#LONDINIUM90AD: MICHAEL VLAHOS. FRIENDS OF HISTORY DEBATING SOCIETY. @MICHALIS_VLAHOS HEADLINE: The Struggle for America: Ruling Elite vs. Populism and the Threat of Revolution The speakers analyze do

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#LONDINIUM90AD: MICHAEL VLAHOS. FRIENDS OF HISTORY DEBATING SOCIETY. @MICHALIS_VLAHOS HEADLINE: The Struggle for America: Ruling Elite vs. Populism and the Threat of Revolution The speakers analyze domestic American conflict, using David Brooks's framework of the credentialed elite versus the non-credentialed public. Germanicus argues that the conflict is fundamentally between an entrenched ruling elite, solidified since the Cold War, and the populace, similar to the Roman optimates. This elite maintains power by accumulating wealth across generations while regular people suffer. The elite appropriates an ideology—which Germanicus calls the "church of woke"—to suppress the people, mirroring how the Roman aristocracy co-opted Christianity in late antiquity. The growing wealth inequality and mass migration policies exacerbate this conflict, providing a vehicle for populist leaders like Mr. Trump. The situation is coming to a head, with every election becoming an "existential choice" between the ruling class and the people. Germanicus suggests the resolution will be a revolution: either a restoration (represented incoherently by Mr. Trump) or the elites cementing complete control. He also notes that American global engagement, while enriching the elite, makes them vulnerable; should world situations "go south," the resulting turmoil could overthrow the domestically weakened ruling class. 1917 YALE AND READINESS.

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