The main opposition party in Japan, a hasty merger of two established parties, failed spectacularly. Rather than creating a stronger force, the alliance muddled their identities and leadership structure, causing them to lose more than half their seats and alienate core supporters.
The character of Travis Bickle remains relevant 50 years later because his psychological profile prefigures modern online subcultures. His profound alienation, misogyny, use of politics for ego, obsession with physical fitness, and belief in redemptive violence are hallmarks of today's incels and "manosphere" acolytes.
Contrary to the popular narrative of left-wing "cancel culture," data shows a dramatic political reversal in campus censorship attempts since 2020. Today, as many as 80% of cases targeting student and faculty speech are driven by right-wing political efforts and state legislation.
The recent wave of Republican-led state laws censoring university curricula is so severe it has shocked even conservative thinkers who previously advocated for reforms against "wokeism." They see the new laws not as a needed correction, but as a radical overreach that has crowded out more moderate reformers.