Edward
Luce’s The Retreat of Western Liberalism
is a short but very comprehensive take on the current state of affairs in
Europe and the United States. Luce touches on the economic, social, and
political causes of the rise of nationalism and its battle with an increasingly
interconnected world, staking the argument that classical liberal values such
as freedom and liberty are at risk.
This is a book that can be read cover to cover in a few hours -- a dedicated afternoon or at
most two should be able to knock it out -- but it is one that is
definitely worth reading if you are interested in the root causes of the
current world situation and can afford to leave your ideological herd for a
spell. Luce casts blame at all sides and at a number of events over the past
decades to show the slippery slope and how that descent has steepened.
The
author spends ninety percent of the book arguing the causes and ten percent
touching on solutions, a bit of a disappointment given how strong the first
three parts of the book were. Luce admitted that he was not in the predictions
game regarding our future. However, the book’s closing felt incomplete without some
additional red meat content that he felt would address the issues that plague
America beyond mere mentioning of a few basic talking points. Despite this, The Retreat of Western Liberalism is
worth reading and will provide moments that make everyone in the room think (and perhaps even get annoyed) as their worldview is challenged.
MY RATING - 4
