In 'The Retreat of Western Liberalism', Edward Luce argues that the erosion of middle-class incomes has undermined the liberal democratic consensus, leading to a crisis in Western societies. He attributes this crisis to ignorance of what it took to build the West, arrogance towards society’s economic losers, and complacency about the system’s durability. Luce combines on-the-ground reporting with economic analysis and synthesis of literature to highlight the weakening of Western hegemony and the need for those who believe in enlightenment values to defend them against internal and external threats. The book examines global ideas, situations, and data from various countries, including the US, UK, Hungary, Turkey, China, and India, and discusses topics such as Western Exceptionalism, international diplomacy, social and cultural ideas, and immigration and identity politics.
There's rarely a week in which Donald Trump doesn't make the headlines but the last few have been particularly potent with the former US president having been served justice in a US courtroom. One voice who has been vocal in lamenting the transformation of the Republican Party into a vehicle for Trump's agenda is Robert Kagan. He's a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a historian and contributing columnist at The Washington Post. He has advised on policy for the US State Department for both Republican and Democrat administrations. and some of the Republican party's most prominent voices in recent decades. His latest book is Rebellion: How Antiliberalism Is Tearing America Apart—Again; a reflection on the increasing radicalisation of the Republican Party. Joining Kagan in conversation to talk about it for this episode is Edward Luce, chief US commentator for the Financial Times, based in Washington DC, and author of books including The Retreat of Western Liberalism.
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