In a new essay, I give my take on the madness of Donald Trump’s popularity. He acknowledges that America is a society in decline, and this resonates with many ordinary Americans who feel the pain of economic contraction and cultural decay in their own lives. Like a true demagogue, Trump then panders to Americans by locating the source of all their misery in foreign countries and emanating from foreign people. As the Trump candidacy demonstrates, there is a bottomless appetite for xenophobia in much of America.

Read the full essay at AlterNet.