> How did we get here? Crisis of ideology? Counter-reaction to relative social liberalization?
It’s a reaction to top-down liberalization by elites. Immigration, globalization, and social liberalization were imposed by elites (economic and cultural) on the masses.
The authoritarian aspect arises because only an authoritarian can control the control the cultural and economic institutions where elites exercise soft power. Modi is aligned with your average Indian on the issue of secularism, against your average Indian college professor. Likewise, Trump is aligned with your average American over racial preferences, against your average American college professor.
It’s a reaction to top-down liberalization by elites. Immigration, globalization, and social liberalization were imposed by elites (economic and cultural) on the masses.
Modi is a good example. Socialism and secularism were brought to India from Oxford by western-educated elites. Modi is a populist reaction to that: https://unherd.com/2021/04/the-culture-wars-of-post-colonial....
The authoritarian aspect arises because only an authoritarian can control the control the cultural and economic institutions where elites exercise soft power. Modi is aligned with your average Indian on the issue of secularism, against your average Indian college professor. Likewise, Trump is aligned with your average American over racial preferences, against your average American college professor.