From one of the most admired international leaders, comes a timely, considered, and personal look at the history and current resurgence of fascism today and the virulent threat it poses to international freedom, prosperity, and peace. At the end of the 1980s, when the Cold War ended, many, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, believed that democracy had triumphed politically once and for all. Yet nearly thirty years later, the direction of history no longer seems certain. A repressive and destructive ...
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From one of the most admired international leaders, comes a timely, considered, and personal look at the history and current resurgence of fascism today and the virulent threat it poses to international freedom, prosperity, and peace. At the end of the 1980s, when the Cold War ended, many, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, believed that democracy had triumphed politically once and for all. Yet nearly thirty years later, the direction of history no longer seems certain. A repressive and destructive force has begun to re-emerge on the global stage--sweeping across Europe, parts of Asia, and the United States--that to Albright, looks very much like fascism. Based on her personal experience growing up in Hungary under Hitler and the Communist regime that followed World War II, as well as knowledge gleaned from her distinguished diplomatic career and insights from colleagues around the globe, Albright paints a clear picture of how fascism flourishes and explains why it is once again taking hold worldwide, identifying the factors contributing to its rise. Most importantly, she makes clear what could happen if we fail to act against rising fascist forces today and in the near future, including the potential for economic catastrophe, a lasting spike in terrorist activity, increased sectarian violence, a rash of large-scale humanitarian emergencies, massive human rights violations, a breakdown in multilateral cooperation, and nearly irreparable self-inflicted damage to America's reputation and capacity to lead. Albright also offers clear solutions, including adjusting to the ubiquity of social media and the changing nature of the workplace, and understanding ordinary citizens' universal desire for sources of constancy and morality in their lives. She contends that we must stimulate economic growth and narrow the gap between the rich and poor, urban and rural, women and men, and skilled and unskilled; work across borders to respond to transnational challenges; and ultimately recognize that democracy's unique virtue is its ability--through reason and open debate--to find remedies for its own shortcomings.
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If you wanted a clear definition of Fascism so you could better understand today's world, you'll be disappointed. Rather, Albright first drags the reader through a rehash of WWII's despots, then dictators since then. It isn't until the end of the book that she discusses the US Presidency of Trump. Finally on p. 245 she defines a fascist as "someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have."
She is an avid apologist for Democracy while avoiding in depth discussion of the ways it is failing to work in the USA. What does it say about democracy that Trump could be elected President, that Congress has abdicated much of its powers (particularly the War Powers Act), and that corporate interests carry more influence with Congress members than their own constituents? That would have been a truly interesting discussion by a person of vast experience.
A bright point is Albright's chapter on Immigration - a topic of great concern to many nations in the world as war, climate change and economic hardship propel millions of people to migrate from their countries of origin to other countries.
ludwig
May 28, 2019
The Most Dangerous Thing to a Democracy
As most of us know--the 2oth century was a century of the most dangerous wars that could have literally blown up the earth into smithereens and started with the fall of most of the world's monarchy's who had made some very bad decisions. Those decisions are now haunting the 21st century.
Among those who succeeded these monarchs were Hitler, Franco and Mussolini-- who were followed up by the horrors of Viet Nam, Mao, Cambodia and all those horrors of Africa as Idi Amen (sp?) who invited the Archbishop to dine with him-but the Archbishop failed to know that he was on the menu for the rest of the guests after he was murdered in the kitchen.
This book traces the fall of Governments and the rise and lost of democracies and the dangers that they pose for today under an irrational and unstable President Trump--who seems to want to be a dictator or absolute king and is so ignorant of the processes of law and so self centered and corrupt that he should not be President . I
It warns that the stupid people here who are so caught up in celebrity rather than reason are the same people who brought the foregoing dictators to power. America is in danger of loosing the ideals of its founders to people who seek to change it to their versions of democracy--that is they are the only ones who have power and the rest of the peons do not. It warns that when only Rich people can take the reins of Government and twists its laws to their making --- something is badly wrong.
The people can change this but unfortunately the holier than thou and others who are so in love with Trump that they are blind to see how terrible this man is and how dangerous he is and they are to the Constitution of the United States.--Trump is not only his worst enemy but also the worst enemy of the American Public.
The author, a former Secretary of State, has lived through the times of Hitler and had to flee from him, as a Jew, as well as Mussolini. Her words are a strong warning against all the things that Trump has done and is doing in office--like saying nothing to Korea about continuing to violate agreements not to shoot of missles of anykind.
If you are and Americana and love this country --this book is a not only a good read but a good lesson in Government that every one should know. Trump also has some far out off the cliff followers who have actively advised him to turn this country into a fascist country which Trump has subscribed to.