I still believe Turchin’s overproduction of elites is a far better framework to understand Trump through.…

I still believe Turchin’s overproduction of elites is a far better framework to understand Trump through. Look at the history of the Trump regime. Firstly the big increase in candidates for Presidency itself. The US is now overflowing with wealthy wannabes for President. 1/6 https://t.co/Hbk8idM4MY

That proliferation of rivals for top jobs always leads to populism, as each evokes ‘the people’ against incumbent ‘elites’. Trump rode to power on that populist wave. ‘Make America Great Again’, down with elites etc. A playbook as old as time. 2/6

Once in power, Trump’s decisions are easily traceable to the passions and obsessions of the fellow travellers on the elite Trump train. Always in history the leader has to appease their own team before anything else, to retain power. Et tu, Brute? 3/6 https://t.co/rZa6zITjda

Trump multiple times has expressed a personal dislike for US intervention in foreign conflicts and territories. That’s now shifted, again more than likely to appease other members of the MAGA team. 4/6

‘Imperialism’ has always mostly been domestic rivalries overflowing space available. The Romans conquered continuously, to try to absorb domestic rivalries amongst the Roman elite. Eventually the rivalries can’t be contained, and the society collapses. 5/6

As Turchin says, usually when the immiseration of the wider population is combined with an overproduction of elites. That makes that population much more susceptible to co-option in elite battles. Populism. That’s America today. /end