Jonathan M Smucker
Jul 27, 2017 · 1 min read

Your first mistake is thinking that rationality (as you mean it here) is worth a lot in politics. This is not a post about the merits of raising taxes on the rich (which, yes, I strongly favor). It is about the strategy of rightwing populism, which you seem to not grasp whatsoever.

Your next mistake is your framing of a false equivalency between the hatred of bigotry, racism, and xenophobia and my warning about how rightwing political strategists like Bannon combine these hateful appeals with economic populism in order to lead us to an authoritarian future. Such a warning from me has nothing to do with feelings of hate. Honestly, feelings of hate are not even something I struggle with. I don’t even hate Steve Bannon, on a personal level. I do think he is extraordinarily dangerous, and I think rational people might want to consider trying to stop him.

    Jonathan M Smucker

    Written by

    Strategist, organizer, campaigner. Director at @BeyondtheChoir. Author of @hegemonyhowto. For a world that is for everyone. http://jonathansmucker.org