How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World audiobook cover - A Short History of Modern Delusions

How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World

A Short History of Modern Delusions

Francis Wheen

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Society & Culture

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How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World
Neoliberal Economics+
The Self-Help Industry+
Bogus Academic Theories+
Post-structuralist Nonsense+
Deceptive Third-Way Politics+
Countering Irrationality+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to the text, what is the fundamental flaw of neoliberal 'supply-side' economics?
  • A. It requires heavy government intervention to regulate free markets.
  • B. It is merely a rebranding of debunked 'trickle-down' theories that fail to effectively redistribute wealth.
  • C. It primarily benefits the working class at the expense of corporate innovation and growth.
  • D. It discourages international free trade by heavily taxing imported goods.
Question 2 of 7
How does the book explain the massive success of self-help gurus like Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra?
  • A. They provide rigorous, scientifically backed methodologies for wealth generation.
  • B. They emerged during a time of economic prosperity, capitalizing on people's excess disposable income.
  • C. They use flamboyant rhetorical styles to disguise common-sense or irrational ideas as profound wisdom.
  • D. They offer harsh but necessary critiques of neoliberal economic policies.
Question 3 of 7
Why does the author criticize Samuel Huntington's 'Clash of Civilizations' theory?
  • A. It relies on complex economic data that ignores the cultural nuances of Eastern nations.
  • B. It incorrectly predicts that future global conflicts will be driven by economic differences rather than cultural ones.
  • C. It forces complex geopolitical realities into flawed cultural categories, such as mislabeling Greece to fit its narrative.
  • D. It assumes that Western neoliberal capitalism is the final form of human government.
Question 4 of 7
What is the primary danger of post-structuralist philosophy, as highlighted in the text?
  • A. It enforces a strict, unyielding interpretation of historical texts that suppresses creative thought.
  • B. It relies too heavily on structuralist notions that meaning is determined by material factors.
  • C. It asserts that stable meaning doesn't exist, which can be used to justify or deny historical atrocities like the Holocaust.
  • D. It focuses exclusively on scientific disciplines, ignoring the humanities and social sciences.
Question 5 of 7
How did Tony Blair's 'Third Way' political strategy function in practice?
  • A. It completely dismantled Margaret Thatcher's neoliberal economic policies in favor of radical socialism.
  • B. It used progressive-sounding language about 'empathy' and 'social justice' to mask the continuation of right-wing, free-market policies.
  • C. It rejected both right-wing and left-wing rhetoric, focusing entirely on concrete, data-driven policy solutions.
  • D. It strictly aligned the Labour Party with traditional Marxist theories of wealth redistribution.
Question 6 of 7
What historical example does the text use to demonstrate the value of cultural interchange in countering irrational divisions like 'Islam vs. the West'?
  • A. The separation of church and state by the founding fathers of the United States.
  • B. The adoption of post-structuralist philosophy in American universities during the 1980s.
  • C. The transmission of advanced mathematics and astronomy from the Islamic world, which helped spark the European Enlightenment.
  • D. The implementation of the welfare state in the UK following the end of World War II.
Question 7 of 7
According to the book's actionable advice, what is the hidden downside of free-trade propaganda?
  • A. It isolates Western nations by imposing strict tariffs on developing countries.
  • B. It primarily benefits society as a whole while heavily taxing Western corporations.
  • C. It forces corporations to rely entirely on domestic labor, driving up the cost of consumer goods.
  • D. It opens up cheap labor markets to Western corporations, leading to increased unemployment and income inequality at home.

How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World — Full Chapter Overview

How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World Summary & Overview

How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World (2004) takes a detailed look at irrational tendencies and how they have come to pervade and pervert the modern world. These blinks walk you through bogus philosophies, from neoliberal political and economic dogma that predominated in the 1980s to New Age gurus peddling hollow advice and false hope.

Who Should Listen to How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World?

  • Students of history or politics
  • People who feel that there’s something amiss in the world today

About the Author: Francis Wheen

Francis Wheen is an award-winning author and journalist. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian and is renowned for his writings on Karl Marx.

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