Destructive Desires

Before he was re-elected, Donald Trump promised to do away with the guardrails of liberal democracy. And he was not elected despite this promise, but because of it. In their bestseller Offended Freedom, Carolin Amlinger and Oliver Nachtwey showed how libertarianism and authoritarianism could meld together. Two years later, reality confirmed their sociological diagnosis in the most concerning way. Now, these two sociologists take a closer look at the voters and followers of Trump, Musk, and the AfD.

But where does this destructive desire come from? And why do so many people follow the libertarian authoritarians into this self-imposed fascism. Drawing on extensive empirical research – including a multitude of detailed interviews with AfD supporters and members of libertarian groups – Amlinger and Nachtwey formulate an explanation: at their core, these revolts are directed against the blockade of liberal societies, which are no longer able to deliver on their promises of upward mobility and emancipation. In this sense, the authors echo Erich Fromm in concluding that for Trump, Musk, Weidel, and their adherents, the aim is to destroy the world in a final, desperate attempt to avoid being chewed up by it.