There's obviously a convergence of interests here (some people want to own the libs, some people are concerned with asset values), but to be honest I think this meme I just made summarizes my position:
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aug 28, 2025, 12:43 pm • 4 0 • view
There's a persistent notion in the left tradition where you have not properly understood a social dynamic until you have uncovered the economic interest that motivates it. For Trumpism, it's mostly the other way around: first comes the desire to dominate and humiliate, *then* economic opportunity.
aug 28, 2025, 12:42 pm • 14 1 • view
Not just for Trumpism I think : one has many different economic interests, depending on which lens is used, and the choice is generally contingent on ideology and/or affect. The universe of interests is never entirely random of course, but the possibilities extend far beyond simplistic determinism.
aug 28, 2025, 2:01 pm • 3 0 • view
I think both can be true and compatible with each other Trump wants to own libs + the GOP is now a vehicle for his own empowerment (HT @advaitarun.bsky.social) But functionally Trump *is* protecting fossil assets as his ascent was endogenously generated by domestic crisis and US relative decline
aug 28, 2025, 12:58 pm • 3 0 • view
Yeah. I think this becomes important when it's used to guess at the motives of the broader political base. As in: people vote for Trump out of economic anxiety, etc. That's probably the *serious* mistake, what we are discussing now is more academic.
aug 28, 2025, 1:00 pm • 2 0 • view
My serious argument would be that today being serious about historical materialism means pushing back against economic determinism, because the collapse of Marxism has made it the overwhelming "common sense" left position to a larger extent than ever.
aug 28, 2025, 1:01 pm • 2 0 • view
I see! I think that’s fine and I agree. I am open to probabilistic interpretations of HM. Am working on a chapter about this! (I should go write…) bsky.app/profile/yusu...
aug 28, 2025, 1:14 pm • 2 0 • view
Ah. I’d say there are different levels of description that are relevant to the question at hand. And I wouldn’t use this sort of framing to guess at motives but more to map out possible constraints. I think this helps fill in the description well HT @trillingual.bsky.social
aug 28, 2025, 1:11 pm • 1 0 • view
My position bsky.app/profile/yusu...
aug 28, 2025, 12:58 pm • 1 0 • view
Agreed! bsky.app/profile/robi...
aug 28, 2025, 12:58 pm • 1 0 • view
And if u like silly jokes bsky.app/profile/yusu...
aug 28, 2025, 1:02 pm • 3 0 • view
Trump's own instinct being NY real estate capitalist (OG mob boss, mercantilist), rather than the Republican neoliberal capitalist we've all been used to scrambles people's assessments imo. There are FF asset worriers in his coalition - especially in his backers - but they're just riding the tiger.
aug 28, 2025, 12:55 pm • 2 0 • view