4. Hofstadter's influence is easily explained: he was a very fine prose stylist (especially for an academic historian) & his centrist politics appeals to elite journalists & politicians.
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15. Conspiracy theory that North Vietnam was pawn of Red China (and not motivated by nationalism) was held by elites in JFK & LBJ administration & led to war.
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16. Conspiracy theories that led to Iraq War (Axis of Evil, Saddam-AQ connection, WMDs) all fostered by elites.
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17. If you want to see conspiracy theories go read editorial page of Bret Stephens old newspaper Wall Street Journal on climate change or Vince Foster.
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18. Ultimately, the appeal of Hofstadter is that he provides the comforting idea of a sensible center, relegating discontent & error to the margins. That's a false view of history.
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19. One last point: it's interesting how much of centrist punditry still relies not just on Hofstadter but other Cold War liberals (Niebuhr, Trilling). They remain foundational for a elite consensus worldview.
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End of conversation
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This is always your worst point- that paranoid style extends past “populism” doesn’t mean it is also a central feature of populism. Hofstadter didn’t argue paranoid style is exclusively the domain of populism. He argued it was found in populism. I never get how you miss that.
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The elite support for the paranoid fringe is due to two factors. One is the fear that the more ruthless business types will be attacked by working people for their swindles & cons. Paranoia deflects the crowds to make them easier to pickpocket.
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