We live in an age of counterrevolution. Liberal elites around the world are weaponising their fascistic narratives, creating political enemies of the 'other' as a means of consolidating even more power and wealth. While scapegoating minorities is nothing new, we have never seen it happen quite like this before.

Today, global capitalism is financialised, tech-driven and violently mercantilist. This collection of essays from leading researchers reveals new forms of the radical right, neo-nationalism, authoritarian neoliberalism, illiberalism and democratic backsliding.

Looking beyond the simplistic headlines, they reveal the deep systemic shifts that have been building for decades. Exploring India, Eastern Europe, the US, Argentina, Germany and more, Backlash draws the systemic connections between these seemingly nationalist movements, providing crucial information for those on the left looking for weaknesses in the terrifying rise of the right.

Don Kalb is a leading anthropologist of global capitalism, class, labor and neo-nationalism, Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen, and director of the GRIP programme on global inequality (UiB and the International Science Council). His most recent book is Value and Worthlessness: The Rise of the Populist Right and Other Disruptions in the Anthropology of Capitalism. Walden Bello is an author, academic and political analyst. He has devoted most of his life to fighting imperialism and corporate globalisation, and has served as a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. Designated 'my favourite no-nonsense revolutionary' by Naomi Klein, he is also the recipient of 'Most Distinguished Defender of Human Rights' by Amnesty International Philippines in 2023, and author or co-author of many books.