[mmooss]

> the return of history

The idea that somehow the current actions are 'real' history and what people were doing before is fake just feeds the claim of inevitabiility, a basic psyops maneuver - you can't win; our victory is inevitable.

People have made history for centuries of Enlightenment - the whole idea is that we can control our fates as individuals through reason and compassion (humanism), and we have done it. We have transformed the world. The only problem is people giving up - despite the incredible success of this idea over centuries - and accepting that they can't control their fate. Certainly MAGA-ish conservatives believe they can make history.

[scottLobster]

"The End of History and the Last Man" was a book written in 1992 about the end of the Cold War and how previous historical patterns no longer applied, and Western liberal democracy would sweep the world and usher in a world of peace.

The "return of history" is snarkily pointing out how historical trends have been reasserting themselves, and Fukuyama (the author) was, at best, overly optimistic

[mmooss]

Fair enough, but,

> historical trends have been reasserting themselves

Western liberalism is an historical trend, just like the others.

[harimau777]

The parent was likely referencing the idea that the end of the Cold War represented "the end of history".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_of_history