The Twilight of DemocracyIn this age of Democracy Victorious, why have the most successful governments disdained the ideals of America's founding fathers in favor of the sometimes cruel efficiency of authoritarianism? Why have thinly disguised dictatorships like Taiwan and Singapore achieved enormous successes, while the West is continually mired in gridlock? Because, Kennon asserts, the world has become so complicated, and the pace of change so rapid, that only highly trained, anonymous technocrats invested with enormous authority are capable of guiding a nation's affairs. To trust unskilled politicians, vulnerable to corruption and ignorant of the most basic rules of governing, with the fate of a nation is, in Kennon's view, the height of folly. Like Machiavelli five hundred years ago, Kennon casts a cynical eye on political idealism at a seminal time in history. The Twilight of Democracy will disturb many and anger others, but its argument is so calmly rational, and cogently presented, that no reader will be able to dismiss lightly this daring challenge to conventional wisdom. |
Contents
THE TRIAD AND THE DEVELOPED WORLD | 1 |
The Ideas of 1776 and the Road to 1789 | 3 |
The March of Specialization | 12 |
Copyright | |
28 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
achieve Africa Afrikaners American Argentina Asian authoritarian become Brazil British bureaucracy businessmen caste century China Chinese Christian Church citizens civilization command economy Communist corruption countries cracy created culture defeat democracy democratic domination East economic elected empire enemies Europe European experts favor first-world Folk Catholicism force foreign freedom goals Hitler ideology imperialism important Indian individual industrial Islamic Japan Japanese Jews largely Latin America leaders less liberal living Marxist Max Weber Mexico middle class military millenarian modern Muslim nation Nazi Germany never NICs nomic party patron-client police political sector politicians population president priests private sector progress prosperity regime relative deprivation religious Revolution revolutionary rule rulers second world Shi'ites social society South Korea Soviet Soviet Union Spain specialists stability success Taiwan third world tion totalitarian tradition triad tribal tribe United Unlike vote voter wealth Weberian West Western Youth Bulge