The Failure of Centrist Democrats, Trump’s Shock-&-Awe Strategy, Mafia Governance, & the Mirage of MAGA’s Antiwar Posture w/ Jeet Heer

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On this edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michae, journalist and political commentator Jeet Heer of The Nation returns for a deep dive into the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the failings of centrist Democrats, and the implications of a potential second Trump administration.

Key topics discussed include:

• Bernie Sanders' Warning: Jeet Heer echoes Bernie Sanders’ critique that Democrats have abandoned the working-class vote. The conversation explores how the party’s failure to promote antitrust actions, like those spearheaded by Lina Khan, and Kamala Harris’s outreach to billionaires such as Mark Cuban, have alienated voters.
• Trump’s Anti-System Appeal: Heer analyzes Donald Trump’s resonance with anti-system politics in contrast to Democrats’ status-quo messaging, which he argues doomed Harris's campaign. We also discuss the Harris campaign going after the votes of moderate Republicans and cozying up to Liz Cheney (and getting an endorsement from Dick Cheney).
• Shock-and-Awe Nominations: The discussion examines Trump’s picks for key positions—Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, Tulsi Gabbard as DNI, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, and RFK Jr. at HHS—and their potential to destabilize the political landscape. Jeet also gives his view on the strategy undergirding Trump's picks
• Mafia Governance and NATO: Jeet predicts that a second Trump term would involve a governance style favoring loyalists, with significant repercussions for NATO and European allies.
• Freedom of Speech Under Siege: Heer warns that free speech could be the first casualty of a second Trump term, with centrists potentially supporting crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protesters.
• The MAGA Antiwar Mirage: Trump’s antiwar rhetoric is dissected as a façade, with Heer pointing out hawkish tendencies toward Mexico and Ukraine within MAGA ranks.

The episode opens with a reflection on Antonio Gramsci’s famous quote about living in "a time of monsters," setting the tone for a discussion on the political chaos of the present moment. Jeet also provides a historical perspective, linking Trumpism to the conspiratorial tendencies of the 20th-century Old Right and groups like the John Birch Society.

This thought-provoking conversation unpacks the stakes of 2024, from systemic political failures to the looming threats of authoritarianism and international instability under a second Trump administration.