General Steve

In a very revealing piece in the NY Times, David Brooks interviews General Steve Bannon of The War Room. Like Brett Stephens, Brooks is concerned about the dismal state of liberal democratic capitalism, going so far as to say he almost went Marxist! But he was able to steer away from that terrifying cliff and is trying to understand the Alt/ MAGA right-wing populism that General Steve espouses. Steve is that famously "dishevelved" Catholic warrior hoping to lead the next revolution. He truly believes he has it all figured out and at the moment, his global movement is indeed experiencing a surge. But we have seen this movie before. We know where this leads. They can build walls and buy American but they have no answer for the unfolding ecological catastrophe. Christian nationalism gets you only so far, dismantling the "administrative/ deep state" leaves you with corporate rule. Bannon claims to be at war with what he calls "techno-fuedal capitalism" ( borrowing from Christopher Lasch and Yanus Varafakous) but his deplorable minions only want treats; anything powered by a motor, vacations in Vegas, lake-side second homes. Liberals are panicked now that the Biden campaign is a total dumpster fire, sputtering about the fact that Trump lied! Lied, I tell you! The whole insane Spectacle is such a shit show it is amazing people still cling to it with such "passionate intensity". Billionaire donors, clown candidates, flag waving knuckleheads, democracy in action! At some point you look at your ballot and see Popeye the Sailor vs Brutus and say WTF? This is what liberal capitalist "democracy" hath brought?