Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age by Ibram X. Kendi
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Many thanks to Random House, One World Publishers, and NetGalley
for sharing an advanced copy of Ibram X. Kendi’s timely and urgent new book Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age. Dr. Kendi, who currently
chairs the Advanced Study Institute at Howard University, is one of the most
prominent researchers, teachers, and activists in racism, and his work is not
only is well-researched, but also is accessible for general audiences. Although
Chain of Ideas is a necessary book for many people today, I’m afraid
that those who would most benefit from learning more about the origins and
effects of The Great Replacement Theory are not going to pick up this book. Unfortunately,
I’m afraid that many will stamp Dr. Kendi’s research and ideas as racist or
woke, positioning this book as something it is not. Politicians and cultural
warriors have branded Dr. Kendi as a dangerous thinker, but I think his work is
some of the most important out there today, not only because of his ability to
clearly analyze racism through social and historical lenses, but also to propose
thoughtful, considerate, and meaningful change in a way that clearly
demonstrates Dr. Kendi’s skills as a teacher and public intellectual.
Chain of Ideas primarily interrogates the Great
Replacement Theory, a misguided belief that policies and movements in the
United States and around the world are anti-white, and looking for ways to
benefit other races at the expense of white people. Dr. Kendi’s research traces
how this idea has gained recent traction in the past 15-20 years in Europe and
the US but is really a result of distancing and recycling of Nazi ideas, which
were ultimately influenced by US segregation and Indian removal policies that
largely relied on racial categories to benefit white citizens over others. Dr.
Kendi provides 10 links in the chain that demonstrate how the Great Replacement
theory operates and its impact on society as well as the violence it has
wrought in Europe, America, and areas like Australia and New Zealand. Many of
the mass shootings have cited Great Replacement ideas and fears, and when these
happen, replacement politicians often offer distancing, but still manage to
either redirect blame or fear monger about other issues whether it is
immigration, gun rights, or privileges. Regardless, it’s important for the
public to not only understand this theory, but also be able to recognize some
of the dog whistles and calls to discrimination that politicians evoke to instill
fear and stoke violence among their followers.
Each chain in the link is focused on many different examples
across history and around the world. While I think many readers will be
familiar with the American examples and especially the more recent American
examples, it was shocking to learn more about what’s been happening in Europe
and how politicians are using the fear of immigrants to manipulate Europeans
into a zero-sum way of thinking, that immigrants’ gain comes at a citizens’ loss.
In fact, I felt so frustrated and sad while reading this to see how many people
are manipulated regularly with misinformation, a lack of clear understanding of
history, and a willingness to readily accept false promises because of politicians’
clout or prior success. In a lot of ways, I kept thinking about Ta-Neihisi
Coates’ “The First White President,” which argues that Trump used similar manipulative
methods to stoke white resentment among social classes that other politicians
had used. Rather than finding commonality in the exploitation of the working
class or banding together to have more power, politicians will often use zero
sum thinking in race and note that progress and opportunities come at a cost
for white people, which is clearly not true. Furthermore, Dr. Kendi’s
refutation of the kind of reverse racism that has sadly become a spectacle of
the latest Trump administration reminded me of Keon West’s excellent book The Science of Racism, that demonstrates the true impact of racism and biases
on access to things like jobs and opportunities, while also making a strong
argument about the false nature of these ideas of reverse racism. Similarly,
Dr. Kendi notes that this is just another method that has been used since the
Nazi’s grabbed power in 1930s Germany to present their enemies as threats and disempower
them to the point of expulsion and elimination. As Dr. Kendi notes, while WWII
ended the Nazis, these ideas have gradually been sanitized and updated for our
modern world. He rejects the idea of neo-Nazis since these are the same ideas,
just rebranded. I hadn’t really thought about this since we continually mention
neo-Nazis, but they really are the same ideas, or as Gil Scott Heron once said,
it “ain’t no new thing.” It’s just scary
and disheartening to learn how this cycle continues, and how easily people are
manipulated into believing these kinds of falsehoods and misrepresentations.
One of the most frightening elements of the book is how many
of these ideas were reanimated by a novelist making observations in France in
the late 90s. Rather than being guided by statistics and facts, Renaud Camus’s
conspiratorial ideas spread throughout Europe and took hold in America as well,
where change and difference were demonized and blamed for everything from
inflation, to violence, to housing shortages, and unemployment, allowing others
holding more responsibility to skirt blame and evade accountability. It’s also
sad to see how powerful and generally intelligent people will misuse and manipulate
others’ misfortune to gain advantages and power in society. While American
politicians adopted the Southern Strategy of rebranding phrases like school
choice and crime to manipulate voters’ fears, recent Trump advisors like the
Steves (Bannon and Miller) have used more blatant fear mongering and racism to
spread falsehoods and sow division in society. In fact, Miller made sure that
others had copies of one of his favorite books, Camp of the Saints, a
1970s dystopian novel, akin to the Eruo-Turner Diaries, which presents immigration
as the downfall of European society. We continue to hear these nagging
criticisms in Trump and Vance’s admonition of Europe. However, as Dr. Kendi
notes, whites are largely the dominant majority in European countries, hardly
at risk of losing their status, their population advantage, and more importantly
their social capital. It was just surprising to learn how much fiction can
masquerade as fact and be so influential on policies and fears. Chain of
Ideas is not only eye opening, but it is also a call to awareness and
resistance. After reading Dr. Kendi’s dismantling of these bonds which chain
people to racist and violent ideas, readers should feel more empowered to
identify the falsehoods and propaganda, to require facts and confirmation
rather than just accept the biases and falsehoods of conmen looking to stay out
of jail. Furthermore, Dr. Kendi’s book is timely and necessary as America
continues to slip in its autonomy. We are witnessing continued attempts to make
voting more difficult, while an armed militia of untrained loyalists is now
policing airports while Steven Bannon notes how ICE would be ideal to patrol
polling places. Dr. Kendi’s comparisons with other countries that have slipped
into autocracy should also serve as a warning to see how the transition from
democracy to autonomy isn’t sudden and jarring, but rather a slow erosion that
happens with dismantling the typical bulwarks and checks that balance out power
(see Hungary, Turkey, El Salvador, and Russia).
While Chain of Ideas is not always an easy read,
learning and change are not always easy. There’s a certain level of discomfort
and challenge that comes with incorporating new and uncomfortable ideas into
our existing schema, yet Dr. Kendi uses familiar references and examples to
make his point, making the history and current threats all the more accessible.
The only suggestions I have are to have more transitions between paragraphs to
better develop the links and connections between different examples and
countries. The book shifts from different examples, both historically and country-wise.
I found that sometimes I needed to go back to better understand the connection,
and I wondered if having more transitions to better emphasize the connections between
ideas would have helped with the ideas. Additionally, I wish the book was more focused
on solutions. The “Epilogue” does present some steps to take, and it notes how America
is different from the other examples. Furthermore, Dr. Kendi also encourages
readers to take action at the end of the book; however, the book at times does
feel like it’s a downer, and I felt myself getting discouraged at times, which
is also an important sign of its power. Maybe there will be some new editions
or future works that focus on advocacy and action. However, Dr. Kendi does important
work in teaching us about the history of this dangerous idea, and how it has
been recycled and repositioned for modern audiences. Highly recommended!
