The Retreat of Western Liberalism - Softcover

Luce, Edward

Softcover

ISBN 10: 080212819X ISBN 13: 9780802128195

Publisher: Grove Press, 2018

Synopsis

From Financial Times chief US columnist and commentator Edward Luce, The Retreat of Western Liberalism offers a sharp and insightful look at why the values the West has long championed are now in danger, with a new afterword for the paperback.

Luce argues that today’s the erosion of middle-class incomes has eaten away at liberal democratic consensus, resulting in today’s crisis. We are continuing on a menacing trajectory brought about by ignorance of what it took to build the West, arrogance towards society’s economic losers, and complacency about our system’s durability―attitudes that have been emerging since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Unless the West can rekindle an economy that produces gains for the majority of its people, its political liberties may be doomed. The West’s quasi-religious faith in the linear progression of history teaches us to take democracy for granted. Reality tells us something troublingly different. The most mortal threat to the Western idea of progress comes from within.

Combining on-the-ground reporting with intelligent synthesis of the literature and economic analysis, Luce makes a powerful statement about the weakening of Western hegemony and gives a forward-thinking analysis of what those who believe in enlightenment values must do to defend them from the multiple onslaughts they face in the coming years.

About this title

Review

An Amazon Best Book of June 2017: Why does it feel like things are coming apart in the world? As the U.S. commentator for the Financial Times, Edward Luce is in a good position to observe global trends and answer this question. In The Retreat of Western Liberalism, he points to the rise in populism across nations and the relative economic growth of a few developing countries like China and India as key contributing factors. Of course it’s much more complicated than that, and Luce’s taut and satisfying book goes a long way in helping us to wrap our heads around what’s happening. Think of this as a global Hillbilly Elegy. You may not find every answer you’re looking for, but you’ll make serious, welcome progress in understanding the questions. --Chris Schluep, The Amazon Book Review

About the Author

Edward Luce is a graduate from Oxford University in Politics, Philosophy and Economics. He worked as a speech writer for the treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, worked as the South Asia bureau chief for the Financial Times, and is based in Washington DC as the Financial Times Washington columnist and commentator. He was formerly its Washington bureau chief. He is also the author of In Spite of the Gods: The Rise of Modern Indiaand Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent.

About this edition

• Publisher: Grove Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 080212819X
• ISBN 13: 9780802128195
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256