Description

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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. Worse, we have been persuaded to accept this extreme creed as a kind of natural law. In Invisible Doctrine, journalist George Monbiot and filmmaker Peter Hutchison shatter this myth. They show how a fringe philosophy in the 1930s—championing competition as the defining feature of humankind—was systematically hijacked by a group of wealthy elites, determined to guard their fortunes and power. Think tanks, corporations, the media, university departments and politicians were all deployed to promote the idea that people are 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 unrelated. In fact, they have all been exacerbated by the “invisible doctrine,” which subordinates democracy to the power of money. 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 fairy tale of capitalism and populist conspiracy theories, Monbiot and Hutchison lay the groundwork for a new politics, one based on truly participatory democracy and “private sufficiency, public luxury”: an inspiring vision that could help bring the neoliberal era to an end.

About the Author

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George Monbiot is an author, Guardian columnist, and environmental campaigner. His books include Feral, Heat, and Regenesis.

Peter Hutchison is a filmmaker, New York Times bestselling author, educator, and activist based in Brooklyn. He produced and directed Requiem for the American Dream, an exploration of wealth inequality in America, featuring Noam Chomsky.

Praise For…

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“Incisive, illuminating, eye-opening—an unsparing anatomy of the great ideological beast stalking our times, often whispered about and yet never so clearly in view.”—David Wallace-Wells, author of The Uninhabitable Earth

“If you want to know how neoliberals spread the dangerous lie that their ideas were new, liberal, and commonsensical, Invisible Doctrine is everything you need. Monbiot and Hutchison have written the definitive short history of the neoliberal confidence trick.”—Yanis Varoufakis, former finance minister of Greece and author of Adults in the Room

“A powerful, punchy exposé of the invisible powers that block the road to human and planetary well-being—a must-read for everyone who seeks a better alternative to the crises that threaten to overwhelm us.”—Kate Pickett, co-author of The Spirit Level

“Read it, get angry, demand better!”—Gaia Vince, author of Nomad Century

“An urgent unmasking of some of the most powerful and insidious yet overlooked ideas of our era. Invisible Doctrine is a fantastic start for anyone who wants to know why politics as we understand it does not work for our communities or our planet—and what kind of politics just might.”—Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, author of Elite Capture

“A vigorous analysis . . . a damning, persuasive critique of neoliberalism.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This is the right moment for this gem of a book. A few years ago, most people couldn’t have quite heard the argument; a few years from now, on this overheating planet, it will be too late for it to matter. But we can still act—as long as we do it together.”—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

“Explosive and beautifully told . . . These truths can set us free from the lie that this is the only way the world can be.”—Danny Dorling, author of Inequality and the 1%