After 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and Trump’s election, critics from both the right (e.g. Sohrab Ahmari’s post‑liberal movement) and the left (e.g. Samuel Moyn’s critiques of tyrannophobia) declared liberalism outdated and broken .
Right-wing drift and retrenchment:
Post-liberals like Ahmari originally advocated discarding liberal pluralism in favor of a socially conservative, Christian-ordered state.
With Trump’s authoritarian policies becoming more visible, key figures (including Ahmari himself) have reversed course—now promoting restoring and reforming liberal democracy rather than dismantling it.
Left-wing critique fizzles:
Moyn and others argued liberalism’s focus on preventing tyranny distracted from tackling economic and social injustice.
But these critiques stayed reformist—never proposing an alternative to liberal democracy. With Trump’s second-term authoritarianism, even Moyn now concedes that liberal safeguards are vital .
Why illiberal critics are losing influence:
The post-liberal right is weakened by internal divisions (e.g., over economics) and association with Trump’s authoritarian experiment.
On the left, radical movements like the dirtbag left or “cancel culture” lacked coherent philosophical grounding and have since receded.
A liberalism reinvented
There’s an opening for “abundance liberalism” (e.g. Ezra Klein, Derek Thompson)—which advocates a stronger, more effective government to rebuild trust in public institutions.
The article suggests liberals must create new narratives and policies that resonate amid widespread dissatisfaction, while preserving democracy’s foundational principles .
Bottom line: The vociferous intellectual attack on liberal democracy appears to be fading. Across the political spectrum, voices once calling liberalism obsolete are now defending its importance. At the same time, a rejuvenated liberalism focused on robust governance and democratic renewal may regain momentum.
https://www.vox.com/politics/418116/anti-liberal-moment-end-trump-ahmari-moyn
Dr Bob, Brain Mechanic 