Nativism

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/30/us/tucker-carlson-gop-republican-party.html

Alchemizing media power into political influence, Mr. Carlson stands in a nativist American tradition.

Nativism is a hyper-nationalism, an exclusionary nationalism.

Fascism is a rabid, disgruntled, authoritarian nativism.

They are both a conflation and perversion of an understandable communitarian desire.

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I had noticed that when I went to Youtube to watch, like, Samuel Alexander or Adam Taggart or a TED talk, popping up prominent was Tucker Carlson. Having heard of him, I tuned in a couple of times.

He’s mean and snarky reminiscent of Rush Limbaugh. I think it was Limbaugh, back in the ’90s, who most-recently shifted the media tone in that direction. Limbaugh’s popularity led to the Fox pantheon of our time. But, of course, a long tradition of authoritarian-prone nativists (usually critical of the reigning elites) goes back to Father Coughlin, Mussolini, Cromwell, and Sargon.

With his most-watched Trumpist daily segment Tucker Carlson has become a major influencer.

Of whom?

Of the apprehensive, disregarded and dissatisfied. Of those feeling their place of belonging, their element, their protection to be in jeopardy.

They turn to a Sargon, an Orban, a Trump, a Bolsonaro, for expression, protection, consolation. The desire for such has fueled movements for political revolution, cultural millennialism, religious fundamentalism throughout history.

The frustration, dissatisfaction, depression, and resentment has a social basis in mass society. There is a talented or lucky tenth that constitutes the elite. Among the rest, those who are able to get somewhere (like: decent income, some assets, home ownership) will tend to get conservative about retention of their status — below the elites, but above “the lumpenproletariat.” They are apprehensive about pressure from above, affliction from below. Consolation can come from religion or nativistic chauvinism or from someone authoritative saying that their plight is related to how the elites rig the system, intimidate, disregard, and suppress. That’s what Tucker Carlson does.