The Politics of Withdrawal

On the end of politics.   Is the craziness of the past years, since 2016, ebbing away? Is the establishment back in charge? Journalist Ryan Zickgraf joins us to argue that, yes, the period of 'hyperpolitics' has passed.    Trump has lost his edge, BLM has imploded, boring Biden rules, the Proud Boys are nowhere to be seen. Fewer protests, fewer small campaign donations, fewer news articles shared.   What is the implication of this? It seems that people are exhausted by the politicisation of everything. The upsurge in engagement in formal politics may be dwindling. But the culture wars are as hot as ever. And the venues for 'escape' from politics are more politicised than ever.    Accelerated social decline means we aren't exactly going back to the 1990s, but is history over all over again?   Readings:

• America's Politics of Nothing, Ryan Zickgraf, Compact
• After Anti-Politics: The Apeiron, Alex Hochuli, Sublation
• Everything is Hyperpolitical, Anton Jäger, The Point
• /361/ A Nightmare on the Brains of the Living ft. Benjamin Studebaker