Fascism on Trial - by Henry A Giroux & Anthony R Dimaggio (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book interrogates rising fascism in America. It spotlights the major facets of fascism that increasingly characterize contemporary US politics, in relation to political authoritarianism, the rise of anti-intellectualism, the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories, the glorification of political street violence and state violence, rising white supremacy, and the militarization of US political discourse. Alongside this, Giroux and DiMaggio show how the assault on critical education and pedagogy is central to the fascist program. They stress the importance of reprioritizing education as a public good to combating fascist politics and ideology and draw links between fascism and the banning of books in schools, whitewashing history, and punishing policies aimed at Black, Brown, and transgender youth. They challenge the commonly embraced notion that Trumpism is primarily a function of economic insecurity within his support base, documenting how support for the former president primarily centered on reactionary socio-cultural values and white supremacy. They also show how white supremacist values are central to the Trump base defending the January 6th insurrection, despite academics, journalists, and political officials in both major parties ignoring the threat of rising white nationalism.

Book Synopsis

This book interrogates rising fascism in America. It spotlights the major facets of fascism that increasingly characterize contemporary US politics, in relation to political authoritarianism, the rise of anti-intellectualism, the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories, the glorification of political street violence and state violence, rising white supremacy, and the militarization of US political discourse. Alongside this, Giroux and DiMaggio show how the assault on critical education and pedagogy is central to the fascist program. They stress the importance of reprioritizing education as a public good to combating fascist politics and ideology and draw links between fascism and the banning of books in schools, whitewashing history, and punishing policies aimed at Black, Brown, and transgender youth. They challenge the commonly embraced notion that Trumpism is primarily a function of economic insecurity within his support base, documenting how support for the former president primarily centered on reactionary socio-cultural values and white supremacy. They also show how white supremacist values are central to the Trump base defending the January 6th insurrection, despite academics, journalists, and political officials in both major parties ignoring the threat of rising white nationalism.

Review Quotes

"With the world burning and flooding and the political system unraveling, with wars on the rise and many displaced due to storms and violence, with politicians holding our finances and intellectual freedoms hostage, unable to act to reduce hardship or build towards peace, many may feel alone and isolated. Giroux and Dimaggio teach us that this is not so. With insight and anger, Giroux and Dimaggio guide us along the path to continued critical thought and ongoing organizing in the face of attacks on democracy. An essential, hard-hitting intervention! A powerful rallying call!!" --Robin Goodman, Professor of English, Florida State University, USA

"A powerful weapon for free-thinking intellectuals at a time when fascistic education and the organized assault on critical thinking have taken on increasingly dangerous dimensions. Giroux and DiMaggio's oppositional brilliance and lifelong dedication to essential human justice have never wavered with the years and are on display again." --Jonathan Kozol, author of "Death at an Early Age", "Savage Inequalities", and (forthcoming) "An End to Inequality"

"A spectre is haunting the United States, and its name is fascism. Giroux and DiMaggio explain why. But most importantly, they warn us that our future will be bleak unless we recognize the fascist threat and organize not just to stop it but to build a world worth living in." --Michael D. Yates, Director of Monthly Review Press, author of "Can the Working Class Change the World?"

"Giroux and DiMaggio masterfully explain rising U.S. fascism, gangster capitalism, and the embrace of white supremacy and authoritarianism. A must-read for all who seek to understand the frightening ramifications of the rightwing assault on democracy" --Marjorie Cohn, Professor Emerita, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, USA

"With the rise and blind acceptance of authoritarian tendencies, the increasing normality of uncivil political discourse, the utter perversion of objective truth, and the warped threat of religious nationalism, this book is a wise, thoughtful-megaphone necessarily in hand-heralding call to the U.S. in particular, to the world in general-to wake up, before it is too late." --James D. Kirylo, Professor of Curriculum Theory, Critical Pedagogy, & Literacy, University of South Carolina, USA

"This timely book investigates how fascist ideology has taken root in American culture and how urgently we need to ponder its repercussions in an age where deception and alternate-reality reasoning are common tactics for deploying necropolitical technologies worldwide. The attack on critical pedagogy engendered by fascism compels us, critical educators, to reorient ourselves in such a way as to reprioritize education as a public good to oppose fascist politics and ideology, as advocated by Giroux and DiMaggio." --Débora B. A. Junker, Associate Professor of Critical Pedagogies, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, USA

"In an era marked by increasing political polarization, rising authoritarianism, and the erosion of democratic values, this book serves as a crucial resource for educators, academics, and anyone concerned with the future of our societies. By exploring the complex intersections between fascism and education, Giroux and DiMaggio challenge us to critically examine the ways in which fascism shapes ideologies and infiltrates institutions, often subtly and deceptively." --Charles L. Lowery, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Virginia Tech, USA

"This book provides an excellent assessment of how Trump and Trumpism have been, and continue to be, the public face of fascism in America." --Choice

About the Author

Henry A. Giroux holds the Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest in English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University, Canada. His books include Insurrections (Bloomsbury, 2023), Pedagogy of Resistance (Bloomsbury, 2022), Race, Politics, and Pandemic Pedagogy (Bloomsbury, 2021), On Critical Pedagogy, 2nd Edition (Bloomsbury, 2020) and American Nightmare: Facing the Challenge of Fascism (2018).

Anthony R. DiMaggio is Associate Professor of Political Science at Lehigh University, USA. He is the author of Rebellion in America (2020), Political Power in America (2019) and Selling War, Selling Hope (2015).