Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Who holds the power in the twenty-first century and how can we distribute it from the 1% to the 99% Neoliberalism, the political system that has ruled almost the entirety of the planet since the 1990s, is everywhere in decline, if not ruination. And as this global political crisis collides with a planetary health crisis, against the backdrop of an intensifying environmental crisis, the systems of order that regulate our political world have been plunged into disarray.
Hegemony Now is a guide to these uncertain times. We know we are in an age of globalised technological infrastructures, world finance, and social media. But, Gilbert and Williams insist, we don't have an understanding of power, and we are in urgent need of one. Through upgrading the concept of hegemony--understanding the importance of passive consent; the complexity of political interests; and the structural force of technology--Hegemony Now offers us an updated theory of power for the twenty-first century.
Part social history, part political theory, part strategy manual, Hegemony Now asks: how did we come to live in this world dominated by big tech and finance? And what can be done to rebuild it anew?
Synopsis
How did we come to live in a world dominated by big tech and finance? Today power is in the hands of Wall Street and Silicon Valley. How do we understand this transformation in power? And what can we do about it?
We cannot change anything until we have a better understanding of how power works, who holds it, and why that matters. Through upgrading the concept of hegemony--understanding the importance of passive consent; the complexity of political interests; and the structural force of technology--Jeremy Gilbert and Alex Williams offer us an updated theory of power for the twenty-first century.
Hegemony Now explores how these forces came to control our world. The authors show how they have shaped the direction of politics and government as well as the neoliberal economy to benefit their own interests. However, this dominance is under threat. Following the 2008 financial crisis, a new order emerged in which the digital platform is the central new technology of both production and power. This offers new opportunities for counter hegemonic strategies to win back power. Hegemony Now outlines a dynamic socialist strategy for the twenty-first century.