Richard Hanania's Newsletter

Articles

Trump of Arabia, FP Report on Qatar, and More

20 hours ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

Just did a livestream discussing Trump’s trip to the Middle East, and a new Free Press piece on the influence of Qatar. I go over the differences between campaigns by foreign governments targeting Elite Human Capital and Low Human Capital. Later, I discuss some further thoughts on my article on Yarvin’s case for populism, and whether we can build a decent case for the idea that something like MAGA is needed to check the power of American elites.
Me in The Economist: Don't Try to MAGAfy Harvard

2 days ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

A friend helped put together an event in DC during my trip there next week, which will be on Tuesday, May 20, at 6PM at The Crown & Crow. Yesterday, I sent out a link with the wrong date on it, but everything has now been fixed. You can purchase tickets here. Aaron Sibarium will be there, and we’ll be having a discussion on culture, universities, and more in the Trump era.
Yarvin's Strange Argument on Populism and Gain-of-Function Research

2 days ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

Scott Alexander recently accused Curtis Yarvin of selling out by embracing MAGA, even though Mencius Moldbug once warned of the dangers of right-wing populism. In response, Curtis put together this tweet thread, which I’ve gone through the trouble of numbering and copying here. 1/ I apologize for my ad hominem attacks on Scott Alexander. I should not chastise him for once editing me out of his blog. I should praise him for mentioning me at all, thus unavoidably enduring a vast multiyear crapstorm.
A Unified Theory of the Far Right

1 week ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

Inspired by Scott Alexander’s piece today on how Moldbug sold out, I discuss my Unified Theory of the Far Right. It explains the transition from Moldbug the Monarchist to Yarvin the Right-Wing Populist, and also why Bronze Age Pervert under all his eccentricities always ends up supporting immigration restrictionist politicians and parties.
The Five Big Lies about Venezuelans Sent to El Salvador

1 week ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

My explanations of why people support Trump tend to be uncharitable, with an emphasis on his followers being dishonest, misinformed, and interested in little more than signalling vice and adhering to his cult of personality. I think this is true for the most prominent Trump supporters, including those who talk about politics for a living.
Play-by-Play Pick-Up Artistry

1 week ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania |Rob Henderson

Last week I shared a five-minute video on X of a woman hitting on various men around a university campus that has now received nearly four million views. It’s such a beautiful social experiment because you see a series of young men put in the exact same situation and watch their reactions. You can observe the gradations in how confident men are and their readiness to capitalize on opportunities that come before them.
No, You Don't Get to Elect the Microchips in Soda Guy

1 week ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

Călin Georgescu is a Romanian agronomist and former UN official. Last year, he ran for president in the midst of a career spent promoting various conspiracy theories, including the belief that the moon landing was a hoax, skepticism about climate change and the existence of Covid-19, and the view that carbonated drinks contain nanochips that infiltrate the human body.
The Future of the American Right

2 weeks ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

Michael Tracey wasn’t around today, so I went solo. I start by discussing this video of Pam Bondi claiming that Trump has saved 258 million lives, a day after she put the number at 119 million. We can chalk this up to stupidity, but there’s actually something more complex going on.
Coming to DC May 18, Book Reviews, and More

2 weeks ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

I’m finally coming back to DC and will be there the week of May 18. I recently went to X and told people to reach out if they wanted to meet. I got too many responses, so I’m going to have to announce one or two meetups at some point. I’ll also make time to meet a few people one-on-one or in small groups, but here I need to prioritize.
What I Got Wrong about Trump

2 weeks ago | richardhanania.com | Richard Hanania

I’ve been doing something of a media tour on my Trump regret. See The New York Times, Breaking Points, Destiny, and Vox/NPR. As we approach Trump’s 100-day mark, it feels like I should explain in a more comprehensive way why I believe things have gone so poorly, how I was wrong, and how this experience will influence how I see the world going forward.