Sunday, October 14, 2018

The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It Hardcover – March 5, 2018 by Yascha Mounk (Harvard University Press)



This is a perceptive analysis of "why our freedom is in danger", and I highly recommend it. The "how to save it" part has many excellent suggestions, some of which might need further refinement. But the book as a whole is an important contribution to on the future of democracy. Whether the reader agrees with every part of it or not, it points to problems we need to recognize, discussions we need to have, goals on which we may be able to find consensus, and possible steps to reach those goals.

Something to bear in mind throughout the book is the meaning of the phrase "liberal democracy". The opposite of "liberal" in this case is "illiberal"; this has nothing to do with "liberal" versus "conservative" political views, but goes back to the original meaning of "liberal": suitable for free people (Latin "liberalis"). Illiberal democracies risk becoming oligarchies or dictatorships, whether of the right or the left.

The 24 page introduction covers much of the same ground as the rest of the book, but I'm not sure it adds much value. If you find it annoying or boring, then skip to Part One and Part Two, where the author presents and develops the same ideas in a more complete and coherent way.

Part Three, "Remedies", looks at ways to counteract trends such as toxic expressions of nationalism and extreme concentration of wealth to create an environment in which democracy can function more effectively. All of these suggestions deserve serious discussion and study, but a few might need some adjustment to avoid unintended consequences. For example, Mounk suggests that higher taxes on undeveloped land would encourage more housing development. While that may be true, land use policy should also consider environmental impacts ranging from destruction of wetlands to the effect of deforestation on climate.

No comments:

Post a Comment