Jacobin Radio Dig: State of Impunity w/ Alberto Toscano and Stuart Schrader
Sep 22, 2025
Alberto Toscano, a political theorist and author focused on fascism, joins Stuart Schrader, a historian specializing in policing and counterinsurgency. They discuss Trump's intensification of police and military repression, revealing insights into the MAGA agenda's authoritarianism. The conversation highlights how police unions amplify state impunity and how media narratives shape public perceptions of crime. They also address the dynamics of resistance and the blending of legal and political tactics against oppressive structures. A thought-provoking exploration of contemporary state violence!
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Spectacle Masks Durable Power Gains
- Trump's spectacle-driven repression mixes theatricality with real capacity-building in detention, policing, and contractor budgets.
- Those material investments create thresholds of power that persist and enable future escalations of violence and control.
Police Unions As Political Power Brokers
- Police unions, especially in D.C., became active political brokers pushing federal intervention to overturn local reforms.
- That alignment amplifies federal takeover efforts and deepens police autonomy and impunity across jurisdictions.
Impunity As A Unifying Commodity
- Granting impunity is a cheap, high-value political gift that binds diverse interests to the regime.
- Impunity unites police, extractive capitalists, and political allies by promising reduced oversight and enforcement.
