Recommended Reading: Neoliberalism, Authoritarianism, and a Constant State Of Fear

This Week's Recommended Reading on Substack: Scot Nakagawa, Parker Molloy, Jared Yates Sexton, Jessica Valenti, Lyz Lenz, Chris Geidner, and Erin Reed.

May 07, 2023

The Week's Recommended Reading on Substack:

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writes that “those who are committing acts of terrorism and violence should be contained. There’s no doubt about that. But activists opposed to authoritarianism should understand that the need to immediately contain violent far right threats via law enforcement makes our work of building networks and movements founded on principles of mutual interdependence all the more important.”

The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook

Neoliberalism and Authoritarianism

It seems like everyday that I find myself reading an article or fielding a comment about how neoliberal policies, especially in the Reagan-H.W. Bush-Clinton era, put us in the position we are in today, one in which an authoritarian takeover of our government has become a very real and immediate threat. A common feature across most of the analyses is the…

a year ago · 3 likes · Scot Nakagawa

Parker Molloy

writes that “if you’re playing a looped video of fires from a protest months earlier while telling your audience that cities around the country are being burned to the ground and overtaken by lawless chaos agents, you’re very clearly trying to give the impression of an ongoing emergency. It’s that simple. It keeps people afraid. It keeps people on edge. It keeps people tuned in.”

The Present Age

Keeping People In A Constant State Of Fear Makes The World A Violent Place

Hey readers, Parker here. Today’s newsletter will be short, as I’m still collecting my thoughts on the topic (and I may expand on it later) Okay, it ended up being a lot longer than I intended. I want to write a bit about what seems to be a trend of people responding to everyday disputes with violent force. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about what rol…

a year ago · 193 likes · 10 comments · Parker Molloy

Jared Yates Sexton

writes that “we have been led to believe that Liberalism, as an ideology, was one thing, while it was, in fact, another thing altogether. It has been portrayed as homogeneous, a predictable set of values that, depending on point of view, either adds up to naive and dangerous or good and virtuous. But it can also be a smokescreen for self-dealing and cruelty disguised through performative displays.”

Dispatches From A Collapsing State | Jared Yates Sexton

A Long Overdue Understanding: Bill Maher, Elon Musk, and the State of Things

If you haven’t already, please become a paying subscriber to DISPATCHES FROM A COLLAPSING STATE. In addition to exclusive articles like my recent piece dealing with Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News, you’ll also receive access to podcasts, videos, and ensure that this independent media venture continues to grow and thrive. Since leaving academia …

a year ago · 69 likes · 19 comments · Jared Yates Sexton

Jessica Valenti

writes “this reporting mandate is a central and insidious part of Republicans’ strategy to paint abortion as dangerous despite decades of evidence to the contrary.”

Abortion, Every Day

Texas is Fabricating Abortion Data

This article is the first in an ongoing series on the anti-abortion movement’s attack on data and science. If you don’t want to miss the next installment, subscribe here. If you’d like to support more pieces like this one, consider signing up for a paid subscription…

a year ago · 200 likes · 79 comments · Jessica Valenti

lyz

writes that “in a state where queer people often feel they are fighting for their lives while their neighbors stick their fingers in their ears and chant lalala, Green’s statement is a bit of hope. Maybe someone will still listen.”

Men Yell at Me

Can You Look Her in the Eyes?: The Fight for LGBTQ Equality in Red States

The Rev. Ellis Arnold spent six years as a minister in Decorah, Iowa, a town of just under 8,000 people that sits on the border with Minnesota. Decorah is home to Luther College, a private liberal arts school founded by Norwegian immigrants. It is the kind of town people think of when they think of a small town in the Midwest. It has a charming downtown…

a year ago · 29 likes · lyz

Chris Geidner

writes “Florida lawmakers passed two of the most extreme anti-transgender bills in the nation — bills that would criminalize providing gender-affirming medical care to minors as a felony and criminalize trans people for using the appropriate restroom for their gender identity in virtually any (non-federal) government buildings.”

Law Dork with Chris Geidner

Florida lawmakers pass pair of extreme anti-trans bills

Over the past two days, Florida lawmakers passed two of the most extreme anti-transgender bills in the nation — bills that would criminalize providing gender-affirming medical care to minors as a felony and criminalize trans people for using the appropriate restroom for their gender identity in virtually any (non-federal) government buildings…

a year ago · 35 likes · 11 comments · Chris Geidner

Erin Reed

writes “I suspect that is the intent of this law - to make me feel like I cannot travel to or through the state… They know that these laws shrink the spaces in which LGBTQ+ people are allowed to exist freely, and they revel in it.”