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It’s like how in riots over any issue, small businesses get looted because they are visible targets that vaguely rhyme with the obscure root causes of whatever is angrying up the mob. 2016-28 is going to be “riot democracy” with the vote being about “who gets to loot next?”
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A tale of 3 democracy riots 2016: Traumatized whiteness = “nationalism” = loot elite and impersonal state institutions 2020: Traumatized precariat = “inequality” = loot market institutions and large corps of the Buyback 500 2024: Traumatized planet = “climate change” = loot ?
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In 2016, clueless institutional elites like me had NO idea how much disaffected whites were directing (however inappropriately) their hulk-smash energy towards us. In many cases targeting institutions they weren’t aware they were dependent on. 2020 = clueless billionaires.
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They think it’s about defeating Warren the way we thought it was about defeating Trump. They think “reasonable” explanations pointing out how their mental models are misframed and the anger misdirected will defuse the anger just as in 2016.
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In 2016 we clung to stories about how “America was already great” and global prosperity that simply weren’t believed by activated crowd. In 2020 they cling to stories about historic stock market highs and low unemployment that simply aren’t being believed by activated crowd.
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In 2016 elites didn’t realize the extent to which opioid crisis had become the rallying symbol of anger, whatever its actual importance in the larger scheme of things. In 2020 the wealthy aren’t realizing the extent to which housing/urban blight have become the rallying symbol
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The “enemy” in the inequality riots election is a Venn diagram of 3 parties: billionaires, urban NIMBYs in high value geographies, and stock-owning class that has seen nominal wealth balloon from QE-buyback loop. Warren and Yang are the paladins vying to represent the anger.
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I don’t think Bernie strikes the right note in representing the anger. His message is too big-tent dilutive of inequality. But even if both lose and a more wealth-friendly candidate (Trump or one of the other Democrats) wins, the anger energy will define 2020-24.
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In fact I think that’s the likely outcome. Traumatized whiteness had the strong tailwind of electoral college mechanics to make itself heard and let off steam at White House level. Traumatized urban precariat has a strong headwind in the same department. This is bad news.
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