First was Trump, then came the Socialists
The recent media-hype and discussion of Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might be an indicator that American Politics is poised to continue its course of polarization and radicalization.
After the shock of Donald Trump’s election to president wore off, some more optimistically inclined political commentators pointed out that his presidency was merely temporary and that affairs could go back to normal, or reason, as soon as his term was over.
As it happens, I am not that optimistic. I believe that US politics is most likely to become much more tribal and extreme in the near future.
There are multiple reasons for this, and one that is not to be underestimated is the impact of technology on the news media and the way we all interact socially.
For elaboration on this point I can recommend reading Russ Roberts article on the topic: https://medium.com/@russroberts/i-cant-hear-you-e7a218831f07
However, I also think that there is a deeper, more substantive reason for the political developments of recent years and the ones to come.
It has been repeatedly pointed out that Trump vocalized something that many people in the US had felt for years, if not decades, and that had largely been ignored by media and political elites. This was and is the major issue…
