Ahead of Earth Day 2026, I take stock of the radical environmental movement in my latest Substack. Given the gutting of climate policy and threat of repression, where do activists go from here?
Hint, it likely involves the burgeoning anti-tech movement.
zeitzoff.substack.com/p/earth-day-...
Was great talking about my book, climate politics, and the current state of repression today with Esty Dinur @apublicaffair.bsky.social
One case is one case but it is remarkable how we just saw another wave of reports about the dire state of global democracy, and the poster child of this purported decline just lost a competitive election.
Thanks, Hein!
Thanks, Oliver!
Substack Post: The Return of the "Great Man" Unfortunately
From Le Monde (https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/08/the-president-of-the-united-states-is-clearly-insane-donald-trump-s-escalatory-rhetoric-raises-questions-over-his-mental-health_6752200_4.html) with Picture of Trump: 'The US president is clearly insane': Trump's escalatory rhetoric raises questions over his mental health Members of Congress, stunned by the crude and genocidal language used by the president, have begun to discuss the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which allows for the president to be declared unfit and for executive powers to be transferred to the vice president."
In my new Substack post I talk about the history and pitfalls of the psychological approach to leader behavior.
But also why we need it more than ever now.
zeitzoff.substack.com/p/the-return...
Thanks, Chris!
Thanks, Sara!
Pictures: Thomas Carlyle (left), Psychotherapy couch (center), Donald Trump (right).
Psychoanalysis of leaders has been rightfully criticized. But when one man's psychology is so drastically reshaping global politics, we can't just pretend it doesn't matter.
New on my Substack: "The Return of the 'Great Man' (Unfortunately)"
zeitzoff.substack.com/p/the-return...
Had a great conversation on climate politics, my new book, and where environmental activists go from here with Doug and @americaadapts.bsky.social
Listen here: www.americaadapts.org/episodes/can...
Cover of: The Counterinsurgency Dilemma Foreign Fighter Influence on Insurgencies in Afghanistan and Somalia By Tricia L. Bacon
Just got my copy of colleague, @triciabacon.bsky.social ’s fantastic new book:
The Counterinsurgency Dilemma: Foreign Fighter Influence on Insurgencies in Afghanistan and Somalia
www.sup.org/books/politi...
Revisiting the Madman Theory: Evaluating the Impact of Different Forms of Perceived Madness in Coercive Bargaining Roseanne W. McManus See https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09636412.2019.1662482?__cf_chl_tk=LsK0KUltkEwZJ26gTJ_vh9dKUd.EBHhDvO1Erx6GGNc-1775568861-1.0.1.1-5VGS_Kfs265eB9RJFd587qIcTTdOABSVy3wTb2F3H.s
ABSTRACT This article reconsiders the theoretical logic behind the “Madman Theory”—the argument that it can be beneficial in coercive bargaining to be viewed as mad, or insane. I theorize about how we can best define perceived madness in a way that is relevant for analyzing coercive bargaining. I identify four types of perceived madness, broken down along two dimensions. The first dimension is whether a leader is perceived to (a) make rational calculations, but based on extreme preferences, or (b) actually deviate from rational consequence-based decision making. The second dimension is whether a leader’s madness is perceived to be (a) situational or (b) dispositional. I argue that situational extreme preferences constitute the type of perceived madness that is most helpful in coercive bargaining. I illustrate my argument using case studies of Adolf Hitler, Nikita Khrushchev, Saddam Hussein, and Muammar Gaddafi.
How Nixon’s WWII Poker Game Helped Bankroll His First Run for Congress While the future president saw plenty of action in the Solomon Islands, at one station Nixon found time to master poker—and rake in winnings. Patrick J. Kiger https://www.history.com/articles/richard-nixon-campaign-funds-wwii-poker
![Madman theory
The madman theory is a political theory commonly associated with the foreign policy of U.S. president Richard Nixon and his administration, who tried to make the leaders of hostile communist bloc countries think Nixon was irrational and volatile so that they would avoid provoking the U.S. in fear of an unpredictable response.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_theory](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:o7xolczmsmgspo2alr3rlwjm/bafkreidwro2kj3lhjanyr3dm56ywju3uz7hspdlfv5gv6pdadv6jlhryiu)
Madman theory The madman theory is a political theory commonly associated with the foreign policy of U.S. president Richard Nixon and his administration, who tried to make the leaders of hostile communist bloc countries think Nixon was irrational and volatile so that they would avoid provoking the U.S. in fear of an unpredictable response.[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madman_theory
Trump’s unhinged threats against Iran look like Madman Theory bargaining (I hope…).
But as McManus (2019) shows, this approach is full of problems.
And say what you will about Nixon, he was a better negotiator who financed his first congressional campaign with poker winnings.
It's almost like there is a trade-off between loyalty and competence 🤔
Congrats, Philip!
Top left: picture of raw milk, top right: RFK Jr. Bottom left: The Passing of the Great Race (cover of book by Madison Grant), bottom right: Picture of Madison Grant.
Raw milk, MAHA, and the deep environmental roots of the Great Replacement Theory.
In my Substack post today I explore why there's no right-wing climate movement, and if and when that might change.
zeitzoff.substack.com/p/why-there-...
Trump just called environmentalists asking for fuel standards "environmental terrorists."
The terrorism label keeps expanding: from activists during the Green Scare in the early 2000s, to anti-ICE protesters at Prairieland, and now to those pushing for environmental regulations.
Haha, yeah. Though, I think that may change …
That looks great. I’m also a fan of Peter Staudenmaier’s work. He has a new book coming out entitled: “The Politics of Nature in Nazi Germany.”
www.cambridge.org/core/books/p...
Yeah, it was fascinating talking to interview some of the raw milk/MAHA folks. The justification for why they were concerned about certain toxins or pollutants (and not others) was interesting. I think much of it was downstream of their distrust of experts.
Ooh interesting, any good articles or research on them?
There's nothing inherently left-wing about environmentalism.
New on my Substack: why a right-wing climate nationalism hasn't emerged yet and why it might in the future.
zeitzoff.substack.com/p/why-there-...
On April 8, we will host a discussion of “Spring of the Vanishing,” a new documentary about the disappearances perpetrated during militarized Navy operations in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and the families who have never stopped searching for the truth.
Super cool paper—I’d love to see what it looks like post-2024….
Had a great conversation with Sasha Lilley about repression and activism under Trump II, as well as discussing my book.
Trump is the charismatic leader of the MAGA movement and the stable focal point of the Republican Party.
When he’s gone, I think it’s going to be very hard for the GOP to replace him.
