Description
Book SynopsisThe Corruption of Ethos in Fortress America: Billionaires, Bureaucrats, and Body Slams argues that authoritarian strains of U.S. governance violate the idea of ethos in its ancient, collectivist sense. Christopher Carter posits that this corrupts the cultural dwelling place through public relations strategies, policies on race and immigration, and a general disregard for environmental concerns. Donald Trump's presidency provides a signal instance of the problem, refashioning the dwelling place as a fortress while promoting sweeping forms of exclusion and appealing to power for power's sake. Carter's analysis shows that, emboldened by the purported flexibility of truth, Trump's authoritarian rhetoric underwrites unrestrained policing, militarized borders, populist nationalism, and relentless assaults on investigative journalism. These trends bode ill for human rights and critical education as well as progressive social movements and the forms of life they entail. Worse yet, the corru
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One: The Paradox of Dissent: Bullshit and the Twitter Presidency
Chapter Two: “Don’t Be Too Nice”: The Nation-State as Alienation Machine
Chapter Three: Deep State Blues
Chapter Four: Distressed Properties: Lessons from Trump University
Chapter Five: Against the Wall
Conclusion: Dwelling in the Dissolve
Bibliography
About the Author
