There’s been a lot of talk lately about America’s geopolitical rivalries, and there is frequent talk of a new Cold War. Whether we live in such an era is, at the very least, debatable. But the fact that such terminology is being thrown about perhaps reveals something about the way politicos think about wider international environment.

The Cold War era was, to be sure, serious in nature, but it has also become an increasingly hazy historical period for many. We forget the central role it played in international politics, as well as its constant presence as a series of threats hanging over all means of domestic politics. The Cold War was the stuff of many an action-packed spy thriller, while also fueling our post-apocalyptic speculations around the threat of nuclear war.

To take these recent warnings seriously, we at Angry & Verklemmt think it’s worth reminiscing a bit on the original Cold War. We want to highlight what this battle of superpower rivalries was, and why it might still matter today. But there’s also the matter of its nefarious use—invoking the Cold War inevitably serves political purposes, and we do well to keep this in mind.

So, join us on Angry and Verklemmt, as we consider the potential impacts of a now bygone era. And we try to make sense of the present in that light…

Trump didn’t need to come along for social programs to be in trouble, but he surely is not going out of his way to protect them, either. This is a long story in American politics. First, we have the ostensible fear of big government – do you really want it reaching into your healthcare and retirement? Most Republicans—and more than a few Democrats—place in question the ability of government to handle suchcomplex undertakings. And it is undeniable that this same reaction can be elicited quite easily across the political culture. Americans—perhaps Anglo North Americans—have a different relationship to the ‘state’ than we find in other OECD countries. We are less comfortable with its presence in our lives. NorthAmericans don’t talk about ‘the state’, just government, which can be disposed of and replaced by popular command.

Add to this the ongoing claim, since at least the 1980s, that this cradle-to-grave existence, consolidated in the post-war era has run its course. It’s irresponsible, and we can’t sustain it fiscally. America needs to fashion market-based alternatives to these supposedly dying systems, rather than propping them up until their inevitable collapse.

There are, of course, counterarguments to both of these claims, but in an individualized and market-heavy political culture, these are regularly brushed away. And not just with the help of Republicans. Still, the social state in the US—for all its faults—has continued to grow, albeit on an incremental, piecemeal basis. In this episode, we want to ask the question whether the current administration marks a break in that trend. We ask whether the administration—in its flurry of activity—also intends to dismantle cherished social programs and to what end. What could this possibly achieve politically, and if it brings only negative political returns, why do it?

So join us, on Angry and Verklemmt, as we consider the assault on democracy as an assault on the social…

It’s hard to believe that we are, astoundingly, still inside the first 100 days of this administration. There has certainly been no shortage of jaw-dropping events. The sheer audacity of new policy pronouncements, executive orders, and governmental actions incites new waves of shock, anger, and fear for the future.

In today’s episode, we’re asking another pretty simple question: why do Republicans just keep going along with it all? Politics has always been an activity with a less-than-stellar track record in honesty and integrity. But the seemingly complete willingness of Republican figures to stand policy positions on their head, throw out previously held values, or even submit themselves to public ridicule has been noteworthy, to say the least. And this is not just party figureheads – across the party, there is now mostly uniform adherence to whatever direction the administration wants to pursue, no matter how bombastic, offensive, or even un-Republican it may be.

So, join us, on Angry & Verklemmt, as we move a little beyond Trump and Trumpism, and try to make sense of why and how he seems to have such a stranglehold on the Republican Party.

It's been an accelerant in American politics for a long time now--anger. It's what Barry Goldwater tapped into when he courted resentful white voters in the 1964 election. It's what Pat Buchanan was aiming at when hedeclared a culture war in the early 90s. And of course, Tea Party antics throughout the Obama administration eventually fused into the Freedom Caucus, and later, the seemingly bottomless well of Trump-fueled rage. We've entered a period in America when indignation and infamy are apparently the only viable doorway to politics. Anything else just seems unremarkable and insufficient to the moment.

And yet, all the while, we hear demands to find commonground. It's still frequently suggested that there's more that unites America than divides it. Above all, there's been a non-stop questioning around the source of this anger. Where does it come from? Why now? Can it be addressed? And who is addressing it better? So to think about this, we want to ask asimple question. Is it okay to be angry? And if it is, how is it okay? And what should it mean for politics in the US?

There's a prevailing sentiment that anger and outrage are kind of exclusively the domain of Republicans and that Democratsjust fare better when they stay above the fray. But the current environment is almost certainly challenging that orthodoxy because a wider cross current of people are experiencing misgiving and anger at the flurry of events instigated by the present administration. It also seems to be awakening a new fight mentality among Democrats. The lingering question is whether Democrats can utilize and manage this anger effectively and whether this will have a lasting impact on the future of the party and American politics going forward.

Check out Angry & Verklemmt, as two Canadians try to make sense of US politics. Join us early week, as we take on a theme in American politics from our position, well outside the goldfish bowl.