
The New Class War
Saving Democracy from the Metropolitan Elite
Michael Lind(Author)
Atlantic Books (Publisher)
Published on 6. May 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-78649-957-8 (ISBN)
Description
An Evening Standard's Book of the Year
'A tour de force.' David Goodhart
All over the West, party systems have shattered and governments have been thrown 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 analysis, Michael Lind, one of America's leading thinkers, debunks the idea that the insurgencies are primarily the result of bigotry and reveals the real battle lines. He traces how the breakdown of class compromises has left large populations in Western democracies politically adrift. We live in a globalized world that benefits elites in high income 'hubs' while suppressing the economic and social interests of those in more traditional lower-wage 'heartlands'.
A bold framework for understanding the world, The New Class War argues that only a fresh class settlement can avert a never-ending cycle of clashes between oligarchs and populists - and save democracy.
'A tour de force.' David Goodhart
All over the West, party systems have shattered and governments have been thrown 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 analysis, Michael Lind, one of America's leading thinkers, debunks the idea that the insurgencies are primarily the result of bigotry and reveals the real battle lines. He traces how the breakdown of class compromises has left large populations in Western democracies politically adrift. We live in a globalized world that benefits elites in high income 'hubs' while suppressing the economic and social interests of those in more traditional lower-wage 'heartlands'.
A bold framework for understanding the world, The New Class War argues that only a fresh class settlement can avert a never-ending cycle of clashes between oligarchs and populists - and save democracy.
Reviews / Votes
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. *More details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
236 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78649-957-8 (9781786499578)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
02/2020
Atlantic Books
€9.99
Available for download
Person
Michael 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.
Content
0: Introduction 1: The New Class War 2: Hubs and Heartlands 3: World Wars and New Deals 4: The Neoliberal Revolution from Above 5: The Populist Counterrevolution from Below 6: Russian Puppets and Nazis 7: The Workerless Paradise 8: Countervailing Power 9: Making the World Safe for Democratic Pluralism 10: Epilogue