On today’s show, social critic Henry Giroux discusses what he calls the “politics of cleansing,” the multi-pronged offensive currently being waged against civil liberties, dissent, and ultimately democracy by “American-style fascism.” He says that cleansing means to purify in the service of domination. And in his recent article in CounterPunch he seeks a language that is comprehensive enough to describe Trump’s assault on democracy. 
From religious fundamentalism, to educational repression, the imposition of ideological conformity, and attacks on DEI, we’re watching racial cleansing unfold. That’s coupled with the hollowing out of government and the revising of history.
Giroux says that over the years, the Right has learned to appropriate the language of the Left. Words like freedom, that were once emancipatory are now tools of oppression. Freedom becomes the freedom to control the economic system and the freedom to crush dissent. The Right uses the language of dehumanization and brutality, and they’re making a world where people are disappeared. In addition to direct action, we need to reinvigorate the power of civic responsibility and civic courage. 

Henry Giroux is an internationally renowned writer and cultural critic who has authored or co-authored over 65 books. He is McMaster University Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest and the Paulo Freire Distinguished Scholar in Critical Pedagogy.
Featured image: illustration of Henry Giroux by Jared Rodriguez / Truthout via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).
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