Privileged Populists: Populism in the Conservative and Libertarian Working Class

Counter-revolutionaries often use populist movements to divert them from achieving real liberation. Privileged Populists explores how this happens and how mainstream political ideology and policy contribute to mass ignorance and revisionism, allowing nationalism to influence national elections. It examines how these elements inform and validate each other, appealing to the growing sense of cultural angst and economic unrest within the conservative working class.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 19 October 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Counter-revolution has been a tool of propagandists to divert populist movements from achieving actual liberation for themselves. However, what happens when counter-revolutionaries begin to believe their own claims of genuine revolution? What leads to such a phenomenon? And how big a role does mainstream political ideology and policy play in the mass ignorance and revisionism that has now allowed nationalism to influence national elections?

Privileged Populists seeks to answer these questions while exploring the organic emergence of anti-political populism within the context of late-stage capitalism in the West. This book analyzes how these elements inform and validate each other, appealing to the growing sense of cultural angst and economic unrest within the conservative working class. Unwittingly, it gives undue credence to some of the most extreme right-wing ideological claims.

The book takes a journey through the history of revolutionary thought and how it has been distorted over time. It also conducts an anthropological investigation of populism as a naturally occurring logic within groups and how it can be exploited in the absence of substantive mainstream solutions to present-day economic crises.

The rise of nationalism in national elections is a significant concern, as it can lead to the erosion of democratic values and the marginalization of minority groups. Privileged Populists argues that mainstream political ideology and policy play a significant role in this mass ignorance and revisionism. The book highlights the need for a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of populism and its implications for political and social life.

In conclusion, Privileged Populists is a thought-provoking book that sheds light on the complex dynamics of populism and its impact on contemporary society. It challenges the conventional narratives of populism and offers a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. By exploring the origins and consequences of anti-political populism, the book provides valuable insights into the challenges facing democracy and the need for progressive policies to address the economic and social inequalities that fuel it.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780755646371