The concept of “petro-masculinity” was on full display Wednesday as ***** supporters and extremists like the Proud Boys haphazardly parked vehicles on the National Mall before breaking into the Capitol, causing an evacuation. The astounding images depict a collective act that is simultaneously wholly un-American and yet completely in line with the psychology of this country as it relates to car ownership, personal freedom, and tendencies toward authoritarianism.
Petro-masculinity has lingered as a concept for years (think of the discourse around the “rolling coal” phenomenon), but it was codified in a 2018 paper by political scientist Cara Daggett called “Petro-masculinity: Fossil Fuels and Authoritarian Desire.” In it, Daggett explains…