Zombie Politics and Culture in the Age of Casino Capitalism: Second Edition (Popular Culture and Everyday Life)

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 n which the living dead will be moved decisively to the margins rather than occupying the very center of politics and everyday life. --Book Jacket. Read more... Abstract: 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, and death in America. This book uses metaphor to suggest symbolic face of power: beginning and ending with an analysis of authoritarianism. Read more... 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. -- Publisher's Website. Zombie Politics And Other Late Modern Monstrosities In The Age Of Disposability -- The Politics Of Lying And The Culture Of Deceit In Obama's America: The Rule Of Damaged Politics -- Zombie Language And The Politics Of The Living Dead -- Everyday Violence And The Culture Of Cruelty: Entertaining Democracy's Demise -- Market-driven Hysteria And The Politics Of Death -- Torturing Children: Bush's Legacy And Democracy's Failure: Salvos From The Culture Of Cruelty -- The Spectacle Of Illiteracy And The Crisis Of Democracy -- Zombie Politics And The Challenge Of Right-wing Teaching Machines: Rethinking The Importance Of The Powell Memo -- Town Hall Politics As Zombie Theater: Rethinking The Importance Of The Public Sphere -- Reclaiming Public Values In The Age Of Casino Capitalism -- No Bailouts For Youth: Broken Promises And Dashed Hopes -- Zero Tolerance Policies And The Death Of Reason: Schools And The Pedagogy Of Punishment -- Brutalizing Kids: Painful Lessons In The Pedagogy Of School Violence -- Tortured Memories And The Culture Of War -- Youth Beyond The Politics Of Hope -- In The Dead Zone Of Capitalism -- Disimagination Machines And Punishing Factories In The Age Of Zombie Capitalism. Henry A. Giroux. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 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 N Which The Living Dead Will Be Moved Decisively To The Margins Rather Than Occupying The Very Center Of Politics And Everyday Life. --book Jacket. Zombie Politics And Other Late Modern Monstrosities In The Age Of Disposability -- The Politics Of Lying And The Culture Of Deceit In Obama's America: The Rule Of Damaged Politics -- Zombie Language And The Politics Of The Living Dead -- Everyday Violence And The Culture Of Cruelty: Entertaining Democracy's Demise -- Market-driven Hysteria And The Politics Of Death -- Torturing Children: Bush's Legacy And Democracy's Failure: Salvos From The Culture Of Cruelty -- The Spectacle Of Illiteracy And The Crisis Of Democracy -- Zombie Politics And The Challenge Of Right-wing Teaching Machines: Rethinking The Importance Of The Powell Memo -- Town Hall Politics As Zombie Theater: Rethinking The Importance Of The Public Sphere -- Reclaiming Public Values In The Age Of Casino Capitalism -- No Bailouts For Youth: Broken Promises And Dashed Hopes -- Zero Tolerance Policies And The Death Of Reason: Schools And The Pedagogy Of Punishment -- Brutalizing Kids: Painful Lessons In The Pedagogy Of School Violence -- Tortured Memories And The Culture Of War -- Youth Beyond The Politics Of Hope -- Winter In America: Democracy Gone Rogue. Henry A. Giroux. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction: Zombie Politics, Democracy and the Threat of Authoritarianism 13 The Rise of Zombie Politics 13 A Turn to the Dark Side of Politics 17 Authoritarianism with a Friendly Face 18 Depoliticizing Freedom and Agency 21 Zombie Politics and the Culture of Cruelty 24 Dangerous Authoritariansim or Shrinking Democracy? 28 Conclusion 34 Notes 37 SECTION I: Zombie Politics and the Culture of Cruelty 41 1. Zombie Politics and Other Late Modern Monstrosities in the Age of Disposability 43 Notes 51 2. The Politics of Lying and the Culture of Deceit in Obama's America: The Rule of Damaged Politics 53 Notes 59 3. Zombie Language and the Politics of the Living Dead 61 Notes 67 4. Everyday Violence and the Culture of Cruelty: Entertaining Democracy's Demise 69 Notes 75 5. Market-Driven Hysteria and the Politics of Death 77 Notes 82 6. Torturing Children: Bush’s Legacy and Democracy's Failure: Salvos from the Culture of Cruelty 85 Notes 91 SECTION ll: Zombie Theater and the Spectacle of llliteracy 93 7. The Spectacle of llliteracy and the Crisis of Democracy 95 Notes 99 8. Zombie Politics and the Challenge of Right-Wing Teaching Machines: Rethinking the Importance of the Powell Memo 101 Notes 105 9. Town Hall Politics as Zombie Theater: Rethinking the Importance of the Public Sphere 107 Notes 112 10. Reclaiming Public Values in the Age of Casino Capitalism 113 Notes 120 SECTION III: Brutalizing Youth in the Age of Zombie Politics 121 11. No Bailouts for Youth: Broken Promises and Dashed Hopes 123 Notes 131 12. Zero Tolerance Policies and the Death of Reason: Schools and the Pedagogy of Punishment 135 Notes 143 13. Brutalizing Kids: Painful Lessons in the Pedagogy of School Violence 145 Notes 148 14. Tortured Memories and the Culture of War 149 Notes 153 15. Youth Beyond the Politics of Hope 155 Notes 161 SECTION IV: Conclusion 163 16. Winter in America: Democracy Gone Rogue 165 Notes 172 Index 175 In the second edition of Zombie Politics and Culture in the Age of Casino Capitalism, Henry A. Giroux uses the metaphor of the zombie to highlight how America has embraced a machinery of social and civil death that chills any vestige of a robust democracy. He charts the various ways in which the political, corporate, and intellectual zombies that rule America embrace death-dealing institutions such as a bloated military, the punishing state, a form of predatory capitalism, and an authoritarian, death-driven set of policies that sanction torture, targeted assassinations, and a permanent war psychology. The author argues that government and corporate paranoia runs deep in America. While maintaining a massive security state, the ruling forces promote the internalization of their ideology, modes of governance, and policies by either seducing citizens with the decadent pleasures of a celebrity-loving consumer culture or by beating them into submission. Giroux calls for a systemic alternative to zombie capitalism through a political and pedagogical imperative to address and inform a new cultural vision, mode of individual subjectivity, and understanding of critical agency. As part of a larger effort to build a broad-based social movement, he argues for a new political language capable of placing education at the center of politics. Connecting the language of critique to the discourse of educated hope he calls for the reclaiming of public spaces and institutions where formative cultures can flourish that nourish the radical imagination, and the ongoing search for justice, equality, and the promise of a democracy to come.