I am now booked in to attend a conference at Brighton University on the theme 'Thinking with Wendy Brown'.
Who is Wendy Brown? You Tube presentations and interviews show an American academic strongly opposed to 'neoliberalism' (rough definition: reliance on markets for ascribing values of all kinds). She connects with 'Critical Theory' - the strand of post-Marxist social thought (still anti-capitalist but questioning rationalism) from 20th century Germany and France, a strand that also appeals to some American women.
For my (lack of) money, the one good thing thrown up by current international chaos is the challenge to everyone - except perhaps neo-fascists - to cast aside all their assumptions and rethink their ideas from scratch. I shall be interested to see how people at the conference, and Wendy Brown herself, get on with that. I notice George Monbiot has already begun - arguing (Guardian, Feb 27) for the UK to rearm to forestall a Russian/US love in.
I have a few suggestions of my own for 'reparative democracy' (Brown's term). First, counter the current anti-green trend by highlighting actual, and potential, links between climate change (and environmental damage generally) and migration. That could be part of argument that cutting overseas aid is strategically stupid as well as inhumane. Second, make clear that general survival in a dangerous world has nothing to do with being idealistic. Any reparative democracy worth its salt will make decisions about morality and ethics themselves as well as politics.
I dare say I shall be reporting back from the conference later. There will be spaces to watch.