The more present antagonisms intensify, the more the future is invoked as false unity.
Evidence
The function of such rhetoric was once characterized by the late C. Wright Mills (1963: 302): “The more the antagonisms of the present must be suffered, the more the future is drawn upon as a source of pseudo-unity and synthetic morale.” The future in exhortation becomes a solvent; the very act of moving forward in time constitutes a movement away from past problems and present difficulties. — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 688
Categorization
- XREF: Mills’s ‘pseudo-unity’ mechanism echoes Carey’s general critique that ritual communication can serve domination rather than community. — connects to: The future ideology deflects attention from present conflicts over wealth and technology. — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 691; Future-oriented discourse evades present political participation; Failed predictions merely trigger appeals to yet another new future. — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 682
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 688
Broader Connections
- The future ideology deflects attention from present conflicts over wealth and technology.
#expands(0.80) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 691 - Future-oriented discourse evades present political participation
#corroborates(0.70) - Failed predictions merely trigger appeals to yet another new future.
#exemplifies(0.60) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 682