2024-11-09 01:15:00
After a few days of emotions running wild—some feeling like shattered glass and others bubbling with joy—the time has come to pull oneself together and look for sound analyses to understand what happened and why. The point is that there was really no need to search… The reasons for Trump’s victory are well known, especially to the ES/PE community members and readers. Clicking on the Neoliberalism tag on this blog will provide a long list of articles, posts, and excerpts that explain one aspect or another of the results of the recent US elections. Clicking on tags such as Inequality and Class will add more very important answers. Since the ES/PE community was established, our academic and policy-oriented engagement with these topics has been unceasing. Does this fact comfort the one who needs to be comforted? On the contrary, is it annoying? It depends… In any case, the socio-political knowledge to understand economic realities is so extensive and insightful. What to do with it — whether to build on it or bury one’s head in a MSNBC broadcast — is another matter.
Below, you will find several compelling posts written on this blog specifically about Trump and his becoming, and other relevant entries that offer broader and revealing perspectives. These informative and thought-provoking texts deliver, as economic sociology and political economy should, institutional and structural analyses. However, I will conclude this brief reflection on a slightly different note by recalling a remark made by Gilles Deleuze to Michel Foucault in their 1972 conversation: “We cannot shut out the scream of Wilhelm Reich: the masses were not deceived; at a particular time, they actually wanted a fascist regime!”
— “The victory of fascism was made practically unavoidable by the liberals’ obstruction of any reform involving planning, regulation, or control“. A striking excerpt from Karl Polanyi’s masterpiece The Great Transformation where he brilliantly discusses the rise of Fascism and Market Economy
— Trump as Messiah (by Ivan Light; built upon ideas developed more fully in his book Entrepreneurs and Capitalism Since Luther: Rediscovering the Moral Economy )
— How Neoliberalism Prepared the Way for Donald Trump (by Zygmunt Bauman)
— Social Media, Authoritarian Capitalism, and Donald Trump (by Christian Fuchs)
— Folk economics, economic sociology, and Trump’s campaign (on Richard Swedberg’s “Folk Economics and its Role in Trump’s Presidential Campaign”)
Trump
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— It is identity, stupid! Nationalism, trade, and the populist rage (by Vinícius Rodrigues Vieira)
— Nietzsche on Danger in Wealth and Pretense
— The Rise of the Capital-state and Neo-nationalism: a Neo-Polanyian Perspective (by Oleksandr Svitych)
— Back to the Future: Authoritarian Neoliberal Regime versus Democratic Social State (rereading Ralph Miliband’s classic The State in Capitalist Society)
***
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**Interview with Dr. Emma Johnson, Political Sociologist and Author**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Johnson. Following the recent elections and Trump’s unexpected victory, many are trying to make sense of the results. What do you believe are the key factors that contributed to his win?
**Dr. Johnson:** Thank you for having me. The main factors behind Trump’s victory can be traced back to a mix of deep-seated economic anxieties and the socio-political landscape shaped by years of neoliberal policies. These policies left many feeling left behind, which created fertile ground for populist sentiments. As scholars have pointed out, the ES/PE community has been analyzing these dynamics for quite some time.
**Editor:** It seems like there is a lot of discussion in the blogosphere about neoliberalism and its role in Trump’s rise. How do those concepts tie into the reactions of the electorate?
**Dr. Johnson:** Neoliberalism, with its emphasis on deregulation and market-driven solutions, has exacerbated inequalities and diminished public trust in established institutions. Many voters are frustrated by economic stagnation and the perception that the political elite do not understand or address their concerns. This frustration has culminated in a desire for a radical change — even a fascist-like regime, as suggested by thinkers like Wilhelm Reich and Karl Polanyi. They argued that, at times, the masses might actively seek out authoritarian solutions when they feel their needs are ignored.
**Editor:** You mentioned the importance of academic and policy-oriented analyses in understanding these election results. How can these resources help citizens make sense of such complex issues?
**Dr. Johnson:** Resources from the academic community can provide valuable insights into the structural and institutional factors at play in our political ecosystem. For instance, exploring themes of inequality and class can illuminate why certain demographics are drawn to Trump’s rhetoric. Engaging with these analyses can help voters understand the broader context of their experiences rather than isolated events or media narratives.
**Editor:** With the influence of social media and changing economic realities, where do you see the political discourse heading in the near future?
**Dr. Johnson:** Social media has amplified populist messages and allowed for more direct engagement with voters, but it has also contributed to polarization. As we face ongoing social and economic challenges, I expect we will see increasing dissatisfaction with mainstream politics. Political discourse may continue to gravitate toward more authoritarian figures if underlying issues are not addressed effectively by traditional parties.
**Editor:** Thank you, Dr. Johnson, for your insights. It seems clear that understanding the intersection of economics and politics is crucial as we navigate this changing landscape.
**Dr. Johnson:** Absolutely. It’s time for both academics and citizens to engage deeply with these issues, rather than turning away or relying solely on mainstream media narratives. Understanding our socio-political environment is essential for any constructive change.
**Editor:** Thank you again for your time and perspective. Let’s hope for a more informed public discourse moving forward.