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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Joseph Sciortino and Grant Gallagher of The Rabble Report to examine the World Economic Forum (WEF), Trump, and the shifting global order through the lens of anti-politics — the growing antagonism between society and the political sphere. The conversation explores the ongoing crisis of faith in institutions and how political actors increasingly act as scavengers, exploiting anti-political sentiment for power. From there, the discussion unpacks the complex relationship between anti-politics and populism, clarifying how the two overlap while remaining distinct phenomena shaping contemporary political discourse.

The episode then turns to the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where leaders framed the apparent decline of the U.S.-led liberal international order in terms of “national interest,” marking a notable rhetorical shift among European elites. J.G., Joseph, and Grant analyze Mark Carney’s remarks on the role of Middle Powers, debate how much of this new positioning reflects genuine geopolitical change versus political theater and consider whether Europe and Canada are truly capable of decoupling from the United States. What does relative U.S. decline actually mean for the future of global hegemony? Is the liberal order ending; or merely transforming under new pressures and dependencies? The conversation also examines how populist rhetoric surfaced “invisibly” at Davos itself, the challenges facing European leadership, and how these dynamics connect back to domestic U.S. politics, including ICE, the specter of the Middle American Radicals (MARs), and much more.