Of course, this is not the first time that anger and fear have ruled US public discourse: Father Charles Coughlin’s toxic radio broadcasts in the 1930’s paved the way for today’s stars, who would feel similarly at home during the Red Scare of the 1920’s or the McCarthy era in the early 1950’s. But this contemporary ugly mood, unlike those times, seems to be independent of the real threats that America faces in the world: a weak global economy, terrorism, failed states, and protracted wars, to name a few.
当然，由愤怒和恐惧主宰美国的公众讨论也曾有过先例：20世纪30年代查尔斯·库格林神父毒害人们思想的电台广播为今天的明星们奠定了基础，如果换做是在20世纪20年代的赤色恐怖期间或者20世纪50年代初的麦卡锡时代这些人同样能够如鱼得水。但与当时不同的是，这种现代丑恶思想似乎与全球经济疲软、恐怖主义、失败国家和旷日持久战争等美国所面临的真正威胁无关。美国人长期以来一直非常愤怒，而且这种愤怒并没有随着时间推移而减弱的迹象。