Against the New Authoritarianism: Politics After Abu Ghraib

Against the New Authoritarianism traces the US descent into authoritarianism: the rise of a ruthless market fundamentalism, the emergence of a form of religious correctness that substitutes blind faith for critical reason, the growing militarization of everyday life, the corporate control of all elements of the dominant media, and an educational fundamentalism aimed at destroying any vestige of critical education as a foundation for an engaged citizenry and a vibrant democracy. Giroux examines the tragic events of Abu Ghraib and analyzes the conditions that made them possible, all the while trying to understand the role that education plays in creating violations of human rights that one largely attributes to authoritarian regimes. And he describes the need for progressives to develop a language of hope as a condition for critically engaged politics and the emergence of new social formations. The book ends with an engaging personal interview with the author.