Invisible Doctrine

Description

A sharp, fiercely argued takedown of neoliberalism that not only defines this slippery concept but connects it to the climate crisis, poverty, and fascism—and shows us how to fight back.

Neoliberalism is the dominant ideology of our time. It shapes us in countless ways, yet most of us struggle to articulate what it is—or worse, see it as inevitable: the way things are and always will be. In Invisible Doctrine, journalist George Monbiot and filmmaker Peter Hutchison shatter that myth. They show how a fringe philosophy in the 1930s—championing competition as the defining feature of humankind—was hijacked decades later by a group of wealthy elites determined to guard their fortunes and power. Think tanks and myriad corporate interests aligned with politicians to promote the idea of people as consumers rather than citizens.

One of the most pernicious effects has been to make our various crises—from climate disasters to economic crashes, from the degradation of public services to rampant child poverty—seem completely unrelated. In fact, they are all rooted in the “invisible doctrine,” with its utter subservience to the market. Monbiot and Hutchison connect the dots—and trace a direct line from neoliberalism to fascism, which preys on people’s hopelessness and desperation.

Speaking out against the capitalist fairy tale and populist conspiracy theories, Monbiot and Hutchison lay the groundwork for a new politics, one based on truly participatory democracy and a collaborative conception of shared public property. It’s up to us to bring the invisible doctrine into the light—and, in doing so, to find an alternative worth fighting for.GEORGE MONBIOT is one of the world’s most influential radical thinkers. Celebrated for their originality and the depth of their research, his Guardian columns are syndicated all over the world. Monbiot is the author of the bestselling books Regenesis, Captive State, The Age of Consent, Bring on the Apocalypse, and Heat, as well as the investigative travel books Poisoned Arrows, Amazon Watershed, and No Man’s Land. Among the many prizes he has won is the UN Global 500 award for outstanding environmental achievement, presented to him by Nelson Mandela. He recently helped to found Rewilding Britain, which seeks to redefine people’s relationship to the living world. PETER HUTCHISON is a critically acclaimed filmmaker, New York Times bestselling author, educator, and activist. His experience in film and TV production spans nearly two decades. In 2015, he produced and directed Requiem for the American Dream, and the book that was published alongside the film debuted at #6 on the New York Times Bestseller list.US

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