America at war with itself

de Henry A. Giroux, Robin D.G. Kelley

"From hatemongering tactics in the run-up to the 2016 presidential race, to the increasing number of mass shootings, to excessive police violence, evidence that America is at war with itself is everywhere around us. The question is not whether or not it's happening, but how to understand what's driving the crisis and how to prevent conditions from getting worse. In this insightful book, Henry A. Giroux offers a far-reaching critique of the economic interests, cultural dynamics, and political forces at work in the nation's shift toward increasingly abusive forms of power, and what can and should be done to resist them. Reflecting on a wide range of social issues, Giroux contrasts Donald Trump's America with Sandra Bland's to understand who really benefits from politically fueled intolerance for immigrants, communities of color, Muslims, low-income families, and those who challenge state and corporate power. A passionate advocate for civil rights and the importance of the imagination, Giroux argues that only through widespread social investment in democracy and education can the common good hope to prevail over the increasingly concentrated influence of extreme right-wing politicians and self-serving economic interests. Praise for America at War with Itself: "This is the book Americans need to read now. No one is better than Henry Giroux at analyzing the truly dangerous threats to our society. He punctures our delusions and offers us a compelling and enlightened vision of a better way. America at War with Itself is the best book of the year."-Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times "In America at War with Itself, Henry Giroux again proves himself one of North America's most clear-sighted radical philosophers of education, culture and politics: radical because he discards the chaff of liberal critique and cuts to the root of the ills that are withering democracy. Giroux also connects the dots of reckless greed, corporate impunity, poverty, mass incarceration, racism and the co-opting of education to crush critical thinking and promote a culture that denigrates and even criminalizes civil society and the public good. His latest work is the antidote to an alarming tide of toxic authoritarianism that threatens to engulf America. The book could not be more timely."-Olivia Ward, Toronto Star "The current U.S. descent into authoritarianism did not just happen. As Henry Giroux brilliantly shows it was the result of public pedagogical work in a number of institutions that were part of a long-standing assault on public goods, the social contract, and democracy itself. Giroux powerfully skewers oppressive forces with the hallmark clarity and rigor that has made him one of the most important cultural critics and public intellectuals in North America. His sharp insights provide readers with the intellectual tools to challenge the tangle of fundamentalisms that characterize the political system, economy, and culture in the current conjuncture. America at War with Itself makes the case for real ideological and structural change at a time when the need and stakes could not be greater. Everyone who cares about the survival and revival of democracy needs to read this book."-Kenneth Saltman, Professor, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Author of The Failure of Corporate School Reform Henry A. Giroux's most recent books include The Violence of Organized Forgetting and America's Addiction to Terrorism. A prolific writer and political commentator, he has appeared in a wide range of media, including the New York Times and Bill Moyers"-- "A searing critique of state violence and intolerance in the United States today, Henry Giroux examines how hot-button issues and events reveal the nation's drift toward totalitarian forms of social control. From police violence in black communities to meteoric rise of Donald Trump, Giroux parses the trends and flashpoints to understand the underlying politics and social forces impacting America today"--