Bungacast UNLOCKED: /361/ A Nightmare on the Brains of the Living ft. Benjamin Studebaker
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Sep 28, 2023 
Political theorist Benjamin Studebaker discusses the chronic crisis of American democracy and how hope is used to keep people engaged in a system that doesn't deliver. The podcast explores the challenges of US politics, the role of the professional middle class, the decline of America, and the futility of symbols in politics. It also delves into boredom and despair as catalysts for new ideas, and the politics of free time.
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US Political System's Dysfunction
- The US political system struggles to address economic changes, like capital mobility, due to its structure.
- This leads to wage suppression and weakened labor rights, increasing oligarchic power.
The Problem with Hope
- Hope is problematic in US politics because the system is dysfunctional and makes it hard to enact change.
- Even with a willing president, the system's structure, including the Senate and Supreme Court, hinders progress.
Vague Political Promises
- Politicians make vague promises, like "hope and change", to avoid accountability.
- This vagueness allows them to later claim success regardless of actual outcomes.