Named a Most Anticipated Book of Spring 2021 by Publishers Weekly
A rigorous examination of six political myths used to deflect and discredit demands for social justice.
In 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump declared: "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct." Reeling from his victory, Democrats blamed the corrosive effect of "identity politics." When banned from Twitter for inciting violence, Trump and his supporters claimed that the measure was an assault on "free speech." In We Need New Stories, Nesrine Malik explains that all of these arguments are political myths—variations on the lie that American values are under assault.
Exploring how these and other common political myths function, she breaks down how they are employed to subvert calls for equality from historically disenfranchised groups. Interweaving reportage with an incendiary analysis of American history and politics, she offers a compelling account of how calls to preserve "free speech" are used against the vulnerable; how a fixation with "wokeness," "political correctness," and "cancel culture" is in fact an organized and well-funded campaign by elites; and how the fear of racial minorities and their "identity politics" obscures the biggest threat of all—white terrorism. What emerges is a radical framework for understanding the crises roiling American contemporary politics.
Named a Most Anticipated Book of Spring 2021 by Publishers Weekly
A rigorous examination of six political myths used to deflect and discredit demands for social justice.
In 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump declared: "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct." Reeling from his victory, Democrats blamed the corrosive effect of "identity politics." When banned from Twitter for inciting violence, Trump and his supporters claimed that the measure was an assault on "free speech." In We Need New Stories, Nesrine Malik explains that all of these arguments are political myths—variations on the lie that American values are under assault.
Exploring how these and other common political myths function, she breaks down how they are employed to subvert calls for equality from historically disenfranchised groups. Interweaving reportage with an incendiary analysis of American history and politics, she offers a compelling account of how calls to preserve "free speech" are used against the vulnerable; how a fixation with "wokeness," "political correctness," and "cancel culture" is in fact an organized and well-funded campaign by elites; and how the fear of racial minorities and their "identity politics" obscures the biggest threat of all—white terrorism. What emerges is a radical framework for understanding the crises roiling American contemporary politics.
Reviews-
-
April 15, 2021
Governmental and cultural norms are under attack of late, a trend that has been decades in the making. The fundamental underpinnings of democracy that citizens take for granted, such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press, are far more fragile than one would like to believe, especially with theories and modes of behavior that were once relegated to the fringes of popular debate making their way into mainstream social media, thought, and legislation. Guardian columnist Malik analyzes essential philosophies of democratic society and various hot-button issues, including political correctness, gender equality, identity politics, and nativism, along with attendant and unexamined myths and disinformation that have proliferated while undergoing dangerous transformations. A nostalgic through line connects all the facets Malik explores that contribute to the assault on bedrock beliefs, an attack emboldened by complacency. Thoughtfully adding personal experiences as a female millennial of African descent to her discourse, Malik presents fierce opinions and cogent observations that deliver a deeply intelligent and powerfully provocative work that calls into question long-held beliefs of both the left and the right.COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
-
Starred review from May 1, 2021
Guardian columnist Malik invites readers to analyze the media environment and political and cultural landscape of the early 21st century, with a keen, critical eye. The book's chapters each focus on a different myth that is prevalent in Western discourse, including the ideas that free speech is under unprecedented attack, that political correctness and identity politics are out of control, and that movements for gender equality have "gone too far." The author is excellent at revealing the oversimplification and outright falsehoods used by the myths' greatest advocates and explaining how opportunists have successfully used these myths to promote harmful politicians and policies. There are detailed sections about the Me Too movement and the use of male power to subordinate women, along with a history of how myths can consume their believers. This volume is worth reading and rereading; dense with information and arguments, it has so much to unpack and demands active engagement from its readers. VERDICT Readers seeking a high-level analysis of political discourse will most appreciate Malik's work, and it would make an excellent addition to college syllabi and library shelves.--Sarah Schroeder, Univ. of Washington Bothell
Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- Pankaj Mishra, author of Age of Anger An acute and nuanced interrogator of contemporary prejudices, Nesrine Malik writes with immense moral courage and intellectual power.
- Sarah Schroeder;Library Journal (starred review) Malik invites readers to analyze the media environment and political and cultural landscape of the early 21st century, with a keen, critical eye. ... This volume is worth reading and rereading. ... Readers seeking a high-level analysis of political discourse will most appreciate Malik's work.
- Publishers Weekly A persuasive debunking of political and cultural myths that impede social justice in the U.S. and U.K. ...This is a lucid reminder that the fight for equality is a battle of ideas.
