American’s rageful Jacobins are the real threat to democracy
The problem for democracies throughout the ages has always been the rage and impatience of mobs with any limits on their power to act on their impulses. According to JNS editor-in-chief Jonathan Tobin, such movements…
Assessment
The piece frames contemporary political rage as a direct descendant of revolutionary mob violence, arguing that impatience with democratic limits threatens liberty and fuels antisemitism. By linking the American and French revolutions through Thomas Paine, the analysis suggests that today's unrest is not a new phenomenon but a recurring pattern. Readers should watch for how this historical lens shapes commentary on current protests and political movements.