There is very little sense of a clear divide between left and right, or between parties representing different social classes. Political issues seem to be posed with far less clarity than they used to be. There is no great clash of competing visions of the future for humanity. Instead, all shades of opinion within mainstream politics now appear to agree that there is no alternative. That general lack of belief in the possibility of changing things for the better has itself become the central issue of our times.
Every discussion now seems to be dominated by a debilitating culture of limits.
Whether the debate is about the economy, science or social policy, there is an assumption that we are no longer capable of making much progress, of improving the human condition. Indeed it is often assumed that even trying to change things is likely to make matters worse, since it will only create new risks to health, safety and the environment. The culture of limits is now accepted as gospel by those who would see themselves on the left and the right alike. There is a constant inflation of the dangers and problems which people face today, coupled with a diminished sense of humanity having the ability to develop society and to tackle any diffculties we might come up against in the process. People are now more likely to be viewed as problems than as potential problem-solvers.