Fundamentalism

The Bourgeois of the social democracy is flawed in two ways: he is cautious, conservative and inward-looking; and he is totally without curiousity about-and feels no responsibility for-anyone outside the small collection of relatives and friends who inhabit his tiny biospheric 'Bubble'.

The former characteristic is a flaw which he shares with the religious fundamentalist. But the fundamentalist is superior in that he feels some responsibilty for his neighbours and for people in the wider world.

Ironically, the burgeoning of the electronic media has seen the strengthening of the Bourgeois in society by sealing him more tightly within his bubble. He is increasingly closed and complacent: he never has to physically come out of his bubble.

The contemporary Bourgeois is as emotionally disconnected from a friend in the same city as he is from a friend living on the other side of the planet.

There is no longer any need to interact face -to- face.

This is the atomised 'Anomie' (Durkheim first discussed) championed by the Bourgoisie who now live as role models in the suburbs of western social democracies all over the world.