Zombie Politics and Culture in the Age of Casino Capitalism
By Henry A. Giroux
Peterlang, 2011
Zombie Politics and Culture in the Age of Casino Capitalism
capitalizes upon the popularity of zombies, exploring the relevance of
the metaphor they provide for examining the political and pedagogical
conditions that have produced a growing culture of sadism, cruelty,
disposability, and death in America. The zombie metaphor may seem
extreme, but it is particularly apt for drawing attention to the ways in
which political culture and power in American society now operate on a
level of mere survival. This book uses the metaphor not only to suggest
the symbolic face of power: beginning and ending with an analysis of
authoritarianism, it attempts to mark and chart the visible registers of
a kind of zombie politics, including the emergence of right-wing
teaching machines, a growing politics of disposability, the emergence of
a culture of cruelty, and the ongoing war being waged on young people,
especially on youth of color. By drawing attention to zombie politics
and authoritarianism, this book aims to break through the poisonous
common sense that often masks zombie politicians, anti-public
intellectuals, politics, institutions, and social relations, and bring
into focus a new language, pedagogy, and politics in which the living
dead will be moved decisively to the margins rather than occupying the
very center of politics and everyday life.
Henry A. Giroux holds the Global TV Network Chair in English and
Cultural Studies at McMaster University in Canada. His most recent books
include
The University in Chains: Confronting the Military-Industrial-Academic Complex (2007),
Youth in a Suspect Society: Democracy or Disposability? (2009),
Politics Beyond Hope (2010), and
Hearts of Darkness: Torturing Children in the War on Terror (2010).
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