Globalized Solidarity is Impossible and Totalitarian
Source: Joseph Addington. "Save Your Solidarity - The American Conservative." April 5, 2026. www.theamericanconservative.com
The Gist
The author argues that trying to create worldwide solidarity is both impossible and dangerous. People naturally have different interests and values that can't be forced into agreement, and attempting to do so leads to totalitarian control and violence.
Conclusion
The concept of 'globalized solidarity' is both impossible to achieve and inherently totalitarian in nature
Premises
- Globalized solidarity requires all people worldwide to have identical desires, goals, attitudes, and interests
- Natural conflicts exist between groups with fundamentally opposing interests (like anti-regime demonstrators and the forces suppressing them)
- Universal agreement about what is just or desirable will not be reached, and individual interests will never align with universal interests
- Attempts to eliminate all conflict lead to murder and totalitarian outcomes
- A civilized society manages conflict without violence rather than eliminating conflict entirely
Assumptions
- Human nature includes inherent differences in values and interests that cannot be reconciled
- Conflict is a natural and permanent feature of human society
- Totalitarian systems inevitably result from attempts to impose universal agreement
- The lion-gazelle metaphor accurately represents fundamental incompatibilities between human groups