America’s Zombie politics
Rowan Wolf, PhD
Voice of Conscience
Max Keiser and Henry A. Giroux
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he video below is a Henry A. Giroux in an interview with Max Keiser of RT. They are discussing Giroux’s concept of “zombie politics.” Zombie politics involves a type of social and civil death that squashes “any vestige of a robust democracy.” It is characterized first and foremost by authoritarianism, a growing sense of disposability of all life, and a culture of violence and cruelty.
Donald Trump plays right into this zombie politics in a number of ways. As Giroux says, “Trump is among the walking dead” he seems to be out of touch with any notion of political, economic, and social justice, and will do everything he can to undermine democracy. At the same time he represents the interests of the 1%.
According to Giroux, Trump is the product of what the Republican Party has been promoting for years with its flaunting of bigotry and hatred. The Democratic party has participated in this to some extent as well. Since 2001, there has been a constant play to the culture of fear. Trump also plays on celebretiy culture and he knows how to drive the media. He also pushes the anti-intellectualism that has become a source of pride in the party and in much of US culture. Trump is the epitome of civic illiteracy. He is the end point of zombie politics – a politician who basically wants to commit war crimes (torture, carpet bombing populations). His popularity is an outcome of a two party system in the US that has become so unresponsive to the needs of the people that there is tremendous anger – which he plays on to the hilt.
Meanwhile the media, which should be a strong component of a democratic society is lost. The “lust for the spectacular combined with lust for profit has created an institution void of “any kind of amoral, political, social, and ethical accountability.”
Henry Keiser interviews Henry A. Giroux for RT on June 18, 2016.
Is Managing Editor of The Greanville Post and Director of The Russian Desk. She is a sociologist, writer and activist with life long engagement in social justice, peace, environmental, and animal rights movements. Her research and writing includes issues of imperialism, oppression, global capitalism, peak resources, global warming, and environmental degradation. Rowan taught sociology for twenty-two years, was a member of the City of Portland’s Peak Oil Task Force, and maintains her own site Uncommon Thought Journal. She may be reached by email at rowanwolf@greanvillepost.com
Currently holds the Global TV Network Chair Professorship at McMaster University in the English and Cultural Studies Department and a Distinguished Visiting Professorship at Ryerson University. His books include: Zombie Politics and Culture in the Age of Casino Capitalism (Peter Land 2011), On Critical Pedagogy (Continuum, 2011), Twilight of the Social: Resurgent Publics in the Age of Disposability (Paradigm 2012), Disposable Youth: Racialized Memories and the Culture of Cruelty (Routledge 2012), Youth in Revolt: Reclaiming a Democratic Future (Paradigm 2013). Giroux’s most recent books are America’s Education Deficit and the War on Youth (Monthly Review Press, 2013), are Neoliberalism’s War on Higher Education, America’s Disimagination Machine (City Lights) and Higher Education After Neoliberalism (Haymarket) will be published in 2014). He is also a Contributing Editor of Cyrano’s Journal Today / The Greanville Post, and member of Truthout’s Board of Directors and has his own page The Public Intellectual. His web site is www.henryagiroux.com.
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