How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them

â€œA vital read for a nation under Trump.â€Ââ€”The Guardian
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â€œBy placing Trump in transnational and transhistorical perspective, Stanley sees patterns that others miss. . . . Twenty months into Trumpâ€™s presidency, the evidence is mounting that heâ€™s right.â€â€”The New York Times Book ReviewÂ (Editorsâ€™ Choice)

Fascist politics are running rampant in America todayâ€”and spreading around the world. A Yale philosopher identifies the ten pillars of fascist politics, and charts their horrifying rise and deep history.

As the child of refugees of World War II Europe and a renowned philosopher and scholar of propaganda, Jason Stanley has a deep understanding of how democratic societies can be vulnerable to fascism: Nations donâ€™t have to be fascist to suffer from fascist politics. In fact, fascismâ€™s roots have been present in the United States for more than a century. Alarmed by the pervasive rise of fascist tactics both at home and around the globe, Stanley focuses here on the structures that unite them, laying out and analyzing the ten pillars of fascist politicsâ€”the language and beliefs that separate people into an â€œusâ€ and a â€œthem.â€ He knits together reflections on history, philosophy, sociology, and critical race theory with stories from contemporary Hungary, Poland, India, Myanmar, and the United States, among other nations. He makes clear the immense danger of underestimating the cumulative power of these tactics, which include exploiting a mythic version of a nationâ€™s past; propaganda that twists the language of democratic ideals against themselves; anti-intellectualism directed against universities and experts; law and order politics predicated on the assumption that members of minority groups are criminals; and fierce attacks on labor groups and welfare. These mechanisms all build on one another, creating and reinforcing divisions and shaping a society vulnerable to the appeals of authoritarian leadership.

By uncovering disturbing patterns that are as prevalent today as ever, Stanley reveals that the stuff of politicsâ€”charged by rhetoric and mythâ€”can quickly become policy and reality. Only by recognizing fascists politics, he argues, may we resist its most harmful effects and return to democratic ideals.

â€œWith unsettling insight and disturbing clarity, How Fascism Works is an essential guidebook to our current national dilemma of democracy vs. authoritarianism.â€â€”William Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope
Country USA
Brand Random House
Manufacturer Random House
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber 50905734
Color White
ReleaseDate 2018-09-04
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780525511830

Country	USA
Brand	Random House
Manufacturer	Random House
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	50905734
Color	White
ReleaseDate	2018-09-04
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780525511830

How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them

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