Demagogue de Michael Signer

Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies

Michael Signer

A demagogue is a tyrant who owes his initial rise to the democratic support of the masses. Huey Long, Hugo Chavez, and Moqtada al-Sadr are all clear examples of this dangerous byproduct of democracy." Demagogue" takes a long view of the fight to defend democracy from within, from the brutal general Cleon in ancient Athens, the demagogues who plagued the bloody French Revolution, George W. Bush's naive democratic experiment in Iraq, and beyond. This compelling narrative weaves stories about some of history's most fascinating figures, including Adolf Hitler, Senator Joe McCarthy, and General Douglas Macarthur, and explains how humanity's urge for liberty can give rise to dark forces that threaten that very freedom. To find the solution to democracy's demagogue problem, the book delves into the stories of four great thinkers who all personally struggled with democracy--Plato, Alexis de Tocqueville, Leo Strauss, and Hannah Arendt."

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Descriere

A demagogue is a tyrant who owes his initial rise to the democratic support of the masses. Huey Long, Hugo Chavez, and Moqtada al-Sadr are all clear examples of this dangerous byproduct of democracy. Demagogue takes a long view of the fight to defend democracy from within, from the brutal general Cleon in ancient Athens, the demagogues who plagued the bloody French Revolution, George W. Bush's naIve democratic experiment in Iraq, and beyond. This compelling narrative weaves stories about some of history's most fascinating figures, including Adolf Hitler, Senator Joe McCarthy, and General Douglas Macarthur, and explains how humanity's urge for liberty can give rise to dark forces that threaten that very freedom. To find the solution to democracy's demagogue problem, the book delves into the stories of four great thinkers who all personally struggled with democracy - Plato, Alexis de Tocqueville, Leo Strauss, and Hannah Arendt.

Cuprins

Acknowledgements
Introduction: Freedom at the Brink
PART I: THE CYCLE OF REGIMES
The Founding Fathers' Nightmare
Defining the Demagogue
Democracy's Own Worst Enemy
Cleon of Athens
An Enemy of the People
The Student Rebels
A City Learns
PART II: DEMAGOGUERY IN AMERICA
George W. Bush: Demagogue?
Watering the Tree of Liberty
A Peculiar Institution
'King Mob'
The Reign of Terror
The Demagogue and the Devil
America's Achilles Heel
Americans Fight Back
A Red-Baiter and an American Caesar
PART III: THE MODERN STRUGGLE
Ignoring Iraqis
The Cycle Begins Again
A Philosopher-King?
The Neoconservative Père et Fils
Democratic Dominion
The End of Complicity
Seduction and Resolution
PART IV: DEFYING THE DEMAGOGUE
Constitutionalism
The Errors of the Past
Moving Forward
Theory and Practice
From Hubris to Strength
CONCLUSION: AMERICA THE EXCEPTIONAL
Notes
Index

Recenzii

'This is an important book for the post-George W. Bush years. Signer's story about the fight to defend democracy from its own worst enemy is a rich and compelling treatment of one of our most urgent problems today. This should be essential reading for progressives looking for a way forward, admirers of America's history of internationalist leadership abroad and constitutional accomplishments at home, foreign policy scholars and students, and everyone interested in the story of freedom's struggle to survive in the world'
- Senator John Edwards

'...a thoughtful book, one that employs history, political theory, and foreign policy analysis to impressive effect, and one that makes a powerful case for the importance of an engaged citizenry's constitutional conscience in the fight against demagogic tyranny and excess.' -Terrorism and Political Violence

Notă biografică

MICHAEL SIGNER is Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for American Progress and Senior National Security Policy Fellow at the think tank Third Way. He was Senator John Edwards' foreign policy advisor on his presidential campaign. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, and Democracy: A Journal of Ideas and he has been interviewed by The Washington Post, NPR, and MSNBC, among others. He lives in Arlington,Virginia.

Caracteristici

Signer makes fascinating connections between the struggle for democracy and such demagogues (democracy-created tyrants) as Cleon, Hitler, and Chavez
Singer argues that within America a specific manifestation of democracy has prevented a demagogue from absolute power. He acknowledges that America has made mistakes abroad, but also advocates that democracy would be more successful if it was applied to other systems as it is in the US. In a time when America's export of democracy is constantly called into question, this book will resonate
Singer has worked with Gen. Clark, Gov. Mark Warner, Sen. John Edwards and Sen. John Kerry. Their endorsements will help this book to get press attention. In addition, the author has contributed to The Washington Post, USA Today, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Oakland Tribune and he is affiliated with public policy networks that would also help to promote the book

Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies

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Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies

Preț: 202.47 lei

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Preț: 202^.47 lei