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Chaos Entrepreneurs
There's a bull market in political polarization. In turn, the political center -- "the establishment," if you like -- remains mired in a long-running, seemingly intractable bear market.
Domestically, the multi-dimensional challenge to centrist politics in Western democracies emanates from what one might describe as chaos entrepreneurs, who sow discord only to harvest the resultant rage capital. It's a kind of socio-political insider trading.
Other than perhaps Donald Trump's around-the-clock e
Although they always apply, I guess we will soon see just how fitting the oft-quoted words of W.B Yeats’ “The Second Coming” are to this era:
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Yeats has always been one of my favorite poets. He was a chronicler of his time. There and then, as is the case here and now, “The centre cannot hold.”
Your second to last paragraph sums up exactly my sentiments. I screenshot this paragraph for future reference, as it is so perfectly stated. Thank you.
Excellent article and analysis. I will go out on a limb and say without any evidence that it seems the media is partly to blame. Sensationalism and horse race political reporting encourages candidates and then electors to make news by acting outrageous or making outrageous statements. Both of which leads to the chaos dynamic you are writing about.
So I would put more than the politicians as being in fault. The dangerous part for journalist enablers is that often when the governments go extreme they get to spend time in jail where no pen is allowed. In addition the wealthy are often a target if not just to steal their money. These two groups are enabling these actors in our society and I am guessing Europe as well.
Therefore I think pinning the blame on the political class alone simply perpetuates the behavior you have called out. The enablers, wealthy and journalists, should recognize incentivizes to prevent the very outcome they work so hard to achieve.
Fine article and nothing wrong with it, just adding a bit of color to the debate.
This was about the media initially. But I needed to publish something on AfD and BSW. In the original version of the article, German politics was almost a footnote, so I shortened it and refocused it.
I do not think journalists recognize the danger they put themselves in by promoting this type of radicalism. Historically these types of radicals have jailed or killed journalists or media owners at will. Heck in Iran recently a writer got prison for a period. One period, that was all.
The wealthy are also amazingly passive. Historically the small people are overlooked while the wealthy suffer the least freedoms of all.
We The People are privileged; we get the country we deserve.
Chaos accelerationists.