A political autopsy of Liberal Los Angeles

Abstract

In this tribute to Mike Davis, I engage with his concept of the “slum” to analyze the present conjuncture of the First World slum, notably mass homelessness in Los Angeles. While Davis honed his attention on global neoliberalism, I draw upon his incisive LA essays to uncover the violence of liberal governance, specifically what he calls “community capitalism.” Drawing on my work with insurgent research collectives, I argue that the LA intifada is alive and well in the marginalized spaces of the city where community defenders repeatedly assert collective power in the face of social death.