Pankaj Mishra's 'Bland Fanatics' critiques Western intellectual delusions and imperial legacies

In his 2020 essay compilation 'Bland Fanatics: Liberals, the West and the Afterlives of Empire,' Pankaj Mishra examines Anglo-American ideologies spanning from colonialism to neoliberalism. The collection features essays from the last ten years, critiquing prominent figures such as Niall Ferguson, Salman Rushdie, and Jordan Peterson, along with media outlets including The Economist and The New York Times. It opens with Mishra's 2011 response to Ferguson's 'Civilisation,' which prompted libel threats. He contends that longstanding Western misconceptions have fueled populist movements like Brexit and Trump's victory. Mishra links capitalism, 'Anglobalisation,' and white supremacy, referencing intellectuals like Soedjatmoko and B.R. Ambedkar, and urges a reevaluation of historical racism to inspire future political transformations.