The Strange Resilience of Liberalism: Reflections from a Train to Amsterdam
As the train from London to Amsterdam passes through four countries without any announcements on border crossings, Janan Ganesh observes the strange resilience of liberalism. Despite the turn against globalization in the past decade, life on the pitch has not significantly changed. The worst inconvenience that Ganesh experienced was waiting for a sun lounging chair to arrive from Los Angeles. Immigration remains as prevalent as ever, with Canada and France setting records for permanent immigration while net immigration to the UK has risen. Ganesh argues that localized events, such as the launch of Monzo, have done more to change his life than political tumult.
The Illusion of Frictionless Living
Ganesh, like many, expected that frictionless living was over with the turn against globalization. The circulation of people and goods would slow down as more countries adopted nationalist policies. However, Ganesh had a different experience. Despite being an upper-middle-income globalist, he faced very few inconveniences. The gains made in democratizing once-exclusive experiences, such as cheap flights and good coffee, remained. Deglobalization appears to pose more significant problems for middle-income citizens, those often considered the tactical sacrifice for the alter-globalist movement.
Immigration and Political Tumult
Immigration has been a significant issue, but it has not changed materially. Canada admitted more permanent residents than at any time since 1913 in 2021, while France also set a similar record. The UK’s net immigration is much higher than before Brexit, while the share of the German population born abroad exceeds 18%. Ganesh argues that political leaders and their significant trends’ consequences tend to spread through the population, whereas localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, may take place at the personal level. The launch of Monzo in 2015 has done more to ease Ganesh’s life than any political upheaval.
An Exceptional Time for Immigration
The past few years have been exceptional for immigration, even amid political upheaval. Canada, France, and Germany have all set records, while the share of the German population born abroad now exceeds 18%. Ganesh argues that localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, can often have a more significant impact on personal life than political events.
Summary
Janan Ganesh reflects on the strange resilience of liberalism as he travels from London to Amsterdam. Despite the turn against globalization and nationalism gaining momentum in the past decade, life on the pitch has remained the same, with few significant inconveniences for Ganesh. The gains made in democratizing previously exclusive experiences have remained, while immigration has continued even amid political upheaval. Ganesh argues that localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, often have a more significant impact on personal life than political events.
The Mythology of Deglobalization
Many pundits predicted deglobalization would lead to significant changes in people’s lives, with the circulation of people and goods slowing down significantly. However, Ganesh’s experience shows that this isn’t true. Although there have been localized changes, such as the labor shortages that plagued airports and restaurants, they turned out to be temporary. Ganesh argues that, despite the illusion of frictionless living, localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, have a more significant impact on people’s lives.
Immigration Amid Political Tumult
While immigration remains a significant issue, it hasn’t changed materially. In 2021, Canada admitted more permanent residents than at any time since 1913, and France set a similar record. Meanwhile, the share of the German population born abroad now exceeds 18%, and the UK’s net immigration is higher than before Brexit. Ganesh argues that political leaders’ decisions often spread through the population, while localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, may take place at the personal level.
The Exceptional Time for Immigration
The past few years have been exceptional for immigration, with numerous records set in Canada, France, and Germany. Immigration continues even amid political upheaval, and Ganesh argues that localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, often have a more significant impact on personal life than political events.
The Myth of Globalization
The turn against globalization may be a myth when viewed through everyday life. Ganesh argues that the gains made in democratizing once-exclusive experiences have remained, as have the benefits of immigration. Although the political climate may be uncertain, localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, continue to shape personal lives more significantly.
In the End
The article by Janan Ganesh highlights the strange resilience of liberalism through his personal experiences. Despite the turn against globalization and the rise of nationalism, Ganesh’s life on the pitch has remained relatively the same. Ganesh argues that localized events, such as technological or infrastructural changes, have a more significant impact on personal life than political events. The in-depth analysis aims to provide unique insights and perspectives while engaging the reader on the subject matter.
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The train from London to Amsterdam is a 3 hour 52 minute joke at the expense of the nation state. Four countries pass by without even a courtesy announcement on the loudspeaker at each border crossing. Staff of undetermined nationality offer drinks in three languages. The on-screen message (“Welcome aboard Eurostar”) is a pun in Franglais.
In 2018 when this road started, Donald Trump was in power, Jair Bolsonaro was elected and Brexit fans were always in my inbox. He turned out to have more stamina than all of them.
Car 16, seat 25, is a good place to observe the strange resilience of liberalism. I’m not just talking about the electoral type, but let’s start with that. The only great Western head of government who can be called a populist is Giorgia Meloni, and even she has curbed his zeal. After roughly a decade in which ‘metropolitan’ has become an insult, it’s likely Britain’s next leader will be a man whose constituency includes Primrose Hill and (just perfect, this) Bloomsbury.
But I really touch on something else: life on the pitch. The turn against globalization over the past decade was supposed to spell the end of frictionless living. The circulation of goods and people would be bogged down. That process was given a useful boost by a lockdown that sealed borders and cast a medieval silence over major cities. I even felt magnanimous about the trend of events. I had made a good turn. Time for a more awkward and less immediate world.
Well, where is he?
Uber isn’t what it was around 2015, but it’s still going strong and improving. (I spent a year in Los Angeles without a car.) The labor shortages that plagued airports and restaurants turned out to be a single summer’s nuisance. Almost anything I want, Amazon always sends within 72 hours.
If you want to spend a few years abroad, it would be even easier than ten years ago. These are exceptional times for immigration. In 2021, Canada admitted more permanent residents than at any time since 1913. It admitted even more last year (and as a goal, not as an oversight). France set a similar record. Net immigration to the UK is much higher than it was before Brexit. The share of the German population born abroad is now over 18%. What Hong Kong has lost as a global center, Singapore is recovering.
Give him time, you will tell me. But more than five years have passed since Trump began (he might say “acknowledged”) the trade war with China. “De-globalization” was a journalistic motto long before that. i should feel some change now. While the wealthy can always get away with life’s little frictions, I’m your upper-middle-income globalist. I am more exposed to events. Yet the worst I endured was that a beloved sun lounger was slow to arrive from the Port of Los Angeles. As it gets tough, it ain’t the Spartan agoge.
What else? The prices are higher, but that’s true for everyone, not just those who live like me. Family cars are more expensive, not just hotel rooms and Uber rides. In other words, I am not a relative losing.
You have to go a tax bracket or two below me for that. Although portrayed as elitist, what globalization has done is democratize things that the rich once kept to themselves. (Think of cheap flights and the spread of good coffee.) It follows that deglobalization imposes frictions on middle incomes: the 25-year-old me would be suffocated. It is up to the alter-globalists to decide whether these people constitute an acceptable tactical sacrifice for the cause.
Anyway, I’m fine, thank you, and maybe you are too. Lesson? Don’t overestimate the major political trends that people like me write about. Their consequences tend to spread through the population. Whereas a localized event — technological, infrastructural — can take place at the personal level. The 2015 launch of Monzo, which lets me bank through an app, has done more to grease the wheels of my life than all the political tumult since then has done to clog them. Just like this train. I could do Paris next week. Or not. I will see what I feel during the day.
Email Janan at janan.ganesh@ft.com
https://www.ft.com/content/f6e7e982-a172-4932-a970-e4cbae7995e8
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