Espen Hammer

USA, a Superpower in Crisis

USA, en supermakt i krise

The American dream is over. Three decades after the fall of communism, the mood in the USA is dramatically different than it was in the era when the country emerged victorious from the Cold War. Nowadays, the country is ravaged by despondency, unrest and, to some extent, chaos. So what went wrong – and what needs to be done?
In this book, Professor Espen Hammer offers a penetrating portrayal of the country’s most important lines of conflict. Although the current unrest is often attributed to Donald Trump, Hammer shows the larger forces that have operated beneath the surface over time, transforming the US from a relatively safe homeland to a nation of immense social differences, deep political divides and dysfunctional democracy. By directing a spotlight on the economy, right-wing populism and the crisis in the political system, Hammer reveals the crucial intersections in today’s America. The result is a razor-sharp book that cuts straight to the heart of the USA’s most important challenges.

Hammer usa 9788248927440

‘(…) an informative, convincing book that deserves many readers.’

Author Thomas Hylland Eriksen

‘(…) brilliant reading.’

Stavanger Aftenblad
Hammer, espen photo celina øier
Photo: Celina Øier

Espen Hammer is professor of philosophy at Temple University, Philadelphia. He has lived more than 20 years in USA — in New York and Philadelphia. He has published three books in Norwegian: Theodor Adorno (Gyldendal 2002); Det indre mørke: et essay om melankoli (Universitetsforlaget 2004); Anstendighet og revolt: noen betraktninger omkring Dag Solstads forfatterskap (Oktober Forlag 2011). He has published the following academic books: Stanley Cavell: Skepticism, Subjectivity and the Ordinary (Routledge 2006); Philosophy and Temporality from Kant to Critical Theory (Routledge 2018); Adorno’s Modernism: Art, Experience and Catastrophe (Cambridge University Press 2015).