What led to this? A Longer View (ft. Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, Wendy Brown) Audio

In the wake of the events of the past week, most notably Trump supporters storming the Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, I encourage viewers to take a bit of a step back and to consider the bigger picture. If we cannot attempt to see that bigger picture using a longer view we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes. Can we look past the outrage felt by so many to ask the question “What led us to this point?” If we can, we will take the first step towards fixing the problem, rather than either making it worse or simply putting a bandaid on it. In this reading of a section of Chapter 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, I build on the thoughts of Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, and Wendy Brown. … More What led to this? A Longer View (ft. Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, Wendy Brown) Audio

What led to this? A Longer View (ft. Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, Wendy Brown) Video

In the wake of the events of the past week, most notably Trump supporters storming the Capitol Building in Washington DC on January 6, 2021, I encourage viewers to take a bit of a step back and to consider the bigger picture. If we cannot attempt to see that bigger picture using a longer view we will be doomed to repeat our mistakes. Can we look past the outrage felt by so many to ask the question “What led us to this point?” If we can, we will take the first step towards fixing the problem, rather than either making it worse or simply putting a bandaid on it. In this reading of a section of Chapter 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, I build on the thoughts of Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, and Wendy Brown. … More What led to this? A Longer View (ft. Jacques Ellul, Sheldon Wolin, Wendy Brown) Video

Mises, Hayek, Rand, Friedman: Prophets of Another Faith (McCarraher 9-Video)

Inspired by Chapter 26 of Eugene McCarraher’s The Enchantments of Mammon entitled “The New Testament of Capitalism,” I focus on the intellectuals whose ideas undergird the faith in the “free market.” Taking both the concept of faith and what these thinkers said seriously, it’s hard to miss that their perspective runs counter to the faith of people of the book (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) because it enchants the market with godlike and irresistible “laws of nature” and promises to solve all the world’s problems. Neoliberal capitalism is another ideology that, because it is ultimately a human invention, cannot deliver the grandiose benefits it promises, and yet requires of its believers more unquestioning reverence than any truly transcendent power asks of them. … More Mises, Hayek, Rand, Friedman: Prophets of Another Faith (McCarraher 9-Video)

Magic Mickey Helps Out Mammon (McCarraher 8-Audio)

I discuss the theme of Disneyfication in Eugene McCarraher’s Enchantments of Mammon Part 5 on magical Fordism. I dwell on the function of entertainment to divert, vent and justify what McCarraher terms “Fordist drudgery” in order to keep Mammonism alive. The consequences are that much more time and mental space are devoted to a fantasy world than to either material reality or its transcendent Maker. … More Magic Mickey Helps Out Mammon (McCarraher 8-Audio)

Magic Mickey Helps Out Mammon (McCarraher 8-Video)

I discuss the theme of Disneyfication in Eugene McCarraher’s Enchantments of Mammon Part 5 on magical Fordism. I dwell on the function of entertainment to divert, vent and justify what McCarraher terms “Fordist drudgery” in order to keep Mammonism alive. The consequences are that much more time and mental space are devoted to a fantasy world than to either material reality or its transcendent Maker. … More Magic Mickey Helps Out Mammon (McCarraher 8-Video)

What is Freedom?

That means that those whose primary focus is ideological or economic, who spend most of their mental energy defending their earthly tribe or figuring out how to make the right money moves, are not free. Conversion can have the liberating effect of realizing the supremacy of God over all things human. All things human can come to seem inevitably partial, flawed, mixed. … More What is Freedom?

The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing

In this video I address, through some Ideas from Ch. 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, some deeper systemic reasons for the rise of the illiberal right and other phenomena that are disturbing societies around the globe. The problem is bigger than just blaming one source of trouble, whether it be the Internet, new organizations, racial groups or university progressives. … More The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing

The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing

In this video I address, through some Ideas from Ch. 6 of my book Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right, some deeper systemic reasons for the rise of the illiberal right and other phenomena that are disturbing societies around the globe. The problem is bigger than just blaming one source of trouble, whether it be the Internet, new organizations, racial groups or university progressives. Here’s a link to Ch. 6, which discusses these ideas in more depth: https://lauriemjohnson.com/2020/09/16/signs-of-mass-psychosis-ideological-possession-and-the-rise-of-the-new-right/
More The Rise of the Illiberal Right: What We’re Missing