The Case for Democracy Book Review
January's UCV Book Club selection was The Case for Democracy by Natan Sharansky.
Natan Sharansky’s The Case for Democracy is just that: a defense of freedom for all people throughout the world. But he makes the case not only on a moral level—it’s the right thing to do—but also on a pragmatic level—it’s the wise thing to do. He argues successfully that democratic societies are peaceful societies and that the democratization of the world is the only route to true security. “Fear societies” are inherently unstable and the tyrants who rule them rely on demonization of internal and external enemies, and the abuse of human rights, to prop up their governments.
A fear society, Sharansky argues, cannot long endure. He testifies as an insider that the Soviet Union was rotting from within long before its seemingly stunning collapse. But, it would have survived longer, and perpetrated further abuses, had it not been for the moral clarity and leadership of Ronald Reagan and Henry "Scoop" Jackson. Herein lies Sharansky’s challenge to the leaders and the citizens of free societies: it is our duty to demand an end to fear societies and to enact policies that facilitate that end. That some people do not desire freedom, that freedom is not possible for everyone, that stability is more important than liberty are lies—and dangerous ones.
The Case for Democracy is a must-read. Sharansky elaborates on the philosophy that permeates the presidency of George W. Bush. He emphasizes the importance of differentiating between good and evil and understanding that freedom is the universal desire of mankind. “Over the years,” he writes, “I have come to understand a critical difference between the world of fear and the world of freedom. In the former, the primary challenge is finding the inner strength to confront evil. In the latter, the primary challenge is finding the moral clarity to see evil.”
American Daughter said...
Early this morning I came to the same conclusion in a post about bin Laden and Zawahri.
"They miscalculated. They tried to accomplish their goals through torture and terror. The tales of the atrocities commited by Arabs against Arabs under the Taliban in Afghanistan are horrific. Let alone any intervention by western military might, they would have failed eventually. Because people are motivated by opportunity, not by fear."
I haven't read the book you review, but now I want too!
5:32 PM
spankthatdonkey said...
Look what happened the last time the US population really feared it's leaders in Bill and Hillary Clinton... Waco, Ruby Ridge.. National Health Care (this injection won't hurt, it will just help you see more clearly :-) )
Free people do not respond well to oppressive govts... Great Post, and the book looks to be a good read
9:17 PM
Natan Sharansky’s The Case for Democracy is just that: a defense of freedom for all people throughout the world. But he makes the case not only on a moral level—it’s the right thing to do—but also on a pragmatic level—it’s the wise thing to do. He argues successfully that democratic societies are peaceful societies and that the democratization of the world is the only route to true security. “Fear societies” are inherently unstable and the tyrants who rule them rely on demonization of internal and external enemies, and the abuse of human rights, to prop up their governments.
A fear society, Sharansky argues, cannot long endure. He testifies as an insider that the Soviet Union was rotting from within long before its seemingly stunning collapse. But, it would have survived longer, and perpetrated further abuses, had it not been for the moral clarity and leadership of Ronald Reagan and Henry "Scoop" Jackson. Herein lies Sharansky’s challenge to the leaders and the citizens of free societies: it is our duty to demand an end to fear societies and to enact policies that facilitate that end. That some people do not desire freedom, that freedom is not possible for everyone, that stability is more important than liberty are lies—and dangerous ones.
The Case for Democracy is a must-read. Sharansky elaborates on the philosophy that permeates the presidency of George W. Bush. He emphasizes the importance of differentiating between good and evil and understanding that freedom is the universal desire of mankind. “Over the years,” he writes, “I have come to understand a critical difference between the world of fear and the world of freedom. In the former, the primary challenge is finding the inner strength to confront evil. In the latter, the primary challenge is finding the moral clarity to see evil.”
American Daughter said...
Early this morning I came to the same conclusion in a post about bin Laden and Zawahri.
"They miscalculated. They tried to accomplish their goals through torture and terror. The tales of the atrocities commited by Arabs against Arabs under the Taliban in Afghanistan are horrific. Let alone any intervention by western military might, they would have failed eventually. Because people are motivated by opportunity, not by fear."
I haven't read the book you review, but now I want too!
5:32 PM
spankthatdonkey said...
Look what happened the last time the US population really feared it's leaders in Bill and Hillary Clinton... Waco, Ruby Ridge.. National Health Care (this injection won't hurt, it will just help you see more clearly :-) )
Free people do not respond well to oppressive govts... Great Post, and the book looks to be a good read
9:17 PM
posted by southannacitizen at 4:45 PM
2 Comments:
Early this morning I came to the same conclusion in a post about bin Laden and Zawahri.
"They miscalculated. They tried to accomplish their goals through torture and terror. The tales of the atrocities commited by Arabs against Arabs under the Taliban in Afghanistan are horrific. Let alone any intervention by western military might, they would have failed eventually. Because people are motivated by opportunity, not by fear."
I haven't read the book you review, but now I want too!
Look what happened the last time the US population really feared it's leaders in Bill and Hillary Clinton... Waco, Ruby Ridge.. National Health Care (this injection won't hurt, it will just help you see more clearly :-) )
Free people do not respond well to oppressive govts... Great Post, and the book looks to be a good read
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