A few pages in and my “realism” 🙄 seems relevant. We’re rehearsing stories that contrary to (liberal?) approaches to participation and collaboration, the “real world” is one of violence and the use of force to enforce order or make change happen.

The risk with this “realist” stance is that it draws links to (ridiculous and disingenuous) claims about “human nature” and self-interested competition. “Political realism” of this sort is sometimes barely distinguishable from the barely disguised white supremacy and eugenics of Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons, and leaves us with few options but to embrace authoritarian or populist totalitarian politics.

We could do far better by recognizing that violence and self-interest do happen, but actively delegitimizing them. Because presuming to wield them for “the greater good” leads us nowhere fast.