In this episode of New Ideal Live, Onkar Ghate and Elan Journo discuss the moral significance and the consequences of the January 6 storming of the Capitol by supporters of President Trump.

Among the topics covered:

* How the storming of the Capitol resembled the 9/11 terrorist attacks* Trump’s level of moral responsibility for the attack* The arbitrariness of Trump’s conspiracy assertions* Our culture’s descent into irrationalist tribalism* The increasing authoritarianism on both the right and the left* The importance of recognizing the varying degrees of support for violence and authoritarianism on both sides of the culture* The importance of recognizing the various forms of dictatorial aspiration* The tribalistic attempt to claim victimhood in order to scapegoat the other side* Why the attackers were not “patriots” but nihilists* The commonalities between the storming of the Capitol and the BLM protests* The attack as an attempt to defy the rule of law* The political institutions worth supporting in an irrational political culture* The philosophical causes of tribalism* How to think rationally about election fraud claims* What should happen to Trump in the future given his moral responsibility for the attack* What is the best path forward for America

Mentioned in the discussion is Onkar Ghate’s 2016 essay “One Small Step for Dictatorship: The Significance Of Donald Trump’s Election.”

This podcast was recorded on January 13, 2021. Watch or listen to the discussion below. Listen and subscribe from your mobile device on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Watch archived podcasts here.

Podcast audio: