This video from New Economic Thinking, Our Own Worst Enemy 12/13/2021 is an interview with political scientist Tom Nichols of the Naval War College talking about his latest book, Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy (2021):
The analysis of current American politics he presents is sloppy in some ways. For instance, in the interview he seems to miss the significance of the decline of real wages since the 1960s that has coincided with the massive entry of women into the labor force, which is the main thing that kept household income from crashing much more than it did.
He talks here about the increase of partisanship as though Both Sides Do It. When the most distinguishing feature of partisan polarization in the last 30 years in the US has been the asymmetric polarization in which the Republicans have become increasingly radical to the point of being now an overtly insurrectionist party.
But I find it interesting because he's taking the position of conservative-leaning centrist who is addressing the demographic represented by the insurrections who raided the Capitol on January 6. "January 6 Republics" is probably a good shorthand for them. That means relatively affluent, middle-aged men and women who embrace far-right radicalism. And he is engaging in what he himself calls "moral hectoring" to tell those people: hey, get real! Stop trying to blow up the democratic system. Stop thinking of politics as a way to piss off people you hate. Get a grip.
It's not the analysis I would make. But it has some useful insights in how to address conservatives who are not diehard Trumpistas. And to try to tell the actual hardcore Trumpistas that they need to look at a broader picture.
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