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Show 558: David Neiwert on the Rise of the Alt-Right

David Neiwert on the Rise of the Alt-Right

Matthew LaClair speaks with journalist and author David Neiwert on his new book, Alt-America; The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump. Growing up in rural Idaho, Neiwert lived alongside a culture that included right-wing nationalists and white supremacists, which gave him first-hand experience on the belief system and thought process that makes them tick. In this book, Neiwert lays out a vivid history of the changing radical-right as it evolved to include not only the poorly educated, but also the highly educated people who are susceptible to believing almost anything, so long as it fits their world view. Why do so many people think this way? How did they help Trump, and how did Trump fuel their growth? Are these people “stupid?”

Audio can be found here!

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Show 529: The Rise of Donald “Drumpf”

 
For this show we will explore the psychology, history, and political climate that has fueled the rise of the Right-Wing and its most prominent symbol of today, Donald Trump. Our first guest will be Dr. Leon Seltzer, a psychologist practicing in Del Mar, California. Dr. Seltzer is the author of Paradoxical Strategies in Psychotherapy, and is a frequent writer for Psychology Today, where he writes on subjects such as anger management and conflict resolution. He most recently published 3 parts of a 5-part series in Psychology Today called “Outrage and Outrageousness: The Secret to Trump’s Popularity.”
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Following Dr. Seltzer, we will speak with attorney Tom Turnipseed, who served as the executive director to conservative George Wallace’s 1968 campaign. Joining him will be his wife, Judy, who also worked in the Wallace campaign. The Turnipseed’s experienced dramatic political and personal changes since then. Mr. Turnipseed later served as Chairman of the Board of the Center for Democratic Renewal, worked as the co-council for Macedonia Baptist Church in Clarendon County, S.C. in their case against the Ku Klux Klan for burning their church in 1997, and has promoted additional progressive causes.
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What leads people to promote and support racism, and what led some of them to change? What is the psychology behind Donald Trump and his most adamant supporters? What can we learn from the past to change the present?
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Audio can be found here!