The Politics of Envy

When toxic envy grows unchecked, it will inevitably destroy an individual, a family, a society —even a civilization. In our day, envy has reached its tipping point, fueling acts of anger, violence, and revenge in America’s cities and corporate boardrooms. In this timely and brilliantly written book, Anne Hendershott argues that the political class, social media, and advertisers have created a culture of covetousness by relentlessly provoking us to envy others and to be envied. The result is not surprising: a deeply indignant and rapacious generation that believes no one is more deserving of advantages and rewards than they. Hendershott explains how envy leads to resentment, which eventually erupts into violence and rage, malicious mobs, cancel culture, and the elevation of dysfunctional political systems such as socialism and Marxism. The Politics of Envy is the first book to provide a sociocultural probe into the root cause of the deadly sin of envy, and it charts a proven path out of this disordered and destructive thinking. From this pivotal, vitally important book you’ll also learn: Why envy cannot be defeated by politics and requires a heroic attitude to defeat How social media’s illusion of intimacy has fueled the mobs The difference between bullying and the envy-driven cancel culture The Marxist roots of Liberation Theology Why students have always been an easy target for the cult of socialism Why the truly envious believe that no one is more deserving of advantages and rewards than they How today’s culture of envy traces its roots to the 1950s

Additional Information