A core belief underlying certain political ideologies is a deep pessimism about the potential for racial progress. This pessimism extends beyond race to encompass doubts about the possibility of political transformation. Such beliefs are not limited to one political ideology, as even the left sometimes harbors a version of this pessimism, mistakenly believing it to be a progressive stance. This overarching pessimism is highlighted as a fundamental element of right-wing thinking, where the rhetoric of futility prevails. This argument posits that attempting to bring about change in areas like economics, race, or gender is futile due to entrenched inequalities that are viewed as inherent to humanity.
It's easy to caricature those on the political far right as outlandish, cartoonish, and bizarre, and easier still to dismiss their agendas as irrational or uninformed. This, however, can be a tremendous mistake. Assessing political rivals requires not just learning the history of their influences and principles, but also remembering that they are real people. In this episode, Adam speaks with Corey Robin, Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, to learn the history of where the far right movement emerged from, and what we can learn from evaluating them honestly. Find Corey's books at factuallypod.com/books
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