On atomisation and association.   Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone came out 22 years ago and the structural changes he identified then – increasing atomisation – have only worsened. Everyone now blames the internet, and though it may have accelerated some aspects, the problem goes deeper. The social consequences – loneliness, mistrust, depression – are widely discussed, but the political ones less so.    Does the decline of associationalism open the door to authoritarianism? Are 'right-wing' associations (say, churches or homeowner groups) just as threatened as left-wing ones (like unions or labour clubs)? What are the political valences of growing atomisation?   And are we now like the peasants that Marx described in his 18th Brumaire: just potatoes in a sack - and does this explain the crazy politics of our time? Links:  Fill out our 2022 Listener Survey: tinyurl.com/bunga2022survey  From Bowling Alone to Posting Alone, Anton Jäger, Jacobin Bowling Alone (2020 revised edition), Robert Putnam

Anton Jäger, a historian specializing in political thought at University College Oxford, joins to navigate the intricate landscape of mass politics and the U.S. election aftermath. They discuss the crisis of liberalism and its struggles with socio-economic shifts, analyzing the weak political responses compared to 2016. Jäger examines the dynamics of leftism in America, touching on its global implications, and delves into the challenges of hyperpolitics amid declining democracy. Their insights on Europe's geopolitical issues add a compelling layer to the conversation.

Authors Anton Jäger and Vincent Bevins reflect on the previous decade and mass political movements. They discuss the failure of these movements, the rise of populist movements, the decline of left-wing institutions, the complicated relationship between populism and socialism, the rise of acid inequalities and debt, and the challenges and failures of left populism.