Steve Bannon. What's in it for him?

[longwayoff]

He has devoted years to spreading his agenda and is now apparently shepherding BJ to power, Nigel just nearby, after helping Trump to the Oval Office. So, what is in it for him? What is the purpose of unifying the Right throughout USA and across Europe? It's obviously not just for fun.

[1tisILeClerc]

Everyone has to have a hobby.
Although totally different to most people's lives this sort of activity can be immensely lucrative and 'fun', if a little dangerous at times.

[bellinisurge]

He wants the triumph of nationalism because, apparently, it makes your dick bigger.

[longwayoff]

Thanks leclerc, Well, this is odd. Didn't expect it to be nearly so quiet. Interesting.

[TemporaryPermanent]

I think he really believes in that metropolitan elite stuff. And I kind of see what he means, though hugely disagree with his conclusions.

He's a very rich man post Seinfeld. If you don't need to work, all sorts of weird stuff can take root in your mind.

[frozendaisy]

What's in it for him?

He hopes he will get to whisper in the ears of the people in power. Gets his name in the history books. Makes him feel better if he feels he has power of large numbers of others. He generally thinks he, and his oiks, are better than others. He wants to keep the money and power within his own poisoness demographic. God complex. Oh the list is endless..........

[longwayoff]

Yes, but, there must be more than that. Presumably he has something in mind that will fulfil a dream, or give him personal power? Is his aim a unification of the 'white race' worldwide? Actually, that's quite feasible. It could only be achieved by spreading dissent and division everywhere, undermining faith in established institutions and demonizing those who aren't 'like us'. That's all going pretty well. Is that what he wants? He is a serious white supremacist so perhaps it is.

[lljkk]

I've tried reading up on Bannon's background, trying to understand what makes him tick. His outlook seems to be built all around resentment. Deep down he has a few laudable aspirations to help ordinary people have better opportunities in life. He thinks what stands in their way is social structures that favour hard work, any element of luck, good education, and any programme that helps out only certain people who started life with disadvantages (ie, brown ones, or gay folk or refugees). Bannnon resents anyone who supports the social structures, institutions & values that Bannon thinks prevents opportunities for people of his own mindset. Bannon believes that social structures need to be ripped up completely to make anything truly better. He's a true disrupter.

Weirdly, Bannon was a ChronicLeaker who constantly talked to journalists in 2017 about White House Chaos. Even though Bannon wanted destruction, he could also see Trump administration was a shitshow, and loved to talk to journos off-record; loved them chasing him & listening to him. Maybe he thought it was a way to leverage influence to create the redesigned world he wants. Or just liked his ego being massaged.

I haven't tried to understand what makes Farage tick . Wants to believe his own importance, momentum & hype, seems like.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I see him as a real life troll. Part of a group that wants to destroy the current world order.

[1tisILeClerc]

{I haven't tried to understand what makes Farage tick}
Although the original question was about Bannon, I think with Farage it is the position he is now in to swan around chatting to people internationally with a similar 'disrupt the status quo' mindset, for which he gets paid handsomely from a number of sources to stay in good hotels, waffle a bit, maybe some mild 'rabble rousing' as he is a 'man of the people' but just keeping the right side of legal.
If it gets too much like work, he can just move on.
Could almost fancy the job myself except it would get me too close to some rather undesirable people.

[HateIsNotGood]

hmmm...a noticeable, and welcome change within this Board is that so many posters are now focusing their posts on the actual here and now, rather than just 'shoving it' to those that voted to Leave in that Referendum held quite some time ago now.

It really is quite refreshing. For now, I'm adopting the I Know Nothing stance because I truly believe that no one does, although there are plenty of 'hopes' and lots of 'machinations' going on - no one really knows what will happen - either side of the 'Channel' - all are waiting to see who ends up UK PM and what 'happens' next or how they react to it.

My guess is that Hunt will be PM, and many within and on all sides of all the Borders, Channels, Parliaments, Oceans, Commissions, etc involved will be rather relieved when he is.

Hunt as PM may be the result of a greater strategy or it might not, and of course, like everyone else, it's just a guess.

[lonelyplanetmum]

Have you read the book
Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (2016) by investigative journalist Jane Mayer? That answers the what's in it for them questions..

It's a fascinating book , impeccably researched and terrifying. It's mostly about Charles and David Koch, and the Mercers and other ultra rich players and Republicans.

Jane Meyer writes about Bannon too.It gives a terrifying insight into his mindset.

It's like a cult - funding many organisations to influence or even brainwash academic institutions, think tanks, young lawyers, the courts, all for their own benefit and profit. Although Bannon fell out with the Mercers this article gives some insights...

www.salon.com/2018/01/09/the-real-reason-the-mercers-have-cut-ties-with-steve-bannon_partner/

[longwayoff]

Thank you @lonelyplanetmum, that sounds like what I'm looking for.

[tobee]

It's interesting because apparently he's supposed to be charisma free and a very dull speaker.

[longwayoff]

Yes, he looks like a dismal soul with little interest in the more obvious trappings of wealth, he clearly doesn't concern himself with personal grooming much, for instance, which is why I'm wondering about his motivation. So I assume its zealotry. He's a very scary person.

[Closertotheheart]

He just wants to create his new world order. Just imagine how much of a narc youd have to be to be motivated by that level of power. Scary isn't it?