Policy Press

Capitalism Reloaded

The Rise of the Authoritarian-Financial Complex

By Peter Bloom

Exploring the 'authoritarian–financial complex' that shapes modern capitalism, this book unveils how neoliberalism fosters state and corporate repression in our lives. Bloom shows how financial securitisation fuels oppression by exploiting social inequalities. This is must-read on capitalism's drive for profit and authoritarian power.

In Capitalism Reloaded, Peter Bloom charts a pivotal shift from the well-known military-industrial complex to a new ‘Authoritarian-Financial Complex.’ Unlike its predecessor, which centred on armaments and defence, this emerging power structure fuses financial interests with advanced surveillance and digital control, turning social repression into a lucrative industry. Bloom introduces a ground breaking theory of ‘complex power,’ where control itself becomes a central driver of capitalism, shaping economies and societies. Bloom explores how this insatiable demand for security and profit extends beyond traditional authoritarian regimes, permeating everyday life and eroding democratic freedoms. This book challenges readers to confront the deep entanglements of modern capitalism before they solidify into a techno-authoritarian order.

Peter Bloom is Professor of Management at the University of Essex.

1. Capitalism Reloaded

2. Complexifying Power

3. The Rise of the Authoritarian-Financial Complex

4. Securitizing History

5. Growing Global Authoritarian Markets

6. Producing Precarity

7. Insatiable Control

8. Repressive Progress

9. Perpetual Crisis

10. Breaking Free from the Authoritarian-Financial Complex