The Lowdown from Nick Cohen RIP Normality
Sep 1, 2025
Yascha Mounk, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Persuasion Substack and a political scientist at Johns Hopkins University, joins to discuss the rise of populism and its impact on centrism. He highlights how traditional liberal views have become outdated in today's political landscape. The conversation shifts to the challenges facing leaders in the UK and the US, emphasizing the need for effective messaging to regain voter trust. Mounk also critiques current housing and immigration policies, calling for a more inclusive vision to address these pressing social issues.
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The Old Worldview Has Collapsed
- Many assumptions dominant in 2000 have been swept away over 25 years, reshaping politics and public expectations.
- Moderate politicians cling to outdated worldviews and thereby fall out of tune with contemporary realities.
No Single Cataclysm, But Major Shifts
- Many early-2000s certainties (globalism, unstoppable Western ascendancy, institutional competence) proved fragile after events like 2008 and Covid.
- The absence of a single cataclysm meant elites clung to outdated beliefs rather than rethinking fundamentals.
Modern Poland Surprised Preconceptions
- Yascha describes visiting Polish provincial towns and finding modern, pleasant cities contrary to old prejudices about post-communist decay.
- He uses Poland's economic success to argue populism cannot be reduced to pure economic decline.
