For a century, the term 'woke' has meant 'aware of how values and prejudices are built into public and private institutions.' DOGE is all about consciously changing those
One vital theme Ignatief misses is crime. Large and passionate populations saw - not wrongly - crime rising from the 50s onwards. Republicans consistently traded on crime, and Democrats often had issues getting votes on this (the exceptions being the pro-death penalty, fierce on crime Clintons).
Now, Americans overestimate crime, especially due to tv news' enthusiastic trumpeting of any of it, but it's an essential feature of US politics.
I've seen the same level of media delight in crime throughout the Anglosphere. It seems endemic, alas.
Back to your point: first, Trump is very much a creature of tv, so unsurprisingly is obsessed with crime. And he goes after it very intensely, very badly, to the delight of his supporters. He positions himself, accurately, as against "defund the police" - which makes him woke, in your model.
"Technology is legislation" is McLuhan-esk brilliant!
Totally brilliant!
I agree with your conclusion: "the present moment in American history can be seen as a conflict over the design of institutions."
One vital theme Ignatief misses is crime. Large and passionate populations saw - not wrongly - crime rising from the 50s onwards. Republicans consistently traded on crime, and Democrats often had issues getting votes on this (the exceptions being the pro-death penalty, fierce on crime Clintons).
Now, Americans overestimate crime, especially due to tv news' enthusiastic trumpeting of any of it, but it's an essential feature of US politics.
Exactly the same in Canada, and I suspect Australia and the rest of the Anglosphere too.
I've seen the same level of media delight in crime throughout the Anglosphere. It seems endemic, alas.
Back to your point: first, Trump is very much a creature of tv, so unsurprisingly is obsessed with crime. And he goes after it very intensely, very badly, to the delight of his supporters. He positions himself, accurately, as against "defund the police" - which makes him woke, in your model.