In recent days, Sheinbaum’s government has advanced a new “reform bill” targeting the telecommunications sector, granting itself regulatory powers redolent of those claimed by other authoritarian regimes. Mony de Swaan, Mexico’s federal telecommunications regulator from 2010 to 2013, described the government’s bill as a “highly discretionary, regressive law.”
The thing about liberalism is that it’s like a coin with two very different sides. On one face, you’ve got political liberalism that’s all about individual freedoms, fair elections, and human rights. This is the feel-good stuff that makes liberalism seem universally appealing. Who doesn’t like freedom, right?
But flip that coin over and you get economic liberalism, which is really just capitalism wearing a fancy philosophical mask. This side worships markets, treats private property as sacred, and assumes wealth accumulation is basically a human right. Since property rights are seen as the foundation of all other freedoms, the system effectively locks in wealth inequality by making redistribution seem like theft.
That’s why liberals lose their minds whenever governments impinge on the rights of the rich or regulate corporations. In their worldview, any limit on property rights is a threat to freedom itself.
But that’s not even the real sides. If you want to look into it, the actual two components of liberalism are low Right-Wing Authoritarianism and high Social Dominance Orientation.
The “philosophical” argument is essentially that liberals are all cuddly and feel-good because they’re not right-wing authoritarians, but social dominance means stomping on others to elevate yourself because you believe you can and deserve to. Ironically enough, it fits quite neatly with fascism, especially fascist leadership, which is why liberals and fascists always make such good friends.
But the main implication here is that, in truth, liberals have always been the bad guys and always will be. Things like racism, misogyny, queerphobia may not be required elements of their worldview, but they are so helpful for getting a leg up over others that they inevitably feel they must have the freedom to practice them anyway; and in that sense, neoliberal economics and hate are inextricable.
oh yeah here https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/05/09/claudia-sheinbaum-mexico-democracy-erosion/
The gist of the complaint is here:
The thing about liberalism is that it’s like a coin with two very different sides. On one face, you’ve got political liberalism that’s all about individual freedoms, fair elections, and human rights. This is the feel-good stuff that makes liberalism seem universally appealing. Who doesn’t like freedom, right?
But flip that coin over and you get economic liberalism, which is really just capitalism wearing a fancy philosophical mask. This side worships markets, treats private property as sacred, and assumes wealth accumulation is basically a human right. Since property rights are seen as the foundation of all other freedoms, the system effectively locks in wealth inequality by making redistribution seem like theft.
That’s why liberals lose their minds whenever governments impinge on the rights of the rich or regulate corporations. In their worldview, any limit on property rights is a threat to freedom itself.
But that’s not even the real sides. If you want to look into it, the actual two components of liberalism are low Right-Wing Authoritarianism and high Social Dominance Orientation.
The “philosophical” argument is essentially that liberals are all cuddly and feel-good because they’re not right-wing authoritarians, but social dominance means stomping on others to elevate yourself because you believe you can and deserve to. Ironically enough, it fits quite neatly with fascism, especially fascist leadership, which is why liberals and fascists always make such good friends.
But the main implication here is that, in truth, liberals have always been the bad guys and always will be. Things like racism, misogyny, queerphobia may not be required elements of their worldview, but they are so helpful for getting a leg up over others that they inevitably feel they must have the freedom to practice them anyway; and in that sense, neoliberal economics and hate are inextricable.
I’d argue the system evolves towards fascism over time during crises, and agree with the implications that liberals are fascists at heart.