Trump, Scorsese und die Theorie der Racketgesellschaft der Frankfurter Schule

“The Frankfurt School Knew Trump was Coming” is an essay by Alex Ross in The New Yorker on December 5, 2016 that discusses the prescience of the Frankfurt School in anticipating the rise of populist nationalism, particularly referring to Donald Trump. The focus has been on their critiques of the culture industry, the authoritarian personality, right-wing agitators, and antisemitism. The essay also highlights their analysis of a “racket society” to explain the unexpected rise of fascism, a aspect often overlooked that supplements their previous insights into psychological and cultural sources of the problem.

The relevance of the Frankfurt School’s analysis of a “racket society” is illustrated in Martin Scorsese’s film “The Irishman,” which portrays a violent, amoral world where power relations are transactional and betrayal is a constant threat. The movie depicts a society where legal constraints are sporadic, and mercy is absent, with marginalized roles for women. The film delves into the practices and mores of the mob that have permeated various institutions like trade unions, the judicial system, and politics, showcasing the influence of the racket model in different sectors of life.

The essay delves into the Frankfurt School’s exploration of racket society, which sought to explain the Nazi regime that they fled from in Germany. The concept posited a society corrupted by the racket model, replacing universal moral norms with transactional relationships and domination. The return of the racket model was seen as a transition from classical liberal capitalism to direct, unmediated power arrangements, undermining ideological faith in market mechanisms. The model offered a structural analysis where even the proletariat internalized patterns of domination, reflecting a regression from the period of classical liberal capitalism.

The comparison between “The Irishman” and another labor racketeering film, “On the Waterfront,” illustrates the Frankfurt School’s exploration of racket society. While “On the Waterfront” provides a more hopeful vision of resisting the protection racket within the labor movement, “The Irishman” offers a grim reflection of contemporary politics, particularly evident in Donald Trump’s presidency. The essay reflects on how Trump embodies elements of a racketeer, operating with impunity in ways reminiscent of a protection racket, influencing norms of obedience within the Republican Party and drawing parallels with fictional gangster figures from popular culture.

In conclusion, the essay discusses the relevance of the “racket society” model in understanding contemporary political culture and the potential parallels with the current political situation in the United States. Through analysis of Trump’s presidency and its reflection of racketeering elements, the essay highlights the disconcerting patterns of domination and protection in today’s political landscape, drawing on insights from the Frankfurt School’s examination of a society corrupted by the racket model.