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Society

Tit-for-tat tariff hikes have paused (for now) at 145% on Chinese imports into the U.S., countered by 125% levies on American goods heading to China. But the trade war shows no signs of ending: the White House is already threatening to raise tariffs again – this time to a staggering 245% – “as a result of China’s retaliatory actions,” and is not ruling out that countries – from neighboring Latin America to Europe – may soon have to choose between Beijing and Washington. Xi Jinping has vowed that China would “fight to the end.” For a Chinese perspective on this trade war, Reset DOC has reached out to Professor Shaun Breslin, Director of the European Hub for Contemporary China.

Political Theory
Slobodian: Beyond Neoliberalism, Techno-Feudal Dystopias Riding the Far Right’s Wave
Fulvia Giachetti 9 April 2025

Are we witnessing the rise of a new world order—one ruled not by governments, but by private armies, tech tycoons, and corporate fiefdoms? What sounds like dystopian fiction may, in fact, reflect the dream of a fringe of anarcho-capitalists, now alarmingly close to real power, especially within the ascendant far right. But is it really a “Techno-Feudal” turn or something more fragmented and chaotic? To make sense of the forces at play—their ambitions, strategies, and contradictions—Reset DOC spoke with historian Quinn Slobodian, author of Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World without Democracy.
Political Theory
Habermas: Europe Must Go Ahead with its Integration
and Self-Defense
Jürgen Habermas 3 April 2025

Clearly there has never been seamless agreement among the leading national politicians of the West – and, more broadly, of the G7 countries – on their political perspectives; but they have always shared a background understanding of their affiliation to “the” West under the leadership of the United States. This political constellation has disintegrated with the most recent return to power of Donald Trump and the systemic change in the United States that this has set in motion, even if, formally speaking, the fate of NATO remains an open question for the time being. From a European perspective, this epochal break has far-reaching consequences – both for the further course and possible end of the war in Ukraine and for the need, willingness and ability of the European Union to find a redemptive response to the new situation. Otherwise, Europe will also be drawn into the maelstrom of the declining superpower.
Political Theory
Postliberalism(s): A Brief History of a Resurgent Ideology – With Chris Wright
Fulvia Giachetti 19 February 2025

Like any “ism,” liberalism is many things, but its diverse conceptual and political values are undeniably in crisis. From Viktor Orbán’s embrace of “illiberal democracy” and Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric to the British Blue Labour’s pro-worker yet anti-woke stance, reactions to liberalism’s decline vary widely. Yet, they share a common thread: postliberalism. Postliberalism itself is complex. To unpack its nuances, Reset DOC spoke with Chris Wright, history professor at the City University of New York and author of Popular Radicalism and the Unemployed in Chicago during the Great Depression.
Political Theory, Society
Indian Americans, Christian Nationalists, and Post-Liberal America
Chandra Mallampalli 12 February 2025

At the confirmation hearing of Kash Patel for the position of FBI Director, Senator Thom Tillis introduced him as the son of Indian immigrants from their home state of Gujarat, which he described as a “melting pot” of religions. Patel’s father had fled Uganda during Idi Amin’s expulsion of Indians before ultimately settling the family in New York. Patel displayed his religion and ethnicity alongside his belief in the U.S. Constitution. He saluted his parents by declaring “Jai Sri Krishna,” a greeting that literally means glory or victory to Lord Krishna. If we set aside the grave concerns Democrats raised about Patel’s conspiracy mongering and his ambitions to dismantle the “deep state” by exacting revenge on Trump’s enemies, Patel’s nomination appears to reflect values Democrats would embrace: a commitment to pluralistic democracy, an embrace of racial and cultural differences, and an affirmation of America as a haven for immigrants. But are these the values that drew him to the Trump administration?
Political Theory
Mimmo Cangiano on the Culture Wars: “Ideas Risk Becoming Mere Commodities”
Fulvia Giachetti 7 February 2025

In Europe and the United States, politics has long been dominated by cultural wars, leading to extreme polarization in public debate. One consequence of this is the overshadowing of economic disparities and social conflicts. What are the origins of this phenomenon, how has it evolved in recent years, and how can it be addressed? To explore these questions, Reset DOC spoke with Mimmo Cangiano, professor of Literary Criticism and Comparative Literature at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Among his most recent works are Cultura di destra e società di massa (Right-Wing Culture and Mass Society, Nottetempo, 2022) and Guerre culturali e neoliberismo (Cultural Wars and Neoliberalism, Nottetempo, 2024).
Religion, Society
Maha Kumbh Mela Stampede: Why India’s Pilgrimages Keep Turning Deadly
Raul Kumar 3 February 2025

On January 28, 2025, a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, India, resulted in the deaths of at least 30 people and left hundreds injured. The incident at one of the world’s largest religious gatherings once again exposed the vulnerabilities of India’s mass pilgrimages. While such events are deeply embedded in the country’s cultural and religious fabric, they have increasingly become political battlegrounds where governance failures, political patronage, and infrastructural shortcomings intersect with faith.
Political Theory
Modi’s India as a Foretaste of Trump 2.0
Chandra Mallampalli 16 January 2025

January 6 marks the fourth anniversary of an unprecedented attack on the United States Capitol and American democracy. Far more than advancing “the lie” about a stolen 2020 election, the insurrectionists of January 6 presented the world with an alternative understanding of America, one arising from fears of white replacement and steeped in Christian nationalist ideas and imagery. Despite being the only twice impeached U.S. president and a convicted felon, Donald Trump not only won the last election, but also gained majorities in both the Senate and the House and made inroads into Asian, Black, and Latino American communities that typically vote Democrat. These facts should prompt us to reframe January 6 not as a shameful setback for MAGA, but as a catalyst for the movement’s onward march. To what kind of America will Trump 2.0 take us? This is where a comparative lens can be useful.
International Affairs, Society
Lebanon’s Solidarity Beyond Politics
Nicole Hamouche 15 January 2025

Despite political polarization, the shared experience of closeness in adversity has solidified the foundations of vivre ensemble, a defining aspect of the Lebanese identity, “because Lebanon is the witness of history, because religions are complementary, and because the people are one,” and “our identity, despite our diversity, is Lebanese,” as stated by the newly elected President, Joseph Aoun, in his inaugural speech.
Political Theory
Yves Mény on the Long Ascent of the Far Right
Giancarlo Bosetti , Alessandra Tommasi 24 December 2024

The recent European elections confirmed a trend that began in the 1990s, showing that support for far-right parties has spread like wildfire across the continent. In France, Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National won 31.5 percent of the vote and reached the second round of the national legislative elections, although it ultimately lost. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party came first with 28.8 percent, while the Freedom Party of Austria also topped the polls with 25.4 percent of the preferences. Alternative for Germany achieved a startling result: Germany’s ultra-right party became the second-largest political formation (16 percent) after the CDU and ahead of Olaf Scholz’s SPD. Yves Mény, the first Director of the Robert Schuman Center at the European University Institute, delves into the political dynamics that have contributed to the rise of right-wing parties in Europe.