About a year ago, I identified three very different right-wing visions for America: the Godly Society; the New Confederacy; and the Techno-Aristocracy. How are those dreams faring under Trump 2.0?
The Godly Society is foundering. Trump has delivered on his promises by jacking up tariffs and instituting mass deportations, but manufacturing employment is actually down. There is no sign that America is about to enter into an industrial renaissance which will permit women to leave the workforce, get married, and have lots of babies. It’s not going to happen.
The New Confederacy had one huge symbolic victory–red state troops are being deployed in blue states, ostensibly to reduce crime, but really to show that Trump and his reactionary base are in charge. Other than that, however, there has been no meaningful progress on a “national divorce.”
The techno-aristocrats, however, are doing very well for themselves. Trump has treated them as national champions and has thrown lots of energy into deregulating AI. Share prices and investment are soaring. The concerns of the base about the impacts of AI on the workforce are being ignore. Will that last, particularly if things go awry? TBD.