The Very American Roots of Trumpism
This podcast grounds Trump in American historical context and presents the present regime as the manifestation of a long tradition of violence rather than an abberation.
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Thanks for posting this. It is very informative.
Yes, the continuity of USAmerican illiberalism is well told here, and touched on a lot of examples.
The mythology and largely fantasy of a liberal history is something worth exploring further, and I was struck by the occasional snugness of the depictions of majoritarian extremism, almost KKK in comfy slippers in Indiana despite its atrocities, which goes some way to explain the appeal to ‘Community’, even if that ‘Community’ is essentially a lie based on horrors, extraction and exploitation.
Doesn’t go into USAmerican Empire over last century, nor much on the politics of women or education, nothing on the nonhuman world which is exceptionally illiberal in the USA (just think industrial farming). Maybe that is all in the book.
Basically the USA was founded on taking land off the free. And the idea is to never pay those debts.
But yes, I take the larger and well-made point that the Dustbin of History can never be emptied like that desktop icon; ideas can always be resurrected by those who rummage for them.
The central argument, that Trumpism has it roots deep in American history – particularly racism – is well made. I would have liked to hear more about where the movement to defeat it, which logically would also have its roots in American history, might emerge from. There’s a brief mention of abolitionism, but I would have liked to have heard more.
If the peasants had not been evicted from scotland, ireland and wales and england by the landed class for their own ends, and forced overseas, America maybe would not exist as we know it
I think you’ll find that the Welsh and the Irish in the USA were two very, very distinct demographics, and not particularly fond of each other at that.
Oh fuck not another person from the ruling class with a degree in political science. Has Loki been banned?