International socialism linked materialism and atheism. Before this, socialism was a political movement of non-conformist Christians who believed that education was important to the working class so that it could compete with the upper class and also so that it could read the Bible for itself.
The defeated Trotskyite and Anarchist elements left the Soviet Union for the West and in the 50s to 70s merged forces with international liberal capitalism against the Soviet Union.
Now in the West, the political paradigm is liberalism (both economic and social). This is why the Left and Right in English speaking countries are essentially the same. One side asserts social liberalism and uses rich celebrities while the other asserts economic liberalism and uses big business which pays little or no tax.
The working classes whose leisure time is significantly spent watching the television often vote for the social liberal party of big celebrity.
The liberal materialist era has seen a collapse in religious observance.
The defeated Trotskyite and Anarchist elements left the Soviet Union for the West and in the 50s to 70s merged forces with international liberal capitalism against the Soviet Union.
Now in the West, the political paradigm is liberalism (both economic and social). This is why the Left and Right in English speaking countries are essentially the same. One side asserts social liberalism and uses rich celebrities while the other asserts economic liberalism and uses big business which pays little or no tax.
The working classes whose leisure time is significantly spent watching the television often vote for the social liberal party of big celebrity.
The liberal materialist era has seen a collapse in religious observance.