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A review by margaret45678
How the World Swung to the Right: Fifty Years of Counterrevolutions by Francois Cusset
reflective
medium-paced
The book got off to a bad start with the introduction, which makes some bizarre claims (ex. claiming that nobody called themselves "leftists" anymore in 2016, citing Mustafa Kemal Ataturk as an example of a secular leader "only half a century ago" when he died in 1938). Generally I don't think Cusset's timeline completely holds up, but to be fair it's such a short book that it doesn't really claim to be an exhaustive study. I also wish it had been less USA-centric, though to some extent that reflects the unfortunate circumstances we live in. Conversely, at times I found the writing a bit too "French" and pretentious theory-brained (more references to Deleuze and Guattari than I feel entirely comfortable with), though I think in terms of content it was pretty down-to-earth. Finally, I found it weird that Cusset didn't mention the Ferguson protests at all in his discussion of the resurgence of emancipatory movements in recent years (well, 2014 was recent at the time he was writing). It felt a bit like he wrote most of the book a few years before, and threw in a few mentions of Donald Trump at the end to make it topical.
All that aside, I think the bulk of the book, and especially the last chapter, is a useful reflection on how we got here and what we should do next. I particularly appreciate Cusset's analysis of what some supposed leftists disparagingly call "identity politics," and his insistence that the left recognize how minority/minoritized identities are "sites of mobilization" which must be integrated into the traditionally universal/majoritarian platform of the left. At the same time, he was able to critique corporate "diversity" initiatives which have to some extent supplanted radical movements (though maybe he could have done more to connect these two strands of thought). I also thought his comments on violence and technology were very clear-headed. Definitely thought-provoking throughout, if not entirely convincing.
All that aside, I think the bulk of the book, and especially the last chapter, is a useful reflection on how we got here and what we should do next. I particularly appreciate Cusset's analysis of what some supposed leftists disparagingly call "identity politics," and his insistence that the left recognize how minority/minoritized identities are "sites of mobilization" which must be integrated into the traditionally universal/majoritarian platform of the left. At the same time, he was able to critique corporate "diversity" initiatives which have to some extent supplanted radical movements (though maybe he could have done more to connect these two strands of thought). I also thought his comments on violence and technology were very clear-headed. Definitely thought-provoking throughout, if not entirely convincing.