A Left for Itself
Left-wing Hobbyists and Performative Radicalism
Published on 25. October 2019
264 pages
978-1-78904-074-6 (ISBN)
Description
In the first full length analysis of the rise of left-wing hobbyists, performative radicals and the 'Identity Left', A Left for Itself interrogates the connection between socio-economic realities and politico-cultural views and boldly asks what is a worthy politics, one for the follower count or one for effecting change.
Reviews / Votes
David Swift astutely diagnoses the pathological narcissism at the heart of what he calls the 'hobbyist left', which has captured the Labour Party. With its preoccupation with language and virtue-signalling, and scant interest in the concerns and culture of actual working people, today's middle-class elitist left no longer speaks to the voters who once gave their support to the Labour Party. -- Professor Eric Kaufmann, author of Whiteshift: Populism, Immigration and the Future of White Majorities This book is essential reading for anyone who is interested in the contemporary state of the left. -- Professor Matthew Goodwin, author of National Populism: the Revolt Against Liberal Democracy David Swift rides a coach and horses through the self-indulgence, radical chic and bloviating of too much of today's British left. -- Professor John Bew, author of Citizen Clem, winner of the Orwell Prize 2017More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Collective Ink
File size
1,28 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78904-074-6 (9781789040746)
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
Book
10/2019
Zero Books
€19.00
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Person
David Swift is the Kreitman post-doctoral fellow at Ben Gurion University, in the faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. He has published in journals including the History Workshop Journal and the Women's History Review, as well as writing for The Independent and LabourList. Swift has taught at Queen Mary University of London and the University of Central Lancashire. He lives in Cambridge, UK.
Content
- Intro
- Introduction
- Rich in the First Place
- 1. Got Any ID?
- The Hobbyist Left and Ethnic Identity Politics
- 2. 'Those Fucking Mugs'
- Immigration and the Identity Left
- 3. The 'P' Word
- The Left and Patriotism in Modern Britain
- 4. The Anti-imperialism of Fools
- Israel, Palestine and Identity Leftism
- 5. Is This What a Feminist Looks Like?
- Women's Activism and Left-wing Hobbyism
- 6. TERF Wars
- Gender Identity, Hobbyists and the Feud dividing Feminists
- 7. The New Labour Aristocracy
- Cultural Elitism and the Identity Left
- Conclusion
- Notes
