Do you have a 'theory of change'?

Many progressives think they can change the world. Other progressives consider those global ambitions to be a dangerous mirage.

This morning, I asked Gemini (Google’s ChatGPT) to give me concise summaries of ten major worldviews — including liberal democracy, capitalism, Marxism, social Darwinism, and Christianity — as well as their corresponding theories of change.

Marxists, for example, have a theory of change that’s fueled by class struggle and the inherent contradictions within economic systems, particularly capitalism. For liberal democrats, change happens through the will of the people, expressed through democratic processes, individual rights, and the rule of law. Social Darwinists consider the struggle for existence to be the engine of change, where the fittest individuals, groups, or nations naturally survive and thrive.

I also asked Gemini whether or not each worldview is expansionist. Does it seek to spread its truth to people all over the world? Here’s what I got back:

• Liberal Democracy is expansionist, often advocating for the spread of democratic values and institutions globally.

• Capitalism is expansionist, seeking to expand markets, trade, and investment globally.

• Marxism is expansionist, calling for a global proletarian revolution.

• Cultural Marxism is expansionist. It seeks to permeate and transform all aspects of a given culture or society.

• Social Darwinism is expansionist. It inherently justifies expansion, colonialism, and the dominance of one group over others, as these are seen as natural outcomes of the “struggle for survival” among societies or races.

• Science is expansionist. The scientific method and its findings are universally applicable and seek to expand understanding around the world.

• Environmentalism is expansionist. The Greens call for the global adoption of sustainable practices and policies, as environmental problems transcend boundaries and borders.

• Christianity is expansionist through evangelism and missions, and has global ambitions.

• Islam is expansionist via Dawah (inviting to Islam) and, historically, military conquest. Islam also has global ambitions.

• Mormonism is expansionist. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a strong missionary mandate to “take the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.”

And then there’s…

• Judaism, which is NOT expansionist. Religious Jews don’t missionize or proselytize, although they dream of a future of universal peace and prosperity.

• Zionism is expansionist, but this expansion is limited to a finite piece of land that you can barely see on this map:

Predominant religion for every country in the world (source: Pew Research Center)

So, here’s my question:

Why does Zionism — a national movement that supports the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their historical homeland — make so many people so angry?

Why do people who are trying to colonize the world in the name of religion or freedom or human rights or prosperity or science or sustainability accuse Israelis, whose roots go back thousands of years to a land roughly the size of New Jersey, of colonizing anything?

The current global explosion of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism is bizarre, illogical, and frightening. There are millions of people in the world who are trying to colonize your mind, your body, your family, your attention, your community, and your nation with whatever they’re selling. But somehow it’s Israel and the Jews who are the real problem.

I don’t get it. Do you?