By the way, progressives owned modernity a quarter of a century ago. But then it split.
Ironically, one of the people who fused progressivism and modernity together, Tony Blair, has ended up choosing the non-progressive path. As have lots in silicon valley.
One thing it got me thinking about: to what extent could we politicise job design, to develop a policy agenda around it, to provide a backstop for humans in the *job design* loop?
Work is perhaps the most political thing we do that isn't hugely politicised.
And yes, this is what trade unions do, but that still leaves the vast majority exposed.
We have to absorb technology- it can help us when it's human centred. But we do need greater leverage over it.
There's a bigger issue. Government always reports the money it's spending rather than the overall net benefit. The latter is more important.
On this, it's significant- not least through savings to health and through reduced congestion.
So it is defence of the realm.
The public realm.
"The future of work can be more worthy of the human mind, more careful of the human body, more satisfying to the human soul. But not without a fight."
Can't recommend the new @sarahoconnorft.ft.com book highly enough. Real call to arms- to flip direction on the machine and those who control it.
Two pathways to modernity from here.
1. Ethno-authoritarianism. No limits growth. Anti net zero. Big tech. Wealth concentration. Ultra realism in geo-politics.
2. Progressive modernity. Green growth. Return of the public. Regulated tech. Interdependent internationalism.
And then there's Labour.
Labour is incapable of deciding which it wants. So it almost randomly grabs themes from each.
This random and incoherent mess implodes on any contact with governing reality.
I despise and fear ethno-authoritarianism. And despair at the completely incoherent response to it.
We've had racist pogroms this week in the UK. Labour was incapable of describing what we are seeing. Let alone coming up with a coherent response.
That's not by chance. It's because it's stuck between ethno-nationalism and progressive modernity.
These are not worldviews that can be triangulated.