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Donald Trump’s rallies are always a strange sight, and not just because of the candidate’s incoherence and bizarre detours into mental dead ends. (Although journalists have faced some criticism for ignoring or rebroadcasting these moments, new york times) Mr. Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday entered the pantheon of political weirdness: Several survivors of the assassination attempt held a large lawn party, where they were injured and the crowd It was the scene where someone inside had been murdered.
While the candidate’s rants are the most obviously bizarre part of his performance, the nature of the rally itself is an interesting contradiction. Thousands of people, mostly working and middle class, lined up to spend time with the millionaire, a lifelong New Yorker who secretly hates Americans in the heart of his audience, and who he calls the “elite.” They are applauding as they criticize others.
This is a political farce. Trump and his running mate, hillbilly-turned-millionaire J.D. Vance, have little in common with most of the audience, no matter how much they claim to be one of them. Masks often come off. While supporting the union vote, President Trump gleefully talked about how much he hated having to pay his employees overtime. In another defining moment, Trump beams as he talks about how Vance and his wife both have degrees from Yale, despite his usual criticism of top universities. Ta. (Of course, he always makes a shining exception to his own days at the University of Pennsylvania.)
President Trump then welcomed Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, to the podium. Things got even weirder from there, with Musk (notably 53 years old) hopping around the stage like a concert-going teenager who was picked from the audience to meet the band. Musk then went on to explain how democracy is at stake. This is the story of the man who turned the platform once known as Twitter into an open zone for foreign propaganda, amplifying all kinds of misinformation. In his platform, Mr. Musk has presented himself as a champion of the voiceless and oppressed, but his actions have shown him to be an enemy of speech that does not serve his interests. Ta.
But what happened in Butler over the weekend was not a uniquely American moment. All over the world, the fabulously wealthy deceive ordinary voters, dark forces – always indistinguishable “them” and “them” – disenfranchise them and control their countries against undesirable people (mostly They warn that they are plotting to turn the country into a giant ghetto filled with people (almost everyone). (always a racial minority or an immigrant, or in the ideal story, both).
British author Martin Wolfe calls this “underworld populism,” in which those at the top of the economic and social pyramid pose as ostensibly anti-establishment, pro-labor candidates. This is a brazen attempt to survive. In the UK, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected the very concept of Brexit behind closed doors and supported the movement anyway as a ticket to 10 Downing Street. In Italy, wealthy entrepreneurs helped launch the Five Star Movement, recruiting comedian Beppe Grillo to organize supposedly anti-elitist events such as Fuck Off Day. They briefly formed a coalition government with the far-right populist party Lega a few years ago. Similar movements are occurring around the world, including in Türkiye, Brazil and Hungary.
All of these exercises are surprisingly similar. Although they claim to represent ordinary voters, especially the “forgotten people” and the dispossessed, the reality is that the basic voters of these groups are not the poorest in society, nor are they the poorest in society. Nor are they in the most disadvantaged position. In fact, they tend to be relatively wealthy. (Think of the January 6th riots. How many of them could afford plane tickets, hotels, and expensive equipment? Being an insurgent activist isn’t cheap.)Simon As Cooper pointed out in 2020, “populist voters who live comfortably are their main constituencies,” even though there are few left to represent them. , rather ignored by opportunistic politicians who claim to be acting on behalf of the stereotype of poor former factory workers.
Of course, one of the pioneers of Hadesan populism was the late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He was a rake and a fraud, and he remained in the prime ministership to stay out of prison. This strategy should be familiar to Americans, but Italian scholar Maurizio Virolli, in his book about Italian politics, argues that Berlusconi seduced elites into participating in a massive fraud against ordinary voters, and that Even more familiar is the way it has transformed democracy. “This is a free country,” he writes, but Virolli refers to such freedoms as “servant freedoms,” and in fact “at the center of which sits the courts.” It is a law given to people who will be the subjects of a new kind of democracy. gentleman Surrounded by many courtiers, he is admired and envied by many people with even lower souls. ”
The Pluto populist appeal is effective because it targets people who care little about policy and much about social revenge. These citizens feel like others they hate are living a good life, and it seems unfair to them. Worse, this itchy feeling of resentment is not the result of unrequited love, but of unrequited hate. It’s the same as the townspeople who feel disrespected by the local college students, or the Red Sox fans who are furious that Yankees fans don’t care. Regarding tribal hostility, these voters feel ignored and disrespected.
Who better to be their agent of revenge than a rough-and-tumble tycoon who seeks to attract the attention, anger, and fear of those he hates, and to control the political system so that he cannot be influenced by it? Is there one?
As for Mr. Musk, he is the perfect addition to this crew. Unimaginably rich, he still has the creepy influence of a poor young man who needs (and demands) care. Like Trump, he can’t believe that there are many things money can buy, such as extravagant bargains, expensive lawyers, and mean staff. respect. For people like Musk and Trump, this public rejection is perplexing and infuriating.
In this way, Trump and people like him do business with society’s most resentful citizens. Stay in the penthouse and I will. harass the enemy on your behalf. we punish people do you want to be punished. But at the end of the day, the joke is always on the voters. Pluto populists don’t care about the people who support them. Very little is truly resolved, and life only becomes more difficult for those who are not wealthy or powerful enough to resist the authoritarian policies that such people impose on everyone, regardless of previous support. is.
When the dust settles, Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance will still be rich and powerful (as will Mr. Musk, whose wealth and power cross national borders in a way that right-wing populists typically claim to abhor). For the many Americans who admire them, little will change. Their lives will not improve, just as they did not improve during President Trump’s first term. Millions of our people must fend off interference in their lives from authoritarian governments, regardless of who they vote for. Especially if we are part of a targeted minority, a woman in need of medical care, or a group. Disadvantaged immigrant communities.
This is not freedom. As Viroli warned his fellow citizens, “If we submit ourselves to the arbitrary or enormous power of men, we may be free to do more or less what we want, but we are still servants.” ”
Related:
Here are four new stories. atlantic ocean:
today’s news
- Hurricane Milton has strengthened into a Category 5 storm. It is expected to make landfall near Tampa Bay, Florida, on Wednesday.
- The Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s decision in a Texas abortion case. The decision ruled that Texas hospitals are not required to perform emergency abortions if they violate state law.
- Philip B. Banks III, New York City’s deputy mayor for public safety and one of Mayor Eric Adams’ top aides, has resigned. His cell phone was seized by federal agents last month as part of an investigation into bribery and corruption charges.
dispatch
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night reading
Couples therapy, but for siblings
Written by Faith Hill
Cam and Dan Beaudoin’s 30-year troubles began when they were children. Dan was following his brother. Cam, who is about three years older, will keep his distance. Dan will be angry. Cam will be angry. Her mother had promised her that one day they would become “best friends,” but nothing had changed until about three years ago. The fights got so bad that the brothers stopped speaking to each other completely. Dan left all the shared group chats on LinkedIn and unfriended Cam.
However, after not speaking for about a year and a half, the brothers began to understand the gravity of this separation.
Read the full article.
Review of October 7th
Today marks one year since Hamas’ attack on Israel and the subsequent start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Below we have compiled recent reports, analysis and thoughts from our writers.
- never ending war: In the year since October 7, the Biden administration has focused on preventing an escalation of regional wars in the Middle East, Franklin Foer reports. However, it was unable to secure the release of Israeli hostages or end the fighting in Gaza.
- The suffering in Gaza is unprecedented: “My brother’s story offers a glimpse into what the most destructive war in Palestinian history means for humans,” writes Ahmed Fuad al-Khatib.
- “How did my family survive the October 7th massacre?”: “We heard shouts in Arabic outside the house. The commander was telling one of his men to try to break in. We woke up in a nightmare. The border had been breached. “Hamas was here,” writes Amir Tibon in an article based on his new book. gaza gate.
- Naked despair to be seen: In a book about the aftermath of October 7, Gal Beckerman writes that Israelis and Palestinians seek recognition of their humanity.
- Israeli artist who offends Everto him: Zoya Cherkassky Nnadi, a longtime fearless critic of Israel, has been painting a harrowing portrait of her country’s suffering since October 7, writes Judith Shulevitz.
culture break
clock. The Return of Nate Bargatze and His Now-Classic George Washington Sketches Show What’s Really Effective saturday night liveAmanda Wicks writes.
grow up. It’s time to eat your vegetables like an adult instead of sneaking them into your smoothie, writes Yasmin Tayag.
Play the daily crossword.
Stephanie Bai contributed to this newsletter.
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