In his new book, eminent sociologist and prolific author, Charles Derber, argues that American capitalism is pushing us toward social death and authoritarianism

 

In BONFIRE: AMERICAN SOCIOCIDE, BROKEN RELATIONS, AND THE QUEST FOR DEMOCRACY (Routledge, June 6, 2025, paperback and hardcover), Charles Derber warns that American society may be in its death throes. The threat of what sociologists called “sociocide”—a society in which human connection has been largely severed and individuals are only concerned for themselves—looms larger than ever in this age of hyper-alienating neo-liberal capitalism. “A sociocidal society is one whose sociopathy is intensifying into new and more dangerous forms, with family, friendship, community, and broad civil society breaking down so widely and rapidly that the actual self-destruction of the society is possible,” writes Derber. When social connections unravel, strongmen politicians and demagogues find fertile ground. The success of Trump and his MAGA movement show how authoritarianism can take root in a society that no longer values the “we.” In the absence of the social connections that foster collective action, empathy, and a sense of belonging, economic shocks and anxieties can encourage citizens welcoming autocratic regimes and their empty promises of a bright future.

 

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Read Jason Myles in Sublation Magazine https://www.sublationmag.com/writers/jason-myles

 

Read Jason Myles in Damage Magazine https://damagemag.com/2023/11/07/the-man-who-sold-the-world/

 

Read Jason in Unaligned here: https://kasparian.substack.com/p/the-mob-rules-celebrity-culture-and

 

Read, "We're All Sellouts Now" here: https://benburgis.substack.com/.../all-we-ever-wanted-wa