Cancelados

Right now, someone, somewhere, is being canceled. Off-the-cuff tweets or "harmless" office jokes can destroy lives. The left condemns the right and the fanaticism of the old elites. The right complains about political correctness. In reality, both sides collude in a reactionary policy that is as counterproductive as it is divisive. Can the left escape this extremism and remain true to the progressive ideals it once professed? In this provocative work, Umut Özkirimli reveals how the left has been dragged into a spiral of toxic hatred and indignation, moving away from the democratic ideals of freedom and pluralism that it purports to represent. Exploring the similarities between right-wing populism and radical identity politics, he lays out an alternative vision. Only by focusing on the humanity we share and ignoring our differences can the left find a constructive and consensual path that returns us from the woke.