Revolt of the Public

[Elok]

Okay, here's a grown-up politics thread as requested. Matt Taibbi's just interviewed Martin Gurri, who wrote Revolt of the Public (the full title is longer, just like Wealth of Nations and Origin of Species) way back in 2014. The book has come to seem prescient, what with Trump and all.

https://taibbi.substack.com/p/the-pr...-trump-era-255

The basic thesis is that uprisings, violent and otherwise, around the world, are rooted in the unique ability of the internet to democratize the sharing of information. In this view, Trump wasn't caused by white resentment, the hollowing out of the working class, or whatever; he was caused by a couple of decades where access to and ability to disseminate information was increasingly removed from the control of any gatekeeper, enabling basically any jackass to thumb his nose at elites provided he was canny enough to ride the storm. This is something I've long though myself, but apparently Gurri thought of it first. I hadn't thought to connect it to Obama as well, though, as Gurri did, nor to worldwide politics. Now I kinda want to read it. Thoughts?

[BeBMan]

It was an interesting read. Not sure about every bit, but here's my barely thought through reaction anyway:

Yes, IMO the pure fact that Trump was running pres in 16 was met with disbelief, and there was a general lack of imagination. This guy surely couldn't win - until he did. Similar happens with a lot of other things, like - Brexit? Makes no sense, no majority would vote for it. Oooops.

Happens even down to the regional level -- couple years ago, there was an idea to fusion the city of Berlin, and the surrounding region of Brandenburg into one federal state via referendum. All the important ppl in politics, economy etc. explained how it's a smart idea (and it actually was -- kinda), but the attempt failed miserably, so those two are still separate federal states /Krautcents

I dunno re the internet bit - it's works as an enabler surely, but to me often those revolts are down to gaps between several things. It's not just "elites" there, too detached from the realities of the "people" here or politicians promising something they don't deliver (all of which certainly does happen).

To me it's about fundamental tensions between the goals, ideals, values we constantly invoke and which people usually "like" so that they expect to see them making an impact. And the actual practice which - at best - changes slowly. The internet reveals these gaps way faster, and to more ppl than before.

So question is - is this fundamentally different from earlier revolts etc., pre- internet. Or is it just more of the same, but on steroids with internet.

Which I simply dunno

[Jon Miller]

Thanks.

I have noticed a lot of thinkers are going to the stacks.

JM

[Jon Miller]

I definitely agree that it is a mass movement. I haven't paid... (I only pay for Sullivan on Stacks at the moment) but I would be interested to compare this thesis and am earlier one I read comparing th present moment to the advent of radio, the printing press and mass literacy.

JM
(I guess TV too, but I Seem to remember that the argument was that TV was a bit different because it was very much an oligarchy for a long time)

[Elok]

Closer to the printing press than TV or radio. Those both have limited access points due to bandwidth licensing, etc. Radio is limited in what it can convey to our primarily-visual species, and TV shows aren't at all easy or cheap to do well. Nothing like YouTube, where a knowledgeable amateur can make a living churning out videos of himself doing any number of weird things. My kids were entranced for a long time by some primitive-tech Brits building a Norse-style longhouse in the woods with hand tools. That could never have enjoyed God knows how many views in 1990. Nor Skallagrim, who just blathers endlessly about functional pre-modern weapon design. And that's just YouTube. It would be astonishing if such a powerful tool didn't influence politics in a dramatic way.

[Elok]

https://taibbi.substack.com/p/interview-with-martin-gurri-a-short

Sorry, that's the actual interview; I linked to the short version of his book review.