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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Rafael Behr

Five of the best books about democracy in crisis

QAnon supporter protests about the early results of the 2020 presidential election and holds a sign that reads 'Q SENT ME!'
Terrifying pathology… QAnon supporter Jacob Chansley at a protest. Photograph: Cheney Orr/Reuters

It has been called the permacrisis – a state of perpetual turbulence that folds geopolitical tension into cultural polarisation and spins it all around in a furious vortex. It can feel like being knocked over in the sea, unsure which way is up, afraid that another wave will strike the moment you breach the surface. The usual political narratives aren’t adequate to explain what is happening. These books go deeper.

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