In this book, James Burnham analyzes the works of Machiavelli and other Machiavellian thinkers such as Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels, and Vilfredo Pareto. Burnham argues that politics is fundamentally a struggle for power among competing elites, who use deception, manipulation, and coercion to maintain their dominance. He advocates for a scientific approach to politics, separating ethics from political analysis, and suggests that political liberty can be preserved by creating a balance of power among different elite groups. The book provides a realistic and pragmatic understanding of human nature and social dynamics, highlighting the importance of individual freedom and the perpetual struggle of elite classes in shaping political outcomes.
In this controversial and groundbreaking new analysis, Michael Lind debunks the idea that populist insurgencies are primarily the result of bigotry. He traces how the breakdown of mid-century class compromises between business and labor led to the conflict and reveals the real battle lines. The book highlights the clash between the managerial overclass, which dominates government, economy, and culture, and the working class of the low-density heartlands. Lind argues that Western democracies must incorporate working-class majorities into decision-making to avert a never-ending cycle of clashes between oligarchs and populists and save democracy.
The Foundation Trilogy, written by Isaac Asimov, is a seminal work in science fiction that explores the collapse of the Galactic Empire and the subsequent efforts to preserve human civilization. The series, inspired by Edward Gibbon's 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,' introduces the concept of psychohistory, a mathematical science that predicts the future behavior of large populations. The trilogy consists of 'Foundation' (1951), 'Foundation and Empire' (1952), and 'Second Foundation' (1953). It follows the establishment of the Foundation by Hari Seldon, who aims to shorten the dark age that will follow the empire's collapse from 30,000 years to just 1,000 years. The series is known for its intricate plot, clever resolutions to seemingly impossible situations, and its exploration of themes such as governance, warfare, and the rise and fall of empires[1][2][4].
In this book, Paul Kennedy examines the historical patterns of the rise and fall of great powers, including Greece, Rome, Spain, France, Germany, and England. He argues that the strength of a great power is relative to other powers and correlates strongly with available resources and economic durability. Kennedy introduces the concept of 'imperial overstretch,' where military commitments become unsustainable once a power loses its economic competitive edge. The book also predicts the decline of the United States and the Soviet Union and the rise of Japan and China, based on their economic and military strategies[2][5][6].
In this ground-breaking book, Katy Milkman reveals a proven path to help readers move from where they are to where they want to be. Drawing on her original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, Milkman shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. The book offers innovative approaches like 'temptation bundling,' using timely reminders, and creating 'set-it-and-forget-it systems' to make change more achievable. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring solutions to specific roadblocks and using science to stack the deck in favor of successful change.
Michael Lind is a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin, the co-founder of the New America Foundation, and an important contributor to American Affairs, a journal originally created to imagine a more Trumpist conservatism.
Lind is by no means a supporter of Trump. But, for decades now, he has been developing a coherent intellectual worldview around many of the same issues that Trump intuited, however crudely, during his campaign. He’s one of the intellectuals that the nationalist conservatives trying to imagine a Trumpism after Trump tell me they read most closely.
There are three big pieces of Lind’s thought that I think help to illuminate this era. One is his idea of the “new class war,” which builds a deep cultural component into class identity and maps much better onto populist resentment. The next is his approach to China, which has long been skeptical of Washington’s optimistic consensus. And the third is his insistence that political conflicts — be they class wars or partisan ones — don’t end in victories, they end in “settlements.”
References:
"The New Class War" by Michael Lind
"The Return of Geoeconomics" by Michael Lind
"Classless Utopia versus Class Compromise" by Michael Lind
"Donald Trump, the Perfect Populist" by Michael Lind
Book recommendations:
The Machiavellian Defender’s of Freedom by James Burnham
Foundation by Isaac Asimov
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy
My book is available for pre-order! You can find it at www.EzraKlein.com.
Want to contact the show? Reach out at ezrakleinshow@vox.com
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The Gray Area with Sean Illing 
