In both Europe and North America, populist movements have shattered existing party systems and thrown governments into turmoil. The embattled establishment claims that these populist insurgencies seek to overthrow liberal democracy. The truth is no less alarming but is more complex: Western democracies are being torn apart by a new class war.
In this controversial and groundbreaking new analysis, Michael Lind, one of America’s leading thinkers, debunks the idea that the insurgencies are primarily the result of bigotry, traces how the breakdown of mid-century class compromises between business and labor led to the conflict, and reveals the real battle lines.
On one side is the managerial overclass—the university-credentialed elite that clusters in high-income hubs and dominates government, the economy and the culture. On the other side is the working class of the low-density heartlands—mostly, but not exclusively, native and white.
The two classes clash over immigration, trade, the environment, and social values, and the managerial class has had the upper hand. As a result of the half-century decline of the institutions that once empowered the working class, power has shifted to the institutions the overclass controls: corporations, executive and judicial branches, universities, and the media.
The class war can resolve in one of three ways:
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The triumph of the overclass, resulting in a high-tech caste system.
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The empowerment of populist, resulting in no constructive reforms
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A class compromise that provides the working class with real power
Lind argues that Western democracies must incorporate working-class majorities of all races, ethnicities, and creeds into decision making in politics, the economy, and culture. Only this class compromise can avert a never-ending cycle of clashes between oligarchs and populists and save democracy.
About the AuthorMichael Lind is the author of more than a dozen books of nonfiction, fiction and poetry. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, Politico, The Financial Times, The National Interest, Foreign Policy and The International Economy. He has taught at Harvard and Johns Hopkins and has been an editor or staff writer for The New Yorker, Harper's, and The New Republic.
Industry Reviews
Sharply argued... Lind's book offers a bracing, and at times brilliant, polemic. * Edward Luce, FT *
Lind's diagnosis is sharp and insightful... an invaluable contribution to understanding the political currents of our times and placing them in a historical context. Long after we have stopped talking about Trump and Brexit, the challenges Lind identifies will define our debate. * The Times *
[Lind's] primary thesis is correct, and his tome contains a myriad of powerful insights and brilliant vignettes. * Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph *
Lind's argument is compelling and clear. * Sunday Times *
The best analysis of populism I have yet read, including a brilliant put-down of the absurd idea that the Russians are destabilising our politics. * Evening Standard *
A tour de force. In a pithy, but subtle, analysis of western politics Lind argues that populism is a reaction against a technocratic neoliberalism that has stripped non-college-educated workers of economic bargaining power, political influence and cultural dignity. * David Goodhart - bestselling author of The Road to Somewhere *
Hard-hitting, compelling and ultimately convincing. A lot has been written about the current era of political turbulence, but a lot of this work misses the mark. If you want to beat the populists, start here. * Matthew Goodwin - Professor of Politics at the University of Kent *
Does it seem to you that Western society is coming apart, in ways that you don't understand? If so, then you must read this book. Lind's insights are so profound that I found myself highlighting almost every paragraph. * Jonathan Haidt, bestselling author of The Righteous Mind *
Vital reading. Michael Lind is one of America's great iconoclasts. * Roger Eatwell - Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Bath *
A brave and timely book. Michael Lind has written an indispensable guide to our present political backdrop. By linking geography and class through the concepts of 'hubs and heartlands', he develops a generous understanding of the appeal of sovereignty and democratic politics to working class people who have been excluded from not only power, but participation in their national politics. * Maurice Glasman, founder of Blue Labour *
Excellent... If you want to understand the political defeat of liberalism and the coming realignment in capitalist democracies read this book. * Jonathan Rutherford, emeritus professor of cultural studies at Middlesex University. *
