Cultural Revolution, Culture War: How Conservatives Lost England, and How to Get It Back

by Sean Gabb

“Today’s England is a moral-social basket case, full of violent crime, outrageous state-enforcement of political correctness, and protected Muslim extremists” Published in 2007, and hailed by conservatives and libertarians, Cultural Revolution, Culture War is the book that introduced the concepts of Cultural Leftism to the English Right. Single-handedly and within a few weeks, it transformed the language of analysis and action on the British political right. Gabb’s central thesis is that the British ruling class has, since 1997, turned itself into a totalitarian conspiracy, at war both with liberty and with tradition. It fights this war through the traditional means of state power and state propaganda, but also through its achievement of cultural hegemony. Controlling a single plot line of Eastenders is more important than a thousand editorials in The Guardian . The only response for non-leftists is to seize control of the State and to shut most of it down. The present ruling class all sucks from the nipple of the State. Stop the flow of milk, and the ruling class with collapse. Once this is done, Gabb sets out a challenging agenda of libertarian minimal statism – for all the usual libertarian reasons, but also because that is the only option at present for conservativest. Now seen as a classic, this book is key to any understanding of rightist discourse in modern England. It is a must-read for activists of all persuasions, for political scientists, and for anyone who wants to understand the world in order to change it. “Sean Gabb's case is that England has been taken over by a new ruling class, one that it totalitarian in its ambitions, in that it seeks to direct our thinking in every aspect of our culture. Not content with political power – indeed, its influence is more powerful and pervasive than that of government, it wants to mould our behaviour and even our thought to its own norms.” (Madsen Pirie) “What comes to mind, as I read Sean’s jeremiad is how silly American movement conservatives are when they glorify the “Anglosphere” and celebrate “our two countries” as paradigmatic “capitalist democracies.” Today’s England is a moral-social basket case, full of violent crime, outrageous state-enforcement of political correctness, and protected Muslim extremists.” (Paul Gottfried) “But the remarkable fact is not our disagreement on cultural matters, but that I concur with so much of his analysis of the effect of "political correctness" and multiculturalism as ruling class ideologies. Like Gabb, I see official multiculturalism in the hands of the New Class and its state agencies as an instrument of division and control, serving a ruling class that prefers a population without the cohesion to resist.” (Kevin Carson) “His new book is not the run-of-the-mill attack on political correctness that many writers indulge in; he does not merely recycle tabloid headlines, but goes deep into the heart of the political revolution known as “political correctness” that is destroying our country. He then outlines his manifesto for counter-revolution, the cornerstone of which is unilateral withdrawal from the European Union. The ground is covered in 105 pages with not a word wasted and in a style that is extremely readable as well as enlightening, a rare quality in an academic. His words hit the target as effectively as an English bowman on St Crispin’s Day. Be warned, Dr Gabb pulls no punches and to many his medicine will seem extreme.” (A Brief Encounter)

Genres: History, Politics

109 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Sean Gabb is the author of twenty books and around five hundred essays.

Under the name Richard Blake, he has written six historical novels for Hodder & Stoughton. These have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Greek, Slovak, Hungarian, Chinese and Indonesian.

Under his own name, he has written four novels. His other books are mainly about libertarian politics.

He is the Director of the Libertarian Alliance, a human rights and educational charity based in the United Kingdom.

He also teaches. His main experience has been in higher education. More recently, though, he has discovered a talent for teaching Latin to primary school children. This is a talent he intends to develop.

He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Rothsal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was first published in 2007. It could've been published last week.

Sean Gabb is a bit like an English Curtis Yarvin, or a sane Nick Land, or an early Dominic Cummings. His analysis is clear-eyed and accurate, and it will be familiar to anyone who has read the work of the people mentioned.

I should also say that his analysis is humane and tolerant; far from being embittered by events in England, Gabb has maintained his humanity towards people who differ from him in politics, lifestyle or religion. This is an important aspect of his thought and one more people would do well to take on board.

Gabb's prescriptions for what should be done are realistic and have a chance of success. They seem to me much more achievable than many of the prescriptions that emanate from the right.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the state of England today, why governments are so unresponsive to their electorates, and what can be done about it.

[Oolalaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

10/20

[York · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Something we should leave substantially alone is the welfare state.“

Right.

[James Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavily referenced and sourced yet still a pithy and succinct onslaught into all those modern phenomena like political correctness which have wrecked England.