The Bulletin

Mobs, Movements, and MAGA with Roger Berkowitz

Nov 12, 2024
Guest
Roger Berkowitz
Roger Berkowitz, founder of the Hannah Arendt Center and a prominent political thinker, shares insights on the MAGA movement’s impact on the political scene. He discusses the disconnection between elites and everyday Americans, exploring how public discontent after the financial crisis fueled populism. The conversation addresses the legal complexities surrounding the prosecution of a former president and the resulting fears of eroding trust in democracy. Finally, Berkowitz highlights the role of community in combating societal loneliness and radicalism.
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INSIGHT

Technocratic Governance and its Discontents

  • The rise of technocratic governance in the 1960s and 70s led to an administrative state.
  • This state was largely accepted by the people as long as things went well economically.
INSIGHT

Three Characteristics of Movements

  • Movements are characterized by a hatred of the state, a broad appeal based on a shared mood, and the identification of a scapegoat.
  • These characteristics, identified by Hannah Arendt, explain the appeal of movements like Nazism and Bolshevism.
INSIGHT

Trump's Movement

  • Donald Trump successfully turned the existing anti-establishment sentiment into a movement.
  • This movement targets the elite class, not solely based on race or gender.
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