The New Class War: Saving Democracy from the Metropolitan Elite

(Paperback, Main)

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An Evening Standard's Book of the Year

'A tour de force.' - David Goodhart

All over the West, party systems have shattered and governments have been thrown into turmoil. The embattled establishment claims that these populist insurgencies seek to overthrow liberal democracy. The truth is no less alarming but is more complex: Western democracies are being torn apart by a new class war.

In this controversial and groundbreaking analysis, Michael Lind, one of America's leading thinkers, debunks the idea that the insurgencies are primarily the result of bigotry and reveals the real battle lines. He traces how the breakdown of class compromises has left large populations in Western democracies politically adrift. We live in a globalized world that benefits elites in high income 'hubs' while suppressing the economic and social interests of those in more traditional lower-wage 'heartlands'.

A bold framework for understanding the world, The New Class War argues that only a fresh class settlement can avert a never-ending cycle of clashes between oligarchs and populists - and save democracy.

Reviews

'Sharply argued... Lind's book offers a bracing, and at times brilliant, polemic.' - Edward Luce, FT

'Lind's diagnosis is sharp and insightful... an invaluable contribution to understanding the political currents of our times and placing them in a historical context. Long after we have stopped talking about Trump and Brexit, the challenges Lind identifies will define our debate.' - The Times

'[Lind's] primary thesis is correct, and his tome contains a myriad of powerful insights and brilliant vignettes.' - Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph

'Lind's argument is compelling and clear.' - Sunday Times

Author Bio

Michael Lind is the author of more than a dozen books of nonfiction, fiction and poetry. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, Politico, The Financial Times, The National Interest, Foreign Policy and The International Economy. He has taught at Harvard and Johns Hopkins and has been an editor or staff writer for The New Yorker, Harper's, and The New Republic.