The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class
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- Author：Joel Kotkin
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Summary
Following a remarkable epoch of greater dispersion of wealth and opportunity， we are inexorably returning towards a more feudal era marked by greater concentration of wealth and property， reduced upward mobility， demographic stagnation， and increased dogmatism。 If the last seventy years saw a massive expansion of the middle class， not only in America but in much of the developed world， today that class is declining and a new， more hierarchical society is emerging。
The new class structure resembles that of Medieval times。 At the apex of the new order are two classes—a reborn clerical elite， the clerisy， which dominates the upper part of the professional ranks， universities， media and culture， and a new aristocracy led by tech oligarchs with unprecedented wealth and growing control of information。 These two classes correspond to the old French First and Second Estates。
Below these two classes lies what was once called the Third Estate。 This includes the yeomanry， which is made up largely of small businesspeople， minor property owners， skilled workers and private-sector oriented professionals。 Ascendant for much of modern history， this class is in decline while those below them， the new Serfs， grow in numbers—a vast， expanding property-less population。
The trends are mounting， but we can still reverse them—if people understand what is actually occurring and have the capability to oppose them。
The new class structure resembles that of Medieval times。 At the apex of the new order are two classes—a reborn clerical elite， the clerisy， which dominates the upper part of the professional ranks， universities， media and culture， and a new aristocracy led by tech oligarchs with unprecedented wealth and growing control of information。 These two classes correspond to the old French First and Second Estates。
Below these two classes lies what was once called the Third Estate。 This includes the yeomanry， which is made up largely of small businesspeople， minor property owners， skilled workers and private-sector oriented professionals。 Ascendant for much of modern history， this class is in decline while those below them， the new Serfs， grow in numbers—a vast， expanding property-less population。
The trends are mounting， but we can still reverse them—if people understand what is actually occurring and have the capability to oppose them。
Reviews
Steven
，
Not as good as "the tyranny of merit" but has some good points and a few instances of political polemics。 Probably resonate with conservatives more than liberals but the points are true for both teams。 Not as good as "the tyranny of merit" but has some good points and a few instances of political polemics。 Probably resonate with conservatives more than liberals but the points are true for both teams。 。。。more
Erica
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Insightful， clear， and enlightening。 Very well-written and academically informed。
David Holl
，
I found this fascinating and informative。 In a world with tension between urban and rural， and an information age ruled by a few oligarchs， he makes a very accurate assessment。
Chris May
，
Many of the ills outlined are serious issues （perhaps even existential for us） and I find the idea of ‘neo-feudalism’ a compelling concept but this book comes at it from the completely wrong angle。 Blaming our impending doom on experts， environmental policies and progressives （or the left in general） instead of rampant capitalism and lack of governmental oversight/control of the growing oligarchy。
Zare
，
This was truly good read。 Since last year and all this world-wide situation I became very much interested into society dynamics and politics。 Imagine my surprise when I found out that majority of world politicians （almost all with few exceptions） behave very much like politicians from my back of woods。 Large on promises （that they never keep and usually when they say we need to go south you need to set the start position up north）， surrounded by experts （this usually means that given person is n This was truly good read。 Since last year and all this world-wide situation I became very much interested into society dynamics and politics。 Imagine my surprise when I found out that majority of world politicians （almost all with few exceptions） behave very much like politicians from my back of woods。 Large on promises （that they never keep and usually when they say we need to go south you need to set the start position up north）， surrounded by experts （this usually means that given person is not exactly an expert but it is there for a different reason or it is assigned as an expert because his/hers political party could not find anyone else） and generally incapable for anything （which I assume is reason why they took politics as their calling）。As you can imagine it was quite a surprise finding out that all politicians are the same and， what is worst， that time has come when they don't even try to hide their actions and mistakes （again something they share with politicians back home）。 You have them recorded saying one thing months ago and now saying they never said anything like that。 Someone would expect reaction， right？ Well。。。。 wrong， it seems like people like this。So when companies and their representatives that are loud enough come by and most importantly offer money， loads of money， that is usually enough for all politicians， of all parties and persuasions， to turn the blind eye and let these people do whatever they want because lets be honest in 4-5 years it will be someone else's problem。Society in general is in a very bad place now。 Reason is simple， fringe issues are brought up as a central breaking point while truly central issues are buried down - on latter politicians need to act because they are actionable but starting any work on these is equivalent of getting into the quicksand and as we all know for politicians that equals professional suicide。 When it comes to former it is nothing but hot air and making people have something to talk about。 People seem to be ashamed of who they are， and very much like sadomasochists they seem to enjoy when being called names by the powers-to-be。 This is something I find personally very sad and cannot understand it。I wont go into retelling the book but will mention few things that I find very interesting。 So from the start 。。。。。 from the 1990's - 2020's almost all of the actual production is moved outside the countries from the West。 This created huge unemployment and basically depopulated large parts of the said countries， people starting for other places to try finding work。 Of course this fermented the outrage of affected populace so politicians （ever scared of losing positions） started talking about universal income。 Universal income is good concept but is it truly something to put majority of population on？ I agree with the author that this is just "bread and games" approach - it treats the symptoms but not the cause。 And not to mention that people that have luck to have jobs now have to pay larger taxes to make universal income viable。 So interesting approach - you cause the problem and then （through expertise groups that you also charge） you give a solution that will just burden the rest of population that has jobs - those that started the cycle have nothing to lose and pay no penalties。 Second is general immaturity of the people。 It is sad turn of events but very few people are actually informed on anything - it is like majority is following Goethe and follows their heart and emotions but （unfortunately） not their brains（and we know what even Yoda said of emotions）。 By informed I don't mean they need to know everything on the topic （which seems to be what majority thinks when this is brought up） but they do not read on the topic， they do not investigate， they just follow what first pops up on their screens and generally allow to be bullied to the levels of no-opinons-follow-the-crowd。 Considering that this is behavior of majority of news agencies and reporters can we truly blame the ordinary man？I have to stop laughing every time I read in job proposals that they offer video games， fun rooms， food and gym。 If you want to live normally you would only seek 8 hour base work-time and ability to go home on time and enjoy off-work hours。 But people decide that they want to spend whole day on job。 As a result you end up with half-crazed people wandering from one place to another working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet。 How can you think about anything during this？ In short you cannot。 When you are constantly at work， assigned task after task， you don't think about anything else。 But people want this and employer is more than glad to provide this。Third is what is called gig economy。 Concept where company takes majority of one's earnings without investing anything must be most devious one I ever came across。 Does it provide mobility of the workforce - definitely。 Can that workforce plan anything for their future？ Hardly。 Gig economy is nothing more than finding work for the given day - no certainty， no future。 And with it there is no way to keep workers connected in any way - everyone is buzzing around like a fly without any goal other than getting through the day。Fourth is all the discussion about the imported work force。 When it comes to the imported work force it is all about lower wages （than employing someone that is citizen of a given country）。 As a result this brings down the overall wages for the given type of work。 Majority of countries don't care about that so in general local workforce gets into problem finding work because they are more expensive。 They need to go under the imported work-force wages but unlike them they have to pay taxes （since they are citizens）。 Quite a predicament， eh。 If you want to see the country that works very hard to protect its own work force check Australia - you need to prove you cannot find anyone locally in order to be able to get out-of-country team for simple training sessions。 Now that is protection of local workforce。Fifth is just an aspect of who controls majority of 。。。 lets call them operations around the world， anything that has impact on your daily life （food， clothes， electricity， water， gas， communications。。。）。 In these days this means less than 10 companies world-wide， private enterprises that are not accountable for anything。 Even if every manager， CEO and employee is a clone of Mother Theresa I would be worried。 To anyone with iota of technical knowledge putting everything under the same cup is sure way to trouble land。 And now imagine that these same people are in control of your means of life。 Isn't that something that should be keeping you awake at night？ Sixth is all of this parody of media influencers and general disconnection between rich and the poor。 Well it would be parody if it weren't serious。 So you have self-proclaimed experts touting things and asking for drastic measures without even thinking how would that affect the rest of the people in the country。 Unfortunately they do not care and when it comes to this I cannot but draw parallels between what is going in the West now and what happened during the transition in the East。 Its like East was a test to see what would be the reaction of the people。Its maybe me but when someone insists on something without a plan that does not affect （to dire effect） those closest to me I tend to say no thanks。 Even if that some is such a believer that they did to their own family what they preach - I would say， hat down for your dedication but no thanks。 Acting on the basis of opinions and not of data is stupid。 And yes， when they say science backs this up ask them to point you to that data and say， OK let me check。 Be informed， you know。 Seventh is that workers rights got in place mere century ago after centuries of abuse and hardships imposed by upper classes。 They were put in place one part because of smart people in governments and three parts because of world events smart people did not want to have locally （that small revolution in Russia being quite a trigger）。 I think that it would be greatly irresponsible to let these rights go because bunch of people that live in their own universes and have no connection with the work-force （they could as well be from the different planet） say we should - right？ State is a contract between all parties involved - rulers and populace。 Constant tug of war if you like。 Letting oneself intentionally to be in a disadvantageous position is very stupid thing not just for oneself but for anyone that follow。 Especially foolish is to be placed into disadvantage by unaccountable companies and individuals who pursue their own goals that are not known and always present only with "oh， it is for your own good" （Bernardo Gui must be the best embodiment of nature of dogma）。 And when someone says that materialistic is not important - check their property。 They could be verifiable St。Francis-like persona but 。。。 lets say that would be highly unlikely。 People talking about sinful things are usually people guilty of the same sins。 On the other hand if it works for them （in that case bless them） - should it work for you？So is it that weird to seek better conditions and ensure future that wont be bleak for majority？ I don't think so。 And this is also author's message。 Hopefully work populace will keep their wits。 Hopefully。。。Interesting book， highly recommended。 。。。more
Paul Sand
，
[Imported automatically from my blog。 Some formatting there may not have translated here。] Back when I was much younger， I was very impressed by works of American gloom and doom。 One of my earliest memories of National Review was a late-1960s article drawing earnest attention to the similarities between America （of that time） and Weimar Germany。 I still have Charlotte Twight's America's Emerging Fascist Economy （1975） on my bookshelf; also present is The Ominious Parallels by Leonard Peikoff （19 [Imported automatically from my blog。 Some formatting there may not have translated here。] Back when I was much younger， I was very impressed by works of American gloom and doom。 One of my earliest memories of National Review was a late-1960s article drawing earnest attention to the similarities between America （of that time） and Weimar Germany。 I still have Charlotte Twight's America's Emerging Fascist Economy （1975） on my bookshelf; also present is The Ominious Parallels by Leonard Peikoff （1982）; Lost Rights by James Bovard （1995）;… well， you get the idea。 I also devoured a number of how-to-survive-economic-doomsday tomes， of which there were piles in the 70s。 You'll note that we're still here。 Bad as things can get， and have been， it's far from Nazi/Commie totalitarianism presiding over an economic system in rubble。 So I've learned to be skeptical of that general genre。 And I hadn't read any good catastrophe-around-the-corner books recently。 Until now: this one， by Joel Kotkin is pretty good。 Particularly impressive is the "Notes" section， 91 pages out of a 273-page book。 For those keeping score: exactly a third of the book is footnotes。 Kotkin's neo-feudalism thesis is wide-ranging and alarming。 Basically: things have been getting worse for ordinary working/middle-class schmoes。 And they're probably going to continue to get worse。 Not just in ordinary economic terms， but in cultural trends too。 He notes that the well-off are pulling away from the rest of us in every sense， and they have the political and economic power to （excuse me while I go into Sanders/Warren mode） "rig the system" to ensure that those trends continue。 Also: not just America。 It's a worldwide phenomenon。 In support of this thesis， Kotkin draws on （I swear） every last bit of recent gloomy news/analysis/data from anyone and everyone， left and right。 Robert Reich and Charles Murray！ Glenn Reynolds and Bernie Sanders！ A lot of stuff I agree with。 A lot of stuff I don't。 Good news first: Kotkin is appropriately brutal about Progressive schemes like the "Green New Deal"， designed by （and for） the folks who wing off to Davos on their private jets to come up with schemes to raise the price of energy and products that depend on energy use （I。e。， everything else）。 He notes the unaffordability of housing has all sorts of bad effects， most notably on class mobility and family stability。 It's not crazy to worry about the issues Kotkin highlights。 Charles Murray has pointed to many of the same issues in books like Coming Apart。 But on to the bad: Kotkin can come off as a neo-Luddite。 He points with alarm to "our dependency on machine interfaces， as opposed to genuine human interactions。" My eyes roll， and imagine an early-20th century version of Kotkin griping about our growing dependency on those new-fangled automobiles， as opposed to having a more natural organic relationship with horses。 There's a lot of loaded language。 The bad guys in Kotkin's eyes: the "elites"; the "clerisy"; the "oligarchs"。 （No kulaks， though。 That's good。） I wish he'd provided a more balanced economic picture。 Last year I read The American Dream Is Not Dead by Michael R。 Strain。 Which is a much more nuanced and quantitative look at the American situation， in contrast to Kotkin's doom-and-gloom approach。 And ultimately more convincing。 I mentioned those voluminous notes。 I chased down one， and the results were not encouraging。 Page 122: Some conservative intellectuals have even thought that hardworking [immigrant] newcomers should replace the "lazy" elements of the working class。 Whoa。 Really？ The footnote goes to a 2017 Daily Caller article: Bill Kristol Says ‘Lazy’ White Working Class Should Be Replaced By ‘New Americans’。 So we note right away that what Kotkin calls "some conservative intellectuals" really means "Bill Kristol"。 The reference is to an AEI discussion between Kristol and （again） Charles Murray。 （Video at the link， the relevant bits are about 50 minutes in。） “You can make a case that America has been great because every — I think John Adams said this — basically if you are in free society， a capitalist society， after two or three generations of hard work everyone becomes kind of decadent， lazy， spoiled — whatever，” Kristol said。 “Then， luckily， you have these waves of people coming in from Italy， Ireland， Russia， and now Mexico， who really want to work hard and really want to succeed and really want their kids to live better lives than them and aren’t sort of clipping coupons or hoping that they can hang on and meanwhile grew up as spoiled kids and so forth。 In that respect， I don’t know how this moment is that different from the early 20th century，” he added。 “You can make a case that America has been great because every — I think John Adams said this — basically if you are in free society， a capitalist society， after two or three generations of hard work everyone becomes kind of decadent， lazy， spoiled — whatever，” Kristol said。 “Then， luckily， you have these waves of people coming in from Italy， Ireland， Russia， and now Mexico， who really want to work hard and really want to succeed and really want their kids to live better lives than them and aren’t sort of clipping coupons or hoping that they can hang on and meanwhile grew up as spoiled kids and so forth。 In that respect， I don’t know how this moment is that different from the early 20th century，” he added。 It should be noted that Kristol's comments were （1） kind of a pushback against Murray's mild desire to limit low-skilled immigration; and （2） an argument that third-generation native populations lack desire for low-skilled work。 I don't know if that's true， but it's arguable。 I see it mostly as an argument that their ancestors have handed them down enough capital so they don't have to dig ditches。 Overall， Kotkin is weak on answering Sowell's primary question: Compared to what？ Yes， a dynamic， innovative society will have its problems。 They will be made worse by trying to stifle that dynamism。 But who knows？ After decades of books missing the mark on the coming dystopian nightmare， this one could be correct。 Never hurts to be prepared。 。。。more
Mostafa Shalash
，
قراءة في جزء النخب قدمتها على حكمةhttps://hekmah。org/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5。。。قراء في جزء المدن قدمتها على جريدة الأخبار اللبنانيةhttps://al-akhbar。com/Kalimat/300444 قراءة في جزء النخب قدمتها على حكمةhttps://hekmah。org/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5。。。قراء في جزء المدن قدمتها على جريدة الأخبار اللبنانيةhttps://al-akhbar。com/Kalimat/300444 。。。more
Adam
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I've been fascinated by the theory of neo-feudalism for over a year now。 A number of Kotkin's previous works caught my eye， but this is the first book of his that I've actually read。 It won't be the last。 4 stars。 Argument is cogent and well-resourced， but the solution put forward to stave off the neo-feudalist onslaught is sorely lacking。 I've been fascinated by the theory of neo-feudalism for over a year now。 A number of Kotkin's previous works caught my eye， but this is the first book of his that I've actually read。 It won't be the last。 4 stars。 Argument is cogent and well-resourced， but the solution put forward to stave off the neo-feudalist onslaught is sorely lacking。 。。。more
Oliver Bateman
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one of many concisely-written and sourced books about the current/coming crisis， by an author as respectable and center-of-the-road as any， but the concluding chapter （as is always the case in such books） offers little in the way of solutions。 of course， the solutions on offer here - people get tired of elite， restoration of pride， continued immigration （esp。 of high-status dissident types fleeing， e。g。， china） but tied to sense of "greatness of the west" - are simple enough that they're possibl one of many concisely-written and sourced books about the current/coming crisis， by an author as respectable and center-of-the-road as any， but the concluding chapter （as is always the case in such books） offers little in the way of solutions。 of course， the solutions on offer here - people get tired of elite， restoration of pride， continued immigration （esp。 of high-status dissident types fleeing， e。g。， china） but tied to sense of "greatness of the west" - are simple enough that they're possible， even if unlikely。will be interviewing joel about this and other things he's written about on the podcast what's left？ i'll revise with link when that's up。 。。。more
Daria
，
I think that this is a very important book， even though it repeats a lot of information that has been published in the past。I would recommend everyone to read it， especially people below the age of 40 who belong to the middle class and below。On the one hand the things said by the writer are extremely depressing and specifically in this period with everything happening in the world it is even more frustrating to realize that we're just small cogs in a large machine， but on the other hand it's imp I think that this is a very important book， even though it repeats a lot of information that has been published in the past。I would recommend everyone to read it， especially people below the age of 40 who belong to the middle class and below。On the one hand the things said by the writer are extremely depressing and specifically in this period with everything happening in the world it is even more frustrating to realize that we're just small cogs in a large machine， but on the other hand it's important to be aware of the social and economic processes that are happening around us。 We can't allow ourselves to be completely ignorant in the face of the system。 。。。more
Luca Prosperi
，
Very superficial。
Drtaxsacto
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If you are not disturbed by this book you should be。 His basic premise is that we are evolving into a society which closely resembles the Feudal establishment with Serfs， Nobles and a Clerisy。 The technological barons closely resemble the new mandarins。 I must admit that I have known Joel since the late 1970s and he is one of the most creative thinkers I have even met。 For example in this book he makes a case that colleges and universities are reverting to the medieval structure where the functi If you are not disturbed by this book you should be。 His basic premise is that we are evolving into a society which closely resembles the Feudal establishment with Serfs， Nobles and a Clerisy。 The technological barons closely resemble the new mandarins。 I must admit that I have known Joel since the late 1970s and he is one of the most creative thinkers I have even met。 For example in this book he makes a case that colleges and universities are reverting to the medieval structure where the function of universities was to inculcate students with the revealed knowledge of the time rather than to advance the frontiers of knowledge。 The new feudalism has a bunch of people consigned to serf like situations where they have almost no chance of advancing beyond their status - and he presents a ton of data about who these people are and what their situations have evolved to in the last decade or more。 He wonders whether the new progressives are a new incarnation of the Jacobins or the Red Guard。He discusses Robert Michaels Iron Law of Oligarchy which suggested at one point that all democratic systems evolve into oligarchies。 He describes the perils of gentrification in US cities and around the world where the new serfs are consigned to menial roles which are close to permanent。There are some points of disagreement that I have with his ideas - for example， he heavily criticizes the GIG economy - from my perspective GIG workers actually do have some independence of action。 I was also struck with whether his ultimately gloomy projections of the future could well be altered by COVID - many workers in the tech fields and in other areas have been moved to remote work - so the attractions of hubs like San Francisco are ultimately less attractive than they once were pre-covid。As I said at the outset - the book is meant to get you to think - and indeed， many of his conclusions are disturbing but his ultimate conclusions are optimistic。 。。。more
Aaron Shafovaloff
，
Sobering info。 Feudal economic arrangements are hostile to domesticity， child-rearing， marriage， and retirement。 They are not conducive to the life we want for our neighbors to have the freedom to participate in。The book helped me better understand metropolitan elitism and populism。Increased my appreciation for private property and home ownership。4 stars: I can't endorse some of elements of the authors alarmism。 His ambiguous proposed solutions were unsatisfying。 Sobering info。 Feudal economic arrangements are hostile to domesticity， child-rearing， marriage， and retirement。 They are not conducive to the life we want for our neighbors to have the freedom to participate in。The book helped me better understand metropolitan elitism and populism。Increased my appreciation for private property and home ownership。4 stars: I can't endorse some of elements of the authors alarmism。 His ambiguous proposed solutions were unsatisfying。 。。。more
David
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On the whole a very good book， but its reading of China is confused。。。or confusing。 On the one hand， it suggests China will be the power in the world by 2040， and on the other Kotkin muses about how it is China does not falter or collapse。 This confusion is not unique， many geopolitical and economic analysts are having the same problem。 For a clearer vision of the future readers may want to look at the following books/authors， much concerned with demographics: The Great Demographic Reversal， The On the whole a very good book， but its reading of China is confused。。。or confusing。 On the one hand， it suggests China will be the power in the world by 2040， and on the other Kotkin muses about how it is China does not falter or collapse。 This confusion is not unique， many geopolitical and economic analysts are having the same problem。 For a clearer vision of the future readers may want to look at the following books/authors， much concerned with demographics: The Great Demographic Reversal， The Accidental Superpower， The Absent Superpower， Dis-United Nations， The Demographic Cliff， The Great Leveler， and the works of Peter Turchin。 On the whole， though， The Coming of Neo-Feudalism is an excellent book well worth the read。 Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars。 。。。more
Maksim Karliuk
，
not uncontroversial， but with great framing and exploration of some concepts （e。g。 technocratic elites as new priesthood and feudalism with better marketing）。 i would argue in addition that some countries transitioned， albeit not seamlessly， almost directly from feudalism to neo-feudalism never staying long “in-between”
Aaron Ventura
，
As the subtitle states， this is a warning to the middle class about their rapid evaporation。 Kotkin examines the world economic landscape with special focus on the US and China。 Citing the rise of technocratic oligarchs and the growing wealth disparity in tech cities like Silicon Valley， this is not merely a warning about the future， but a commentary on what is presently taking place。 A worthwhile read。 Highly recommend。
Anton
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I am inclined to give the book a much higher rating。 The writing style is great， the author is well read and up-to-date， the analysis is largely spot on。 And yet。 This could have been so much more。 The idea presented here is not just an analogy， it describes exactly the historic processes that have been set in motion to replace the model of growth。 There is much more to feudalism and thus to neo-feudalism that this cultural critique is letting on。 It's quite sad that this book doesn't shine any I am inclined to give the book a much higher rating。 The writing style is great， the author is well read and up-to-date， the analysis is largely spot on。 And yet。 This could have been so much more。 The idea presented here is not just an analogy， it describes exactly the historic processes that have been set in motion to replace the model of growth。 There is much more to feudalism and thus to neo-feudalism that this cultural critique is letting on。 It's quite sad that this book doesn't shine any light on concepts such as fealty， affinity and feudal fragmentation that we will likely see a great revival。 "The Coming of Neo-Feudalism" is therefore more of a primer to the idea than a fully fledged exploration of the dark times ahead of us that cyberpunk already managed to predict。 。。。more
Niels Bergervoet
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On of the biggest problems of our times is the growing gap between rich and poor en the dissaperance of the middle class。 This book clearly explains what is happening and why this is bad news。 Because we might end up with a new feudal society， where people like jeff bezos are the new nobility， people like gretta thurnberg the new cleregy and tbe rest of us the poor farmers who have to work all day to stay alive。 The author elegantly shows that this is closely connected to the focus of on the lef On of the biggest problems of our times is the growing gap between rich and poor en the dissaperance of the middle class。 This book clearly explains what is happening and why this is bad news。 Because we might end up with a new feudal society， where people like jeff bezos are the new nobility， people like gretta thurnberg the new cleregy and tbe rest of us the poor farmers who have to work all day to stay alive。 The author elegantly shows that this is closely connected to the focus of on the left on identity and enviroment instead of class struggle。 Because of that change they are now paying lip service to progtessive billoonaires instead of defending people against economic opression。 The author doesnt pretend he has a clear solution to this clomplex problem， but what is important is to keep our focus on what made the west great and capable to cope with these kind problems， and that is strong and independent institutions， democracy and a focus to keep the middle class in place。 。。。more
James Pinney
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Kotkin makes some good points and some points I haven’t thought of before - like how economic de-growth and environmental policies can entrench the ruling hierarchies， which is something to consider。 But he seems antagonistic towards the idea of environmentalism and solutions to global warming， almost coming off as if he thinks it is a conspiracy。 He is prescribed to the thought that economic growth = freedom and doesn’t give any thought to redistribution as a solution， only more growth， not rea Kotkin makes some good points and some points I haven’t thought of before - like how economic de-growth and environmental policies can entrench the ruling hierarchies， which is something to consider。 But he seems antagonistic towards the idea of environmentalism and solutions to global warming， almost coming off as if he thinks it is a conspiracy。 He is prescribed to the thought that economic growth = freedom and doesn’t give any thought to redistribution as a solution， only more growth， not realizing that we cannot have infinite economic growth with the finite resources we have here on earth。 But that’s ok， because most of analysis is spot on， despite the lack of self awareness as Kotkin too， is part of the clerisy as an academic。 The problem is complex， the solutions are complex and he does a good job at analyzing the problems， even if his solutions are a little lacking。 Comparable to “Dark Age America” and “America: The Farewell Tour，” if slightly more academic and more right leaning in tone。 Well researched。 。。。more
Nj
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Coming soon to a debt-serf near you: social-credit score， USA style。 Thumbing up a video critical of the regime will tack another 10% of interest onto your student-debt/healthcare servitude。 Don't worry， you can cry yourself to sleep at your "WELIVE/WEWORK" corporate campus （really just shared bunks in an abandoned Macy's） while you flick through an endless stream of OnlyFans girls （or guys） showing their orifices for timely deductions of your precious blockchain-enabled Federal Reserve digital Coming soon to a debt-serf near you: social-credit score， USA style。 Thumbing up a video critical of the regime will tack another 10% of interest onto your student-debt/healthcare servitude。 Don't worry， you can cry yourself to sleep at your "WELIVE/WEWORK" corporate campus （really just shared bunks in an abandoned Macy's） while you flick through an endless stream of OnlyFans girls （or guys） showing their orifices for timely deductions of your precious blockchain-enabled Federal Reserve digital dollars。Then get up in the morning， go to your nearest Amazon/Department of Defense "fulfillment" center （"Wear your mask if you want to work， it's the new normal！"） and spend the next 12 hours racing a robot to pick boxes for the endless shipments of salted quail eggs to the last remaining 。05%， safely ensconced in their walled-off， Tesla drone-swarm patrolled Palo Alto fortress towns。 。。。more
Groucho42
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For decades， I've been pointing out the Republicans are working to recreate the feudal system， so I was interested in this book。 It was a mistake。 It's terrible and a screed to blame liberals for all problems。In Part 3， The Clerisy， he mutters about the Catholic church without addressing the authoritarian side of faiths。 He brushes off the fundamentalism still core in the major faith he points out is replacing Christianity in Europe， Islam。 He then turns right around and claims environmentalism For decades， I've been pointing out the Republicans are working to recreate the feudal system， so I was interested in this book。 It was a mistake。 It's terrible and a screed to blame liberals for all problems。In Part 3， The Clerisy， he mutters about the Catholic church without addressing the authoritarian side of faiths。 He brushes off the fundamentalism still core in the major faith he points out is replacing Christianity in Europe， Islam。 He then turns right around and claims environmentalism is a faith that is far more dangerous。Yes， he points out a few examples of wealthy environmentalists using private jets， then even says， without mentioning Davos by name， that a bunch of very rich corporate folks using jets is the fault of environmental activists。 He continues his screed by mentioning a 2018 article by Abe Greenwald， only mentioned by name in the footnotes， and claiming it debunks global warming。 Following the link shows that all that happened was someone showed the rate of global warming determined by some scientists was wrong。 It's still warming， but at a different rate。 That's how science works， but Kotkin seems too wrapped up in his own idiocy to comprehend that。Then there's Chapter 10， yes， I only got 10 chapters into a 21 chapter ramble。 He states that Marx's claim that capitalism would turn into oligarchy was wrong。 What？ That's plain wrong。 Oligarchy is what's bringing back the feudal system。 The top four to five tech companies are an oligarch。 China and Russia haven't been communist， well， ever， and for decades have been crony capitalist， oligarchic， totalitarian regimes。 The oil companies are a global oligarchy。 It's the destruction of democracy and its replacement by oligarchy that is creating the title phrase of neo-feudalism。He is so right wing， he can only see everyone who disagrees with him as the other wing tip of the political albatross。 The uber-wealthy aren't liberal or conservative， they're Koch， Thiel， Gates， Zuckerberg and others。 They don't want democracy， it gets in their way。 Whether they are socially conservative or liberal， they're societal totalitarians。That's what Kotkin misses。 。。。more
Marie
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Excellent book。 The author puts into words what we see is happening in today's world。 A dictionary is helpful though。 :） Excellent book。 The author puts into words what we see is happening in today's world。 A dictionary is helpful though。 :） 。。。more
Tyler Burns
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You can check out my review here:https://youtu。be/jZEQQuFhVkk You can check out my review here:https://youtu。be/jZEQQuFhVkk 。。。more
Andrew Figueiredo
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Kotkin's book is one of a number of explanations of class I've looked into recently and it's worthy of 3。5 stars。 "The Coming of Neo-Feudalism" is a good read with some interesting perspectives but doesn't add much to analyses we've already seen。 That said， his take is unique in examining environmental policy and urban planning。 Kotkin points out the hypocrisy of elites who preach environmentalism and jet-set around the world， which is a valid point。 However， he is too harsh on urbanism for my t Kotkin's book is one of a number of explanations of class I've looked into recently and it's worthy of 3。5 stars。 "The Coming of Neo-Feudalism" is a good read with some interesting perspectives but doesn't add much to analyses we've already seen。 That said， his take is unique in examining environmental policy and urban planning。 Kotkin points out the hypocrisy of elites who preach environmentalism and jet-set around the world， which is a valid point。 However， he is too harsh on urbanism for my taste and downplays the very negative effects suburbanization has had on the environment and society。 Nonetheless， Kotkin does a good job of analyzing the tech industry's role in this neo-feudal arrangement。 Other authors I've read haven't addressed it the same way。 After all， these companies develop much of the monopolized， surveilling technology that allow for a neo-feudal arrangement。 Moreover， as Kotkin notes， big tech plays a growing role in our lives， even shifting media focus away from concentrated power。 The central idea is that the elite class， partnering with the clerisy （media， academia， elites） to implement a neo-feudal system in which inequality reigns supreme。 The clerisy and oligarchy agree on a broadly social progressive， globally-oriented outlook not shared by much of the working class。 Guided by an anti-democratic technocratic outlook， they seek to profit from systems involving control over the working class。 As this continues， it threatens to resemble the old systems of feudalism and serfdom。 Kotkin peppers his analysis with historical comparisons。 Today， we see this trend through geographic inequality within cities， rising costs of living， the gig economy， the destruction of middle-class family life， and various left and right rebellions against the system。I enjoyed the middle ages comparisons as well as his presentation of global trends。 Kotkin's analysis slots in well with both Douthat's ideas about decadence， Lind's notion of a new class war， and Guilluy's work on France。 The neo-feudal arrangement seems to evoke these three in various ways。 The partnership between elites and the clerisy （called different things in different works）， a sort of stasis-under-inequality， etc bring them together。 But at the end of the day， I was surprised to reach the end of the book。 As I turned the page to "acknowledgments"， I expected some more work！ Kotkin just doesn't provide many solutions。 The book would have been a lot better if Kotkin showed us a potential way forward with policy prescriptions or at least a more detailed discussion of next steps。 。。。more
Tommy
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Don't worry this isn't alt-right stuff but more in the style of "cuckservative" social criticism。 Why is institutionalized hierarchy supposed to be some big threat to "egalitarianism"？ If you look closer you'll see the most egalitarian period in American history and the peak of the older "affluent society" was based on large technocratic monolithic corporations in the mid 20th century。 This comes off as just a "democratic capitalist" mugged by reality。 Silicon Valley isn't any more paternalistic Don't worry this isn't alt-right stuff but more in the style of "cuckservative" social criticism。 Why is institutionalized hierarchy supposed to be some big threat to "egalitarianism"？ If you look closer you'll see the most egalitarian period in American history and the peak of the older "affluent society" was based on large technocratic monolithic corporations in the mid 20th century。 This comes off as just a "democratic capitalist" mugged by reality。 Silicon Valley isn't any more paternalistic than Henry Ford was （maybe less） but the big WTF to me is he's claiming there's a bunch of people out there who love Zuckerberg and the other tech weirdos in the same way。。。 I'm pretty sure there's a solid bipartisan mandate for an atomic-wedgieing there， except maybe for the more conservative tech moguls like Peter Thiel。I know this isn't a serious treatise on political economy but all the kids aren't just being brainwashed into wanting to get bought out by Google and not go for an IPO， there's some economic logic there which you can think about and it's not just an issue of "values" or an aspect of any culture war。 If you don't like the idea of universal basic income ok and you can bemoan Jeff Bezos wealth and the poverty of his employees but large commercial malls and small shops as relevant public institutions and the type of growth fuelled by the second industrial revolution ain't coming back in the same form。 If your main fear is militant environmental soy boys， Islamofascists and a variety of reactionary forces undermining faith in the American dream and possibility of egalitarian social mobility you're ignoring the real internal contradictions e。g。 property appreciation IS a middle class objective， I mean come on look at history there were whiners like Henry George already in the 19th century， and most conservative activists turned against the idea of mass home ownership as financially imprudent after '08。 There's no practical politics here， you can't denounce the "far right fringe" and than spend pages frothing over global demographic developments。 Without global military intervention and genocide you're a shrinking minority and liberalism can only in practice get dunked on by nature in the form of more climatic disruption and pandemics。 Of course the oligarchs have been attempting to push costs onto the public in regressive ways to keep their wealth secure in perpetuity but I'm equally sure their strategy is unworkable。 Sadly he doesn't state if he has faith in Trumpian political economy as a road to stronger unions， families and religion or it's just another hoodwinking of the rubes。The ultimate pathetic culmination in this intellectual cuckoldry is he seems to believe no matter how prestigious the think tank extolling the virtues of WASP cultural norms and suburbia they surely can't compete with rigours Marxism amongst the younger generation on the market place of ideas and the impending intellectual superplex can't be avoided now。 。。。more
Alex Berger
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