Some interesting analysis and first-person observations of recent uprising-ish events like Occupy, the Ferguson riots and some others. Some interesting writing at times, which at times also felt a little bit too enamored with itself. I found it repetitive at times, but overall a worthwhile read.
While Neel drawing attention to and analyzing the conditions of the "hinterland" of the U.S. is necessary and welcome, this book suffers significant flaws. There is a general lack of theoretical or structural coherence, though the figurative language throughout does make a strong impression.
Class is the only lens used to evaluate the material and subjective conditions discussed, yet in a fairly old-school Marxist fashion, where local or communal struggles are dismissed and international revolution based on class held to be the only real solution. Intersectionality is denigrated or ignored, race is subordinated to class, issues such as patriarchy or heteronormativity make no appearance at all. This leads to numerous problematic assertions throughout the book.
This is made all the more ironic by the fact that Neel focuses solely on class, yet all the examples he draws on as promising hints for the future of unrest (Ferguson, Baltimore, Charlotte, Baton …
While Neel drawing attention to and analyzing the conditions of the "hinterland" of the U.S. is necessary and welcome, this book suffers significant flaws. There is a general lack of theoretical or structural coherence, though the figurative language throughout does make a strong impression.
Class is the only lens used to evaluate the material and subjective conditions discussed, yet in a fairly old-school Marxist fashion, where local or communal struggles are dismissed and international revolution based on class held to be the only real solution. Intersectionality is denigrated or ignored, race is subordinated to class, issues such as patriarchy or heteronormativity make no appearance at all. This leads to numerous problematic assertions throughout the book.
This is made all the more ironic by the fact that Neel focuses solely on class, yet all the examples he draws on as promising hints for the future of unrest (Ferguson, Baltimore, Charlotte, Baton Rouge, etc.) were responses to anti-Black state violence. This glaring contradiction at the heart of his argument is never addressed or resolved.
Finally, as one who has lived in the "near hinterland" and in discussing this book with someone from the "far hinterland," I feel Neel paints an overly kind picture of the political views of many of those areas' inhabitants.
