Nostalgia for an imagined golden age drives resistance and fear

Evidence

Nostalgia for this imagined period—imagined because, of course, life in America wasn’t ever quite like this—naturally sets Americans up for a lament of where the country now finds itself. Social strife, criticism of the United States from seemingly all corners, shifting roles, and Christianity no longer being the unquestioned center of culture are clear signs that this country is falling out of God’s good graces. This nostalgia for the “good old days” with an accompanying narrative of decline from those days is a powerful motivator as well. It highlights a loss of power and privilege while activating fear over what is yet to come. It primes people for action. It implants a desire to resist and fight back. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 199

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the study of nostalgic nationalism and ‘make America great again’ rhetoric. — connects to: Shrinking groups become more salient and vocal, not less; Pervasive cultural nostalgia signals an inability to make new memories — Mark Fisher, Ghosts of My Life: Writings on…, 249; Self-conscious nostalgia can fuel revolution, not merely fascism — Fredric Jameson, Marxism and Form, 172 (+7 more)
• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source

Broader Connections

• Self-conscious nostalgia can fuel revolution, not merely fascism #complicates (0.85) — Fredric Jameson, Marxism and Form, 172
• Nostalgia is an adjustment mechanism during crises #qualifies (0.72) — David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity, 540
• Pervasive cultural nostalgia signals an inability to make new memories #expands (0.70) — Mark Fisher, Ghosts of My Life, 249
• Nostalgia supplies warm shared feeling without requiring present-day mutual obligation #contradicts (0.70) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 910