About this episode
The New Yorker staff writer Ava Kofman joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss her recent Profile of the iconoclastic right-wing blogger Curtis Yarvin. They discuss Yarvin’s desire to end American democracy by installing a monarch, whether his provocations can be seen as trolling, and how his writings have found a receptive audience among conservative politicians and the tech élite. “Obviously, Yarvin’s influence on the right is great, and maybe can’t be overstated,” Kofman says. “But, at the same time, a lot of these ideas he’s getting from having conversations with powerful people in Silicon Valley and with powerful people in Washington.” This week’s reading: “ Curtis Yarvin’s Plot Against America ,” by Ava Kofman “ Democracy Wins a Referendum in South Korea ,” by E. Tammy Kim “ Josh Hawley and the Republican Effort to Love Labor ,” by Eyal Press “ Trump Makes America’s Refugee Program a Tool of White Racial Grievance ,” by Jonathan Blitzer “ Elon Musk’s Vanishing Act ,” by Jon Allsop To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker , visit newyorker.com/podcasts . To send feedback on this episode, write to themail@newyorker.com . The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices