Thursday, May 30, 2019
Episode 128: Mind The Gap
Play Now!I know you're likely tired of my recent obsession with the term "stereotype;" but there is benefit to understanding that gap between our understanding of a thing and complexities inherent in the thing itself. Hence today's Episode 128: Mind The Gap.In this episode, I read from: Arlie Russell Hochshchild's book Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning On The American Right; from my computer's quickie dictionary; from two essays by the Archdruid John Michael Greer; and from a Vox article.Musically, I play: Lee Rosevere's "All the Answers"; Graham Bole's "We Are One"; Jahzzar's "Forgiven Not Forgotten"; and Podington Bear's "Forces". I also play some most unfortunate comments from a former candidate for political office. Mark Blyth was backed by KMFDM's "Attack" in the opening, and I'm closing now with Mistle Thrush's "It's All Like Today"I'm releasing this and all my episodes under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike, and non-commercial license.Oh, and I'm posting on a Thursday for very special [reasons]!
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Excellent podcast Jim. Thanks so much. I will share this one with several people. Seems like I heard Hochshchild interviewed, perhaps on Democracy Now! (Also an imperative.) I really should read her book. Might help me understand my community here in fly-over country.
ReplyDeleteYou are quite welcome, Brent, and thanks in return for your kind words!
Delete—Jim
Good episode.
ReplyDeleteI've drummed on this before, but I think it's incredibly significant that Trump is the first troll President, and that American politics are becoming the politics of annoyance, increasingly defined more by conservative antipathy for liberals and vice versa than policy disagreements (though of course those remain).
The thing Trump supporters desired that they have really, genuinely gotten out of Trump is a leader who is abhorrent to liberals and the establishment. (Which isn't a total overlap. But for the conservative elements of the establishment the disincentives for rejecting Trump are so strong on account of him nominally being on their team that they're just being swallowed by Trumpism. That is, the remaining factors that make "Trump is abhorrent to the establishment" true are being removed from the conservative establishment, just as they're presumably being amped up in the liberal establishment.)
It's been interesting (and kind of aggravating) to see this play out in parts of the blogosphere interested in futurism, I've increasingly seen attempts to predict change replaced by attempts to back-construct reasons why culture-war victory will happen soon.
^ Very good observation, L33t!!
DeleteGood episode.
DeleteThanks, L33t!
…I think it's incredibly significant that Trump is the first troll President….
Exactly. I don't remember who it was or which group of folks, but I remember hearing that he was the first reality show presidential candidate, and that his campaign was simply an extension of the reality show strategy: trash talk focused on sound bites.
The other candidates (especially the other GOPs) tried to run a more traditional campaign and got trounced without really knowing what happened to them.
…American politics are becoming the politics of annoyance, increasingly defined more by conservative antipathy for liberals and vice versa than policy disagreements….
Yup. Before there was reality telly, there was political talk radio, where attack sound bites rule. I suspect this political tool (sponsored by the Powell Movementeers) grew in prominence to the point where prominence became dominance. (In fact, "When Prominence Became Dominance" would make a great episode title….)
It's been interesting (and kind of aggravating) to see this play out in parts of the blogosphere….
I've backed away from the blogosphere (mostly just time constraints), so I missed that shift. I do experience attempts to project wishes to outcomes in private conversations, but never with the speaker considering the antipathy elements I outlined in the episode. Thus, the trash talk continues.
When I attempt to bring this up, I get branded as a right-winger. The email exchange I opened with was just one instance. It's the main reason I decided to do this episode.
I can't say I wish trash talk to disappear; it's fun as well as useful, sometimes. But I personally sense the need to direct trash talk away from the personal hate points of Presidential supporters and toward elements of policy and outcome (income disparity, struggling non-ruling class, precarious employment), elements that the Pres actually campaigned on, but which he has conveniently (and probably necessarily) silenced once in office.
Thanks again, L33t!
—Jim