HRS Lecture: Jan Verwoert

Fake Fate How to fight the fatal attraction of Turbofeudalism and beat the Empire of the Tacky to the punch? Politics get existential when the question is raised: Who are we to live and die together? The Left says: “We are rational beings so, yes, we can… make life better for everyone, if we try. Progress is possible.“ The Right responds: “Why become better? Are we not good enough, as we are? We are family, one people, fatefully united by our past, loyal to our royals, the tycoons and oligarchs, home-grown Emperors of Turbofeudalism!“ It’s weird: Even though they act like gentry, mafia was never more than a second-hand upper-crust. Historically speaking, they acted as surrogates for a faded aristocracy. Everybody knows and sees: Oligarch bling is tacky, trashy, camp. Mar-a-Lago is unreal. Turbofeudalism is fake, so why would we let upstart Emperors seal our fate? Because we relate. Discussing Trump is like listening to Mariah Carey over Christmas: effectively inevitable.