Review | Naomi Klein turns her ire on the dystopian fiction of Trumpism

No Is Not Enough
by Naomi Klein
Allen Lane

Donald Trump is dystopian fiction come to life, writes Naomi Klein, explaining that a feature of this genre is that it takes trends to their logical conclusion, then asks: do you like what you see? Not only is it a “no” from this bestselling social activist, she also declares rejection is not enough – Trumpism must be defeated.

Recovering quickly from the disorientation of the US president’s shock politics is crucial, as is telling a values-based story more compelling than that being peddled by the shock doctors, she writes. And to ensure progressives make up for the ground they’ve lost, communities and causes need to connect to revive the utopian ideal absent in past decades and challenge systems together.

Klein wrote this book in mere months, in contrast to the five to six years for each of her previous, groundbreaking titles, No Logo(1999) among them. But past research serves her well. Trump is a one-man megabrand, she argues, pointing out that he is also the consequence of neoliberal ideas. Her veto is not only for No 45 and his ilk. It’s also a no to the system that gave them power.