Politics
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Propaganda and Right-Wing Extremism
In Adorno’s Aspects of the New Right-Wing Extremism, there is an examination of the appeal and continuation of the “new right” (for Adorno, the rise of the National Democratic Party of Germany and its influence some 20 years after WWII). Adorno gave this lecture in 1967 to the Socialist Students of Austria at the University of Vienna. Adorno noted that his analysis here is just one interpretation, not meant to invalidate other interpretations but to add to them (4). His lecture continues to resonate today, particularly in light of America’s media/social media situation. It is undoubtedly worth reading to spot some relevant implications. Adorno begins this lecture by restating his thesis…
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JFK & TV: ‘A Force That Has Changed The Political Scene’
In an article for the Smithsonian, Kat Eschner writes about President Kennedy’s views on the medium of TV for politics: “…when Kennedy was a senator for Massachusetts planning a presidential run, TV Guide published an article he wrote titled ‘A Force That Has Changed The Political Scene.’ In that article, Kennedy wrote that television’s ‘revolutionary impact’ would have far-reaching and lasting consequences for politics. As his own iconic presidency proved, he wasn’t wrong. For the most part, Kennedy ‘side[d] with those who feel its net effect can definitely be for the better,’ writes Alexis C. Madrigal for The Atlantic. But he also worried in a prescient manner about its potential negative effects. He wrote: ‘But…
