The Progress Trap

""This book is a brilliant exposé of the delusions and authoritarianism of modern progressivism. I heartily recommend it."" Ed West, author of the Wrong Side of History, substack ""Outstanding in its verve, originality and coherence, Cobley’s critique of the authoritarianism implicit in modern progressive politics is a tour-de-force."" Robert Tombs, author of The English and their History ""After The Tribe, this is another triumph. The Progress Trap not only diagnoses progressive pathologies but it suggests intelligent ways to respond to them. Delightfully, in revealing their errors and the unintended consequences of their dreams, Cobley shows that he knows progressives better than they know themselves."" William Clouston, leader of the Social Democratic Party ""The Progress Trap is vital reading for anyone trying to make sense of culture, politics and society. Cobley’s provocative and engaging analysis challenges readers to rethink their assumptions about the past, present and future."" Joanna Williams, author of How Woke Won: The Elitist Movement That Threatens Democracy, Tolerance and Reason ""Cobley deftly rips away the fig leaf of “neutral” expertise and “compassionate, forward-looking” moral naturalness which progressive elites in our institutions use to conceal their agenda. He combines his trademark attention to spotting the needles in our daily media haystack with a focused lens drawn from a deep reservoir of theoretical and historical reading. From government to corporations, activists to bureaucrats, artists to academics, The Progress Trap pulls back the curtain marked “progress” to reveal the authoritarian false promise of progressive modernism."" Eric Kaufmann, author of Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revolution