Naomi Klein’s latest book, End Times Fascism, co-written with Astra Taylor, examines the disturbing intersection of extreme wealth, authoritarianism, and social fragmentation. Opening with a depiction of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff envisioning a gated, exclusive city called New Gaza at the 2026 Davos World Economic Forum, Klein illustrates how the super-rich increasingly plan for survival in privatized enclaves amid global crises.
The Davos gathering, traditionally a showcase for elite philanthropy, now reveals a brazen focus on profiting from disaster zones. Klein highlights Donald Trump’s announcement of a privatized reconstruction board for Gaza as emblematic of a new era where wealthy elites operate with little accountability, effectively creating a "privatized United Nations."
Klein argues that the psychological effects of compounded wealth lead to a deranged sense of supremacy. This small, powerful group no longer feels the need to justify itself, openly embracing exclusionary and often extremist ideologies. The book explores how authoritarianism manifests worldwide—from anti-immigrant policies in Italy and Brazil to the erosion of democratic institutions in Hungary and Russia—while climate change and financial instability fuel apocalyptic visions among the elite.
The authors also delve into the role of tech billionaires who, unlike religious fundamentalists, base their apocalyptic fantasies on pragmatic calculations to maintain power. Klein traces this trend back to privatized military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and disaster zones like New Orleans, where corporations like Halliburton and Blackwater capitalized on chaos.
Despite historical precedents, Klein warns that current crises are intensifying in scale and speed, creating a downward spiral of violence and environmental destruction. She critiques the neoliberal era’s shift from public wealth capture to shameless accumulation, noting how elite philanthropy has given way to overt hostility toward social responsibility.
Klein points to recent political developments, such as Peter Thiel’s anti-democratic rhetoric and the rapid alignment of tech billionaires with authoritarian figures like Donald Trump. She observes that many of these wealthy individuals have abandoned earlier public commitments to climate action and democracy, instead embracing nihilism and technological expansion that exacerbates environmental harm.
The book concludes that extreme wealth fosters supremacist narratives to rationalize inequality, fueling divisive ideologies including eugenics and Islamophobia. However, Klein remains hopeful about collective resistance, highlighting grassroots movements like Memphis Community Against Pollution that challenge corporate power and environmental injustice.
End Times Fascism invokes the concept of “now time,” a critical moment ripe for revolutionary change. Klein emphasizes the urgency of confronting these trends to protect the future and the natural world. Living close to nature herself, she finds motivation in defending the environment and calls on others to find their own sources of passion and resistance.