Thank you Steve. Populism is democratic with a small “d”. Feared by the left and progressive Herb Croly-ites, populism is not something taught (sorry John Dewey), forced (sorry Hitler), or bottled and handed out (sorry Barrack).
It is unique to the time, context, circumstance, experience, and public condition. Give me a blathing President, showing signs of dementia, accusing his opponent of high crimes and misdemeanors, using the government agencies as weapons to disrupt democracy in order to save it, … and inflation, open borders, crime, discrimination against women, Asians, whites, males, …, lousy schools, unsafe neighborhoods, black awakening after the BLM flim-flam, Hispanic trepidation with a flood of immigrants— many gang members, … and young people who want to live in a positive place with few rules and more freedom, … and there you have it,
Donald J. Trump. He was made for the times. His style a bit more polished, more positive, less defensive in his second term. He has Vance, Bessent, Rubio, and a host of other guns who deliver his messages and fulfill MAGA. But Trump is still a bull dog on that which he thinks is right — which is what is good for the average citizen. Now that is populism. And it is hard to put in a jar.
I'm convinced. Just spitballing here, but I think Linker is probably reading a lot of right-wing identitarian publications, whose writers love talking about Carl Schmitt, for obvious reasons. And since Trump is a white supremacist (lol), he just makes the facile association. A mistaken Linker to the Past, if you will (please clap).
This is all pretty reasonable and well argued. I would just say that if the Left keeps up their nutiness, Theyre going to look back on Trump as about the best they could get as far as right wing authoritarianism is concerned. (That is to say, Trump seems more like an early 90’s libertarianish Democrat than anything close to an authoritarian to me). Yet they continue to turn everything up to 11 anyway. The definition of insanity
The State and Statists fear Populism. That is exactly why it is portrayed by all State-captured entities and individuals as something to be feared above all else, when in reality it *is* the proper and necessary response to the State run amok.
Populism is the People waking up to the true nature of the State, namely to grow and eat the private sector if left unchecked until the left endpoint of true Fascism is achieved.
"Trumpism draws from a lineage of anti-liberal political theorists who advocate for a politics of friend and enemy, of sovereign exception, and of executive domination."
Do I Have to say the words Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.?
Thank you Steve. Populism is democratic with a small “d”. Feared by the left and progressive Herb Croly-ites, populism is not something taught (sorry John Dewey), forced (sorry Hitler), or bottled and handed out (sorry Barrack).
It is unique to the time, context, circumstance, experience, and public condition. Give me a blathing President, showing signs of dementia, accusing his opponent of high crimes and misdemeanors, using the government agencies as weapons to disrupt democracy in order to save it, … and inflation, open borders, crime, discrimination against women, Asians, whites, males, …, lousy schools, unsafe neighborhoods, black awakening after the BLM flim-flam, Hispanic trepidation with a flood of immigrants— many gang members, … and young people who want to live in a positive place with few rules and more freedom, … and there you have it,
Donald J. Trump. He was made for the times. His style a bit more polished, more positive, less defensive in his second term. He has Vance, Bessent, Rubio, and a host of other guns who deliver his messages and fulfill MAGA. But Trump is still a bull dog on that which he thinks is right — which is what is good for the average citizen. Now that is populism. And it is hard to put in a jar.
I'm convinced. Just spitballing here, but I think Linker is probably reading a lot of right-wing identitarian publications, whose writers love talking about Carl Schmitt, for obvious reasons. And since Trump is a white supremacist (lol), he just makes the facile association. A mistaken Linker to the Past, if you will (please clap).
Great piece, Cliff. I'm delighted you have joined forces with Steve, one of the very best voices in the public square today.
Now that you have taken care of The Missing Linkler, perhaps you and Steve together can find a cure for the TDS of our mutual friend Larry Arnhart.
Kent Guida,
Houston
Kent, Larry is hopeless on this. My original Miskatonian piece critical of Trump as a Schmittian, especially this talk about the Red Ceasar
This is all pretty reasonable and well argued. I would just say that if the Left keeps up their nutiness, Theyre going to look back on Trump as about the best they could get as far as right wing authoritarianism is concerned. (That is to say, Trump seems more like an early 90’s libertarianish Democrat than anything close to an authoritarian to me). Yet they continue to turn everything up to 11 anyway. The definition of insanity
Offer Damon Linker the opportunity to respond. I'd like to hear his response.
The institutions want to be the kings
Trump wants to be the updated Tribune of the People.
"Populism Is Democratic, Not Anti-Democratic"
(Yes, should be lower case d's.)
Exactly.
The State and Statists fear Populism. That is exactly why it is portrayed by all State-captured entities and individuals as something to be feared above all else, when in reality it *is* the proper and necessary response to the State run amok.
Populism is the People waking up to the true nature of the State, namely to grow and eat the private sector if left unchecked until the left endpoint of true Fascism is achieved.
Thank you, Steven.
"Trumpism draws from a lineage of anti-liberal political theorists who advocate for a politics of friend and enemy, of sovereign exception, and of executive domination."
Do I Have to say the words Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.?