Benjamin H. Bratton

Bratton is right that the pandemic has horribly revealed the fatal flaws in global systems and that henceforth we must remember, especially in an age of warming climate, that we're all in this together. That argument alone is strong and supported with plentiful evidence. But, inexplicably, Bratton bases part of his argument on what seems to be a deliberate misreading of Agamben and continues to push the limited definition of populism as a purely right-wing phenomenon. This definition, proven false by the most cursory of looks at 19th- & early 20th-century populism, is used by neoliberal institutions to lump progressives like Bernie Sanders in with fascists like Donald Trump. Then pundits can shrug and say, Populists are all dangerous, unreasonable extremists, on both sides. Which is why we continue to face the very crises Bratton addresses. So while this book is right about our common fate and why we need to act in recognition of it, and is impressively full of facts & stats, it seems sadly naive and leaves me wishing I had something more sophisticated to read.… (more)