A truly first-rate and insightful commentary on the catastrophizers on the American right and what such catastrophizing portends for American democracy. Thank you again, Mr. Linker!
It’s up to us to save ourselves from their catastrophic ideas, because no one else will do so. I plan to get out and vote in 2024, and I’ve already voted early this year.
- they can help you find a place that fits your preferences.
Also, I would be happy to help connect you if you're in CA. We really need to open real conversations with our fellow citizens - all of them. Messaging is being controlled by the people Damon describes - and amplified by 10 networks, 10k radio stations, and 100k Russian bots on social media. Quite the challenge.
Astounding, isn't it, how many of these little damaged he-men have such difficulty dealing with female equality? I keep thinking of Nietzsche, "Go thee to women? Be sure to bring thy whip!" to which someone responded "I met Nietzche; 9 out of 10 women would have gotten the whip away from him." I suppose its not astounding at all.
Kudos for such a penetrating analysis of extreme Right’s total perversion of republican principles. You captured so well what we should prize: "But the proper arena in which to take advantage of liberalism’s protean character — its historical flexibility in response to cultural, social and economic changes over time — remains ordinary democratic politics, in which clashing parties compete for support and accept the outcome of free and fair elections." A friend to whom I had recommended your work sent me the NYT opinion so the word is out.
I am not a scholar or historian. Nonetheless, within the extent of my reading I come away with the conclusion that theocracies don’t turn out well for most of the people, particularly women, caught within them.
Outstanding work, Damon. Happy that it has been shared with a wider audience. I fear that many will sleepwalk into allowing these folks to control our lives. Thank you!
If the latest Times/Siena poll is correct, America IS on the verge of collapse. America will become a dictatorship if Trump wins the election. So "doom" is on the horizon.
Just read your whole essay, and my over-literal mind kept asking , “but wouldn’t we on the left then become the catastrophists if Trumpism prevails, even though in that instance it would be justified?” Will we be able to adhere to the proper arena of ordinary democratic politics you cite when we are faced with what we all agree could be a catastrophe? The tables would turn and then we would be accused of the same panic and end-of-the-world theorizing that you point to so clearly on the current far right.
Is one man’s catastrophist just another man’s truth-telling prophet?
The country has moved pretty far left economically and socially. Damon Linker wants to position himself as a reasonable centrist, but he comes across as another angsty leftist, worried about a slowdown of the march through the institutions.
The difference seems to me to be the means they want to use to their ends. Democracy doesn't work for them, so they want to do things like replace the government with loyalists and invoke the Insurection Act.
Their argument is that we don't have democracy now. The name is invoked, but not the practice. Suggested that the left runs things with loyalists, and calls any opposition insurrectionists, who get quashed with mobs and lawfare.
Several things have polled highly with the electorate, but we get the opposite from courts and permanent bureaucracy: immigration; environmental things; LGBT stuff.
One of Damon's points is that those arguments about us living in leftist tyranny are untrue. I think he's right. You can debate him on that, if you want. We are far from perfect, but the idea that a ripup/retry is necessary is untrue.
LGBT stuff is beside my points. Trivial issue that I'm R of center on.
Aspects of tyranny. Non-left speakers are routinely shouted down on campus. Those who say the wrong thing about racial topics are harassed/canceled. Statue of Robert E. Lee, of historical and artistic value, melted down. Seems like a kind of tyranny: "we have political power now; time for some boots to be applied to some faces."
I mentioned LGBT because much of current deference to it was not installed by vote; any such measures were routinely voted down. But we got it by bureaucratic fiat and court order.
I hear more about ripping up and re-trying from the left. The 2020 riots and such were a call for even more radical change. Obama campaigned on fundamentally transforming America; I haven't seen much change from that sentiment.
Oh, stop. I didn't realize that Heather Heyer was so non-left as to be mowed down by James Fields Jr.'s Charger and silenced forever. Or many years ago when it was a regular segment on Fox News of student phone videos alerting us to the atrocious "communist" statements of professors in universities
But it does seem many have obtained rights by bureaucratic fiat and court order; simple things like the right to vote to former slaves, women, and even 18 year olds. Or water one can actually swim in. etc. etc.
snark/ Yeah, that look like tyranny to me /snark off
Yes, victimhood forever; the left building shrines to James Fields; the right building shrines to Darrell Brooks and Audrey Hale.
That's partly the point of this entry: the right used to be more future positive; they believed they had a better way. Now they are retreating into another victim group, nursing grudges.
College campuses are funny places. It's been 30 years since I've been on one. Some of the stuff that I see going on campus now scares me. That said, some of the right-wingers that are getting shouted down on campus seem to be baiting people to shout them down. In the end, aren't campuses the province of the schools Governors? Here in Florida DeSantis has taken over a college, and is in other ways taking over education to the extent that he's found possible. That's a power grab I've never seen before, but maybe you'd like that better.
You really want that saved? In a museum, sure. But if the city doesn't want it there, it should be removed.
Who said the thing about boots on faces? I've never heard that one. What was the context?
Where are people trying to vote against LGBT things, but the government is enforcing them by fiat? Edicts in CA and TX are opposite each other to a great extent.
The riot says you called them in 2020 we're trying to get laws changed. That allowed a cop to beat and suffocate a black guy in front of people. That was millions of people protesting, what's your issue with that?
What was the rest of the context around that obama quote? What was he talking about radically changing? Did he radically change anything?
Maybe you'd like Trump's plans for running america better. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Trump and allies plot revenge, Justice Department control in a second term
Famously, California voted against gay marriage, but the courts installed it. (Now gay marriage polls favorably. Speaks to the whimsicality of public opinion.)
I doubt there is much popular support for men using womens' bathrooms in service to an alleged gender mis-assignment, but here we are.
What these ‘catastrophists’ have in common is a fascist-hatred for all who suffer under America’s unregulated capitalism and its capitalists.
These catastrophists support unregulated capitalism because it supplies them with adequate wealth, as it supplies vast wealth for a tiny percentage of Americans.
Of course, these catastrophists are alarmed. They write that they are the victims; their economy is suffering an existential threat. They lash out.
But, each day, more Americans become “woke” to unregulated capitalism’s inherent economic inequalities, its federal, state and local income tax cuts, tax breaks, and tax giveaways.
Catastrophists deeply desire to devolve. They want to return to a time when fascists, authoritarians, dictators, and ceasars ruled.
Meanwhile on another continent, Finland evolves to a new capitalism, one with higher purpose. A few years ago, Finland’s capitalists and government mutually agreed to a regulated form of capitalism wherein more benefit. Ask the Finns how happy they are with their new capitalism.
A truly first-rate and insightful commentary on the catastrophizers on the American right and what such catastrophizing portends for American democracy. Thank you again, Mr. Linker!
It’s up to us to save ourselves from their catastrophic ideas, because no one else will do so. I plan to get out and vote in 2024, and I’ve already voted early this year.
Kathy, You are so right, and thanks making a commitment to let your voice be heard. If you would like to do even more (and the margins will be close, so every bit helps), a good place to start is contacting your state party https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_state_parties_of_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)
- they can help you find a place that fits your preferences.
Also, I would be happy to help connect you if you're in CA. We really need to open real conversations with our fellow citizens - all of them. Messaging is being controlled by the people Damon describes - and amplified by 10 networks, 10k radio stations, and 100k Russian bots on social media. Quite the challenge.
Astounding, isn't it, how many of these little damaged he-men have such difficulty dealing with female equality? I keep thinking of Nietzsche, "Go thee to women? Be sure to bring thy whip!" to which someone responded "I met Nietzche; 9 out of 10 women would have gotten the whip away from him." I suppose its not astounding at all.
Kudos for such a penetrating analysis of extreme Right’s total perversion of republican principles. You captured so well what we should prize: "But the proper arena in which to take advantage of liberalism’s protean character — its historical flexibility in response to cultural, social and economic changes over time — remains ordinary democratic politics, in which clashing parties compete for support and accept the outcome of free and fair elections." A friend to whom I had recommended your work sent me the NYT opinion so the word is out.
I am not a scholar or historian. Nonetheless, within the extent of my reading I come away with the conclusion that theocracies don’t turn out well for most of the people, particularly women, caught within them.
Outstanding work, Damon. Happy that it has been shared with a wider audience. I fear that many will sleepwalk into allowing these folks to control our lives. Thank you!
If the latest Times/Siena poll is correct, America IS on the verge of collapse. America will become a dictatorship if Trump wins the election. So "doom" is on the horizon.
Here’s a gift link to the full OpEd:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/04/opinion/sunday/conservative-intellectuals-republicans.html?unlocked_article_code=1.70w.jx-e.yipp26_vglr2&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
Just read your whole essay, and my over-literal mind kept asking , “but wouldn’t we on the left then become the catastrophists if Trumpism prevails, even though in that instance it would be justified?” Will we be able to adhere to the proper arena of ordinary democratic politics you cite when we are faced with what we all agree could be a catastrophe? The tables would turn and then we would be accused of the same panic and end-of-the-world theorizing that you point to so clearly on the current far right.
Is one man’s catastrophist just another man’s truth-telling prophet?
Agree, Judith.
The country has moved pretty far left economically and socially. Damon Linker wants to position himself as a reasonable centrist, but he comes across as another angsty leftist, worried about a slowdown of the march through the institutions.
The difference seems to me to be the means they want to use to their ends. Democracy doesn't work for them, so they want to do things like replace the government with loyalists and invoke the Insurection Act.
Their argument is that we don't have democracy now. The name is invoked, but not the practice. Suggested that the left runs things with loyalists, and calls any opposition insurrectionists, who get quashed with mobs and lawfare.
Several things have polled highly with the electorate, but we get the opposite from courts and permanent bureaucracy: immigration; environmental things; LGBT stuff.
One of Damon's points is that those arguments about us living in leftist tyranny are untrue. I think he's right. You can debate him on that, if you want. We are far from perfect, but the idea that a ripup/retry is necessary is untrue.
LGBT stuff is beside my points. Trivial issue that I'm R of center on.
Aspects of tyranny. Non-left speakers are routinely shouted down on campus. Those who say the wrong thing about racial topics are harassed/canceled. Statue of Robert E. Lee, of historical and artistic value, melted down. Seems like a kind of tyranny: "we have political power now; time for some boots to be applied to some faces."
I mentioned LGBT because much of current deference to it was not installed by vote; any such measures were routinely voted down. But we got it by bureaucratic fiat and court order.
I hear more about ripping up and re-trying from the left. The 2020 riots and such were a call for even more radical change. Obama campaigned on fundamentally transforming America; I haven't seen much change from that sentiment.
Oh, stop. I didn't realize that Heather Heyer was so non-left as to be mowed down by James Fields Jr.'s Charger and silenced forever. Or many years ago when it was a regular segment on Fox News of student phone videos alerting us to the atrocious "communist" statements of professors in universities
But it does seem many have obtained rights by bureaucratic fiat and court order; simple things like the right to vote to former slaves, women, and even 18 year olds. Or water one can actually swim in. etc. etc.
snark/ Yeah, that look like tyranny to me /snark off
Yes, victimhood forever; the left building shrines to James Fields; the right building shrines to Darrell Brooks and Audrey Hale.
That's partly the point of this entry: the right used to be more future positive; they believed they had a better way. Now they are retreating into another victim group, nursing grudges.
College campuses are funny places. It's been 30 years since I've been on one. Some of the stuff that I see going on campus now scares me. That said, some of the right-wingers that are getting shouted down on campus seem to be baiting people to shout them down. In the end, aren't campuses the province of the schools Governors? Here in Florida DeSantis has taken over a college, and is in other ways taking over education to the extent that he's found possible. That's a power grab I've never seen before, but maybe you'd like that better.
This Lee statue?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Lee_Monument_(Charlottesville,_Virginia)
You really want that saved? In a museum, sure. But if the city doesn't want it there, it should be removed.
Who said the thing about boots on faces? I've never heard that one. What was the context?
Where are people trying to vote against LGBT things, but the government is enforcing them by fiat? Edicts in CA and TX are opposite each other to a great extent.
The riot says you called them in 2020 we're trying to get laws changed. That allowed a cop to beat and suffocate a black guy in front of people. That was millions of people protesting, what's your issue with that?
What was the rest of the context around that obama quote? What was he talking about radically changing? Did he radically change anything?
Maybe you'd like Trump's plans for running america better. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Trump and allies plot revenge, Justice Department control in a second term
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/05/trump-revenge-second-term/
https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/project-2025
Boot-on-the-face is from Orwell's "1984": 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯? 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.
" In a museum, sure. "
Agree. To melt it down speaks to a kind of cultural insecurity.
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘓𝘎𝘉𝘛 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘢𝘵?
Famously, California voted against gay marriage, but the courts installed it. (Now gay marriage polls favorably. Speaks to the whimsicality of public opinion.)
I doubt there is much popular support for men using womens' bathrooms in service to an alleged gender mis-assignment, but here we are.
[𝘛𝘩𝘦 2020 𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥.]
So much for "muh democracy".
𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱'𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 '𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.
As opposed to Biden's plan of more crime; more drugs; more inflation; more decline; more lousy foreign policy? Metrics under Trump were better.
What these ‘catastrophists’ have in common is a fascist-hatred for all who suffer under America’s unregulated capitalism and its capitalists.
These catastrophists support unregulated capitalism because it supplies them with adequate wealth, as it supplies vast wealth for a tiny percentage of Americans.
Of course, these catastrophists are alarmed. They write that they are the victims; their economy is suffering an existential threat. They lash out.
But, each day, more Americans become “woke” to unregulated capitalism’s inherent economic inequalities, its federal, state and local income tax cuts, tax breaks, and tax giveaways.
Catastrophists deeply desire to devolve. They want to return to a time when fascists, authoritarians, dictators, and ceasars ruled.
Meanwhile on another continent, Finland evolves to a new capitalism, one with higher purpose. A few years ago, Finland’s capitalists and government mutually agreed to a regulated form of capitalism wherein more benefit. Ask the Finns how happy they are with their new capitalism.