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Lancashire Lad
Lancashire Lad
2 months ago

assisted political death by Starmerism

The year is almost over, but MH has just given us – in the UK, at least – the greatest political phrase of 2024. It needs to be shared and to reverberate through the corridors of failed power and the digital spaces we now occupy.
It lands within a very fine essay, encapsulating something visceral yet refined, ancient yet very modern. It’s pretty much about how we define ourselves, not as individuals but as polities. The cultural tectonic plates are shifting, perhaps earlier than we thought but the earthquakes which accompany them will take some riding out.

Derek Smith
Derek Smith
2 months ago
Reply to  Lancashire Lad

I’d place that line alongside ‘loveless landslide’, coined by one of our regular commenters.

J Bryant
J Bryant
2 months ago

In today’s edition of Unherd, Tom McTague provides a fine description of the phenomenon of Trumpism and how it is the vanguard of change in geopolitics and economics.
Now Mary Harrington has provided a theoretical framework around how Trumpism is changing the world, and placing the phenomenon in historical context.
Together, imo, the McTague and Harrington articles place Unherd above most (all?) publications analyzing the modern world.

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago
Reply to  J Bryant

Ditto!

Michael Hale
Michael Hale
2 months ago
Reply to  J Bryant

Ditto #2

Cantab Man
Cantab Man
2 months ago
Reply to  J Bryant

Agreed.

I always appreciate Mary’s articles.

Regarding America’s current situation: When something important is broken, a person doesn’t want to engage in a dogged pursuit of self-important faceless “managerial” bureaucrats, who are too busy stamping papers in triplicate, too busy taking long lunch breaks, and too busy keeping themselves otherwise occupied in a massive Rube Goldberg-like machine, to help the person. The person doesn’t want to be on their phone, placed on hold again and again, listening to ever-repeating elevator music for another hour, after the ninth department transfer already that day, because their papers “aren’t in order.”

This is the sense that many Americans feel about the brokenness of America’s “managerial” bureaucratic monolith under Democrat leadership. Even worse, Democrat Leaders came out during this past presidential election cycle in full-throated support of their broken bureaucratic monolith. To them, the brokenness is a feature, not a bug, of their utopian bureaucracy.

But the truth remains – the more massive the bureaucratic monolith, the greater the need for ever-more levels of hierarchy. These unwieldily levels of hierarchy create a non-accountable, self-governing world that quickly spends ALL of US taxpayers’ money and then endlessly spends on extended foreign credit, like a drunken sailor at port. The bureaucracy isn’t really controlled by the voters who supply that money, nor is it controlled by the voters’ children or grandchildren who will need to pay that infinity-debt with their long and hard labor.

Within a broken bureaucracy there is, perhaps, a false sense of order that some citizens are comforted by. It’s false because the ‘order’ is often working in incompetent, pointless and wasteful ways. And, sometimes, it even works against the will of the citizens themselves.

During this past election cycle, we finally reached Democrats’ Great Reveal: That the very top of the pyramid – The President of the United States, Joe Biden, is not a real President. He’s a fake President. But Democrats assure us that Joe Biden’s (and Kamala Harris’s) incompetency didn’t matter … because they aren’t real anyway.

Only Democrats’ non-accountable bureaucratic monolith is real. It serves as the real President and is unaccountable to the people.

Thankfully, the citizens have rejected Democrats’ beloved operating model. They had a sense of being ignored – and worse, being attacked – by their disinterested public servants, while those public servants were mesmerized, gazing upon their own refined beauty, in their stately mirrors.

And now Democrats are handwringing in fear that Trump might actually be a real “the buck stops here” President that voters and journalists can hold accountable. And fire, if need be. A President who might just succeed in slimming down Democrats’ preferred bureaucracy until it is somewhat effective again.

Janet G
Janet G
2 months ago
Reply to  Cantab Man

From a distance (in Australia) I have not seen Trump in a positive light until recently, just before the US election, I viewed a video of him answering questions from people attending a town hall meeting. A woman asked a question, he listened and replied respectfully in complete, coherent sentences. This was such a different view of the man from the one I have seen performing before huge crowds.

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago

Frogs?

Matt M
Matt M
2 months ago
Reply to  Samuel Ross

Pepe

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago

Mmmm …. a lovely article, like a nice cup of tea by a bright fire, when it’s cold outside and the snow gentle falls, falls, falls ….. thank you, Mary!

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
2 months ago
Reply to  Samuel Ross

Which is exactly what is happening in my tiny corner of Colorado at the moment.

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago
Reply to  UnHerd Reader

What’s your favorite type of tea? Mine is chamomile tea and green tea combined.

Ralph Hanke
Ralph Hanke
2 months ago
Reply to  UnHerd Reader

Hi,
What is your tiny corner of Colorado? Mine is currently in the San Luis Valley. I will not feel insulted if you wish to remain anonymous and/or off the social grid.

Alex Lekas
Alex Lekas
2 months ago

Trump is loathed by the people who made him possible and instinctively, they know this. From the border to economics to defense and endless wars; from rampant crime to decaying streets and lousy education, the stench of institutional failure emanates from the DC cabal and its acolytes.
In a healthy republic, someone like Trump would never seek the presidency; there would be no point. But the republic is ailing. People in several countries are finally realizing that public service has become self-service and too many in govt think the people work for them instead of the other way around. The predictable labels of right-wing, far right, or egads, extreme right painted on anyone who challenges the status quo misses the point of why a challenge is needed.

Wilfred Davis
Wilfred Davis
2 months ago
Reply to  Alex Lekas

Concisely stated.

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago
Reply to  Alex Lekas

Nicely put, Alex!

Rasmus Fogh
Rasmus Fogh
2 months ago

And yet he has a clear love for America and Americans,

Really? What made you think that? He does not think his kind is better than ordinary people – because 1) he does not think, he works by instinct; 2) He believes he is unique and glorious and immeasurably superior to everybody, so no one is singled out. The only distinction that matters to the narcissist is between potential admirers and potetial enemies. Basically he is an immensely gifted reality-TV star, approachable, entertaining, completely consistent with his role. Much as Blair was a naturally gifted con artist, convincingly sincere because he could convince himself he was sincere.

As for your monarchical restoration, you should not limit your dreams to getting back Henry the VIII. Monarchy also means getting back to King John, Henry VI, and Edward II. Or why not follow your deep desires and dream of getting a proper divine emperor, like Nero or Caligula?

richard jones
richard jones
2 months ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Because things didn’t end well for them. Still, Rome adapted…

AJ Mac
AJ Mac
2 months ago
Reply to  richard jones

Are we on the threshold of a modern-day Constantine, perhaps under a succeeding Vance administration? JD’s an actual Christian anyway, and perhaps his wife would convert for public purposes.

AJ Mac
AJ Mac
2 months ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

We’re seeing the some very idealized takes on Trump during this interim period, usually with comments like “of course he’s far from perfect”, to suggest a balanced assessment.

But giddiness tends to prevail here and elsewhere, sometimes to the point of celebrating demagogues because “at least they’re not grey bureaucrats”. And how bout the Merrie Olde England of Henry the VIII? Weird nostalgia, willful blinders.

I do give Trumpian disruptions a CHANCE of improving some things, it only by accident, enlivened pushback, or chain reaction. But let’s not pretend any good game has been won, or that those improvements have occurred already.

Of course Biden hasn’t been a strong or heroic leader, but there was plenty of folly and failure under Trump’s first administration (want a short list?) and little indication of level headedness or greatness of any good kind now. But this is the time of wishing and forgetting. We’ll see. I hope people will pay careful attention to what develops.

Rasmus Fogh
Rasmus Fogh
2 months ago
Reply to  AJ Mac

I fully agree.

There is certainly a chance that things might improve – if you disrupt all the existing relationships and replace a main player by a completely unperedictable alternative something is likely to change. We’d have to be pretty lucky to get an improvement, out of it, though. .

denz
denz
2 months ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

TDS is hard to shake off, but I suggest you try the red pill. Shadilay Rasmus.

Rasmus Fogh
Rasmus Fogh
2 months ago
Reply to  denz

Why should I want to shake it off? Scepticism makes a lot more sense than giddy adoration. Why should I join the people who babble that he is a completely normal president who will introduce a new monarchy and save the world?

AJ Mac
AJ Mac
2 months ago
Reply to  Rasmus Fogh

Many cannot see derangement or delusion in their own camp(s), making them part of the general sea of humanity, and emblematic of our warring times.

AJ Mac
AJ Mac
2 months ago
Reply to  denz

Not only that, but there’s a worse strain of derangement that affects some of his all-in supporters.

Aidan Anabetting
Aidan Anabetting
2 months ago

Whatever your political hue, you have to admit that stylistically, this is dazzling writing.

Matt M
Matt M
2 months ago

As a natural Tory, I wholeheartedly agree with restorations. I had limited myself to hoping for returning to a pre-1997 constitution (ditching the Supreme Court, Equality Act, HRA, Devolution etc). In my wildest dreams perhaps we could have ditched some of Roy Jenkins constitutional reforms from the 1960s. But I never thought of reverting back to a pre-English Civil War settlement. My inner Jacobite is quite stirred…

Amelia Melkinthorpe
Amelia Melkinthorpe
2 months ago

We don’t want Willy the WEFfer, thank you.

Chipoko
Chipoko
2 months ago

‘It was [Trump] who came across like a monarch, grandly telling the actual prince he was “doing a great job” while Wills nodded and smiled like a bureaucrat.’
What terrific prose!

Karen Arnold
Karen Arnold
2 months ago

In the UK much of the power to do something (or not) has been shifted into the hands of quangos and favoured charities. This has led to them doing what they think is the “correct “ thing to do and is the source of so much frustration by the electorate. Power needs to be back in the hands of the elected who can, and should be held to account. This will take us closer to stronger relationship as outlined in this article.

laurence scaduto
laurence scaduto
1 month ago
Reply to  Karen Arnold

I understand that many quangos depend on grants from one agency or another of the federal government; often the executive branch. With luck, Trump will walk all over these.

Benjamin Greco
Benjamin Greco
2 months ago

Carl Schmitt was a Nazi. What is the matter with you.

Will D. Mann
Will D. Mann
2 months ago

Half the USA hates and fears Trump. Many of those who voted for him were unenthusiastic, vaguely hoping for a better economy or ,more effective immigration controls. If the condition of ordinary Americans fails to improve Trump could become very unpopular very quickly.

denz
denz
2 months ago

Trump won’t be the same this time round. He’s older, wiser, and less isolated. So many more people have had enough of Leftist nonsense, and can see the world is changing in ways that mean acronyms are out, and traditionalism is back front and centre

AJ Mac
AJ Mac
2 months ago
Reply to  denz

He’s angrier, more obsessed with payback, and still without much wisdom. Really consider what tradition Trump represents. I’ll suggest Ivan Boesky, Father Coughlin, P.T. Barnum, and Don Rickles. With some Harvey Weinstein thrown in.

laurence scaduto
laurence scaduto
1 month ago
Reply to  denz

Trans-genderism was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Just too silly. And the child-harm aspect is a BIG red light.

James Martin
James Martin
2 months ago

I note that many commentators have reversed course on Trump. He has gone from being an all round bad egg to now being the best thing since sliced bread. The real power brokers are the billionaires – soon to be trillionaires – who pay to get their best payer into power.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
1 month ago

POTUS is, by definition someone very special. They have achieved election in a highly competitive system. The “Party machine” can’t reliably deliver this; ask Hilary Clinton or Kamala Harris.

They usually hold serious degrees from serious Universities. Look how the Obamas completely overshadowed Prince Harry.

They MUST be patriotic. Obama was criticised as a “foreign pinko” but look at the footage of him rubbing his hands surrounded by Pentagon brass, watching footage of Osama bin Laden being scrubbed by Special Ops teams.

Prince William is, ultimately the “fourteenth possessor of a foolish face”. His father is simply a fool. His late, great grandmother was a figure directly from a storied past.

Rocky Martiano
Rocky Martiano
1 month ago

Perhaps Mary’s best essay yet. The whole point of Trump, for those in this space and others in the wider world who have not yet realised the tectonic shift that is occurring, is that he serves as a catalyst, a provocateur of change in the dreary, rotten, managerial world that has been our lot in the West for over two decades.
The personality of this flawed overlord, with whom we can all find fault, is irrelevant. He is a symbol, an iconoclast, one who has had the courage to stand up against all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune hurled at him by the ancien regime and show us once and for all that the emperor has no clothes.

laurence scaduto
laurence scaduto
1 month ago
Reply to  Rocky Martiano

He’s funny, too. That’s not acceptable among the Managerialists.
The poor dears.

Martin Johnson
Martin Johnson
1 month ago

Interesting essay, and the next stop is to read Curtis Yarvin on monarchy.

Christian Moon
Christian Moon
1 month ago

You throw in a transitive ’emanate’, and I wonder whether you do it as a simple provocation to us grammar schooler pensioners btl, or whether you struggle for a moment and then think ‘hell I am down wit’ da kidz, goddamn it’, and you just go for it.
This is another transcendently good article, full of humour and insight. Many thanks. “Arc of history” enjoyers indeed.

Mark epperson
Mark epperson
1 month ago

Bravo! Right on, as usual.

Jerry Carroll
Jerry Carroll
1 month ago

Pigs in ruffs will fly before this happens.