Naomi Klein’s latest work, End Times Fascism, opens on a mountain in Davos, Switzerland, in 2026. The scene depicts two individuals described as “faithful men gathering an audience to share their vision.” This vision is of an exclusive, gated paradise city, secure and populated entirely by the wealthy. Klein, co-authoring with Astra Taylor, explores how the super-rich use the World Economic Forum to showcase their own perceived virtues while building private enclaves.
A notable event at the 2026 Davos summit was Donald Trump’s announcement of a “Board of Peace” for Gaza’s reconstruction. Seven months later, the initiative has yielded no tangible results. Klein argues that the public is experiencing a form of sensory overload, noting, “we’re being hit with so many extraordinary events that it’s hard to hold on to what a big deal it is: they have announced a privatised United Nations.”
Speaking from British Columbia, Klein emphasizes the compounding nature of wealth and the often-ignored consequences of such concentration. She notes, “I think we understand that wealth compounds, right? Certainly rich people understand that wealth compounds,” yet the societal implications of this runaway accumulation remain under-examined. Despite the gravity of her subject matter, Klein maintains a composed, curious, and buoyant demeanor, mirroring the style she displayed during the promotion of her 2023 bookDoppelgängerwhich explored how the digital landscape fractures our grasp on reality and communal bonds.
End Times Fascismserves as an expansion of a viral article Klein previously wrote. The book documents global authoritarian trends: the rise of anarcho-libertarian economics in Argentina, the state-led dismantling of a free press in Russia, the past erosion of democratic norms in Hungary under Viktor Orbán, and the surge of “anti-immigrant neofascism” within Italy. Klein reflects on the decision to pursue the project, recounting that Taylor initially hesitated, questioning if they wanted to spend a year immersed in such volatile ideologies before ultimately committing to the research.
The authors describe a “bunkered state,” characterized by a convergence of climate-driven disasters, the aggressive deployment of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, and political systems built upon systemic misinformation. Klein explains that these patterns are not entirely new; she recalls observing the emergence of privatized enclaves during her reporting in Iraq, specifically the US-managed Green Zone in Baghdad, which was constructed by private contractors like Halliburton.
Klein cautions against assuming one has seen these events before. Instead, she advocates for the concept of a “spiral” to explain how our current era feels simultaneously familiar and distinct. She and Taylor incorporate Walter Benjamin’s theory of “jetztzeit,” or “now time,” to describe a historical moment charged with the revolutionary urgency of past movements. While Klein admits she prefers measured language, she feels the current escalation of crises warrants a more direct tone.
Reflecting on the evolution of global capitalism, Klein describes the neoliberal period—bridging the Cold War and the onset of COVID-19—as a time when capitalism became complacent without the pressure of a global competitor. During this era, figures like Mark Zuckerberg projected an image of concern for climate and democracy, which Klein now views as disingenuous. She contrasts this with activists like KeShaun and Justin Pearson, who are challenging Elon Musk’s “Colossus 2” data center in Memphis by grounding their struggle in civil rights and environmental justice history.
The book also highlights high-profile gatherings like the panel discussions hosted by Peter Thiel at Miami’s Faena Hotel in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. At these sessions, participants labeled social responsibility, precautionary principles, and sustainable development goals as primary enemies, eventually concluding with an “apocalypse ball”-themed party. These moments define a landscape where elites are increasingly disconnected from the reality of the societal shifts they are precipitating. The report also notes that gated at every entrance, no need for weapons there, everyone in it rich, it’s a vision of a paradise city. The report also notes that one of the men has tears in his eyes as he describes its beauty. The report also notes that the men are Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. The report also notes that the World Economic Forum get-together in Davos, Switzerland, has always had a twin purpose – to provide a platform for the super-rich to describe all the good they are doing on poverty and climate, and to give us a glimpse into their enviable lives. The report also notes that quite brazenly, the world’s richest men gathering to discuss the real estate possibilities of a mass grave, this year what we witnessed was. The report also notes that “But I don’t feel like we spend a lot of time really thinking about the implications of what it means for that much wealth to be compounded, and what that does psychologically. The report also notes that mediagenic, technological and military weaponry is concentrated in the hands of this very small, unaccountable group of people, part of the new shamelessness we’re seeing is just what happens when this amount of financial. The report also notes that they stop trying to seduce us in any way.”.