Comments on: Who Fears Solidarity? http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/29/who-fears-solidarity/ n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:39:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Daniel Larison http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/29/who-fears-solidarity/comment-page-1/#comment-9832 Daniel Larison Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:52:18 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/29/who-fears-solidarity/#comment-9832 I don't think community and identity are static, and indeed I do think that it is the assumption that community solidarity implies changeless confirmity that creates the false opposition between achievement and loyalty. A healthy community, like a living tradition, has it within itself to incorporate change and to adapt itself to new conditions without giving up its basic functions. The healthiest community is one that can provide a sense of meaning and belonging without becoming hostile to aspirations, but is willing to direct those aspirational energies back towards the community rather than dispersing them elsewhere. I don’t think community and identity are static, and indeed I do think that it is the assumption that community solidarity implies changeless confirmity that creates the false opposition between achievement and loyalty. A healthy community, like a living tradition, has it within itself to incorporate change and to adapt itself to new conditions without giving up its basic functions. The healthiest community is one that can provide a sense of meaning and belonging without becoming hostile to aspirations, but is willing to direct those aspirational energies back towards the community rather than dispersing them elsewhere.

]]> By: jaloren http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/29/who-fears-solidarity/comment-page-1/#comment-9831 jaloren Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:45:18 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/03/29/who-fears-solidarity/#comment-9831 It is true that cosmopolitan libertarians and Randian individualists (the I before WE and all that) have trouble understanding the nature and necessity of community. They cannot (perhaps refuse to) deal with the fact that identity is primarily determined by birth and geography since that poises such a fundamental challenge to their worldviews. However, the implication of your post (correct me if I am wrong) is that community and identity are static. In my personal experience, it is performative-meaning community and identity changes over time. Identity is not merely something that you are its something you do. This is particular evident when you attempt to identify a community--its defined by rituals, customs, and events. If that is true, then it follows that community can be influenced for better or for worse by the decisions that people within a community make (collectively and individually). For example, President Bush has (probably permanently) transformed our community into a culture of torture. That being the case, the fact that community defines identity is the starting point of the conversation and the question becomes: What are healthy and unhealthy communities and how do we create healthy communities and rid ourselves of unhealthy ones? Unfortunately, in my estimation, we have outsourced the effort of answering that question to our ruling class, and so we have modernity, globalization, and consumerism for our culture. We have traded in the liturgy for Wal-Mart, and family for a white-collar job. It is true that cosmopolitan libertarians and Randian individualists (the I before WE and all that) have trouble understanding the nature and necessity of community. They cannot (perhaps refuse to) deal with the fact that identity is primarily determined by birth and geography since that poises such a fundamental challenge to their worldviews.

However, the implication of your post (correct me if I am wrong) is that community and identity are static. In my personal experience, it is performative-meaning community and identity changes over time.

Identity is not merely something that you are its something you do. This is particular evident when you attempt to identify a community–its defined by rituals, customs, and events.

If that is true, then it follows that community can be influenced for better or for worse by the decisions that people within a community make (collectively and individually). For example, President Bush has (probably permanently) transformed our community into a culture of torture.

That being the case, the fact that community defines identity is the starting point of the conversation and the question becomes: What are healthy and unhealthy communities and how do we create healthy communities and rid ourselves of unhealthy ones?

Unfortunately, in my estimation, we have outsourced the effort of answering that question to our ruling class, and so we have modernity, globalization, and consumerism for our culture. We have traded in the liturgy for Wal-Mart, and family for a white-collar job.

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