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Title: The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad
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Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
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| The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by W. W. Norton & Company Democracy without liberty | This is a fascinating book! Illiberal democracy (democracy without liberty) is spreading worldwide, and imperiling the future of freedom. The democratization process is multi-faceted: political, economic, cultural, what have you. The broad drivers behind it are technological progress, the growth of a wealthy middle class, the fall of alternative economic systems, and the Americanization of popular culture. Gunnar Myrdal predicted the convergence of political attitudes, while von Hayek foretold the fall of socialism and rise of the welfare state. What both philosophical thinkers missed is that the rise in democracy was to be without liberty. The rest of this book explains how and why that happened.
The explanation starts with a short history of liberty. This chapter is pure educational pleasure - for any reader. The road to democracy itself has undulated, yet infrastructural change is unstoppable, and along with it super-structural change. The exception is the Islamic world where the "monarchs are more liberal than societies over which they reign" (p. 120). However, too much of anything is dangerous, and paradoxically too much democracy has killed authority, resulting in illiberal democracy. It is under this new stage that dangers, like international terrorism, now lurk.
The book ends with a forward-looking chapter of the "way out". While the information the last chapter presents is valuable, the conclusions do not appear to follow easily from previous chapters. However, even with that flaw, this is a great book.
Amavilah, Author
Modeling Determinants of Income in Embedded Economies
ISBN: 1600210465
| | The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by W. W. Norton & Company In the name of Freedom | Fareed Zakaria proves himself a brilliant thinker with his From Wealth to Power, The Future of Freedom, and The Post-American World. The Future of Freedom has the real foundation of his thinking: there is something wrong with Liberal Democracy and there is something right with Illiberal Democracy from the perspectives of social development and international politics.
| | The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by W. W. Norton & Company Very interesting stuff! | "The Future of Freedom" poses interesting questions about the line between healthy democracy and populist excess. To an extent, he does have a point, as the bloated US budget proves beyond any doubt. I'm not sure that I prescribe to his solutions necessarily, but this is a very thought-provoking read nonetheless.
Personally, I have long thought that the biggest problem we have in our government is the Senate. Ever since the US amended the Constitution to make Senators directly elected, our system has been out-of-balance. Back when states appointed Senators according to their own criteria, they represented a balance against federal power and excessive spending and regulation. Now, the Senators are just part of the problem, instead of being the solution as originally intended by James Madison.
| | The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by W. W. Norton & Company Must Read | | When I read this book, I felt it was the most important book I had read since college, twenty five years ago. Two years later, I still feel that way. If you live in a democracy, this is a must read book. | | The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by W. W. Norton & Company How much democracy is too much? |
How much democracy is too much? Are elections really democracy? "the Future of Freedom" deals with these weighty issues and others related to how democracies should be governed. Fareed Zakaria is an editor at Newsweek, and his experience at a large circulation magazine shows in this books writing style. "The Future of Freedom" is well written and easy to read; it is obviously not intended as an academic work. It is lightly foot noted with end notes that provide reference to some of his sources.
The issues that "the Future of Freedom" addresses are critically important; however Zakaria's thesis is counter-intuitive, and new, at least to me. He shows examples, principally in east asia of undemocratic countries that are stable and are succeeding economically. He also shows examples of countries that have elections but are not stable and that do worse after democratic elections then before. The key seems to be professionally run institutions like an independent judiciary and central banks that are isolated from electoral politics.
One example of too much democracy causing problems is the state of California. We have given the people power through the referendum system and it has caused budgetary and administrative chaos. So is authoritarianism the answer? Obviously not, as Zakaria clearly shows.
He does offer solutions to how to these important complex issues should be managed. While these examples seem like good workable solutions to me, I do not expect to see them implemented anytime soon. His examples are of governing institutions run by appointed staff that are insulated from lobbying and the need to seek re-election.
I enjoyed reading "The Future of Freedom", it is a well written thoughtful discussion of important issues facing America and the world today. I hope it is widely read and discussed. I would like to see more books of this caliber.
| | The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad by W. W. Norton & Company Book Description | | Democracy has reshaped politics, economics, and culture around the world. This provocative book asks, can you have too much of a good thing? Today we judge the value of every idea, institution, and individual by one test: is it popular? Or, more practically, do the majority of those polled like it? This transformation has affected not just politics but also business, law, culture, and even religion. Every institution and profession in society must democratize or die. Democracy has gone from being a form of government to a way of life. Like any broad transformation, however, the trends that democracy unleashes are not uniformly benign. Democracy has its dark sides, yet to question it has been to provoke instant criticism that you are "out of sync" with the times. No more. With an easy command of history, philosophy, and current affairs, Zakaria reinterprets our past and outlines our future. Woodrow Wilson said the challenge of the twentieth century was to make the world safe for democracy. This penetrating book challenges us to make democracy safe for the world. |
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