countless Americans. They are dismissed
as forces of disunity that oppose “science” and global solidarity.
A second alarming characteristic is a willingness to
sidestep established procedures and freedoms to impose their worldview upon the
nation. Whether it be through quickened historical processes, universal
surveillance or global “cooperation,” the underlying message is the need for
supra-governing mechanisms to do what is best for humanity.
Finally, the Harari game plan excludes a moral framework
based on objective standards of right and wrong or even the rule of law. As one
who believes in neither the soul or free will, he denies any role of religion
and God. His is a cold, brutal world without purpose or redemption.
The Harari narrative is
found in the daily avalanche of news. It is easy to find the measures, methods
and goals he outlines interwoven into crisis. A recent editorial in The Wall
Street Journal by Henry Kissinger repeats the idea that the
crisis “will forever alter the world order.”
Countless
writers, thinkers and politicians echo this menacing message.
Conspiracy theories need hidden methods, unchecked power
and massive networks to be believable enough to find adherents. However, in the
case of the coronavirus crisis, who needs conspiracy theories? Thinkers like
Yuval Harari openly write about their chilling post-corona future without God.
Fortunately, God also has a future in mind. He writes
straight with crooked lines. He might have some surprises that progressive
visionaries cannot see.
