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Fight for Liberty: Defending Democracy in the Age of Trump
Anne Applebaum, Garry Kasparov, Richard North Patterson, and a constellation of other thinkers make the urgent case for liberal democracy---reinvigorating its central values in an age of doubt and discord.
Liberal democracy is in crisis around the world, besieged by authoritarianism, nationalism, and other illiberal forces. Far-right parties are gaining traction in Europe, Vladimir Putin tightens his grip on Russia and undermines democracy abroad, and America struggles with poisonous threats from the right and left.
But the defenders of democracy are strong too. Taking their cues from the 1788 Federalist Papers, the Renew Democracy Initiative is a collective of pro-democracy advocates from across the political spectrum, including Anne Applebaum, Garry Kasparov, Max Boot, Bret Stephens, Ted Koppel, and Natan Sharansky. This book is their foundational document, a collection of essays that analyze the multi-pronged threats to liberal democracy in the U.S. and abroad, and offer solutions based on fundamental democratic principles such as freedom of speech, a free press, and the rule of law.
Fight for Liberty is a roadmap for the struggle against the rising tide of extremism and a cri de coeur in defense of the liberal world order, which sees itself threatened as never before today.
Liberal democracy is in crisis around the world, besieged by authoritarianism, nationalism, and other illiberal forces. Far-right parties are gaining traction in Europe, Vladimir Putin tightens his grip on Russia and undermines democracy abroad, and America struggles with poisonous threats from the right and left.
But the defenders of democracy are strong too. Taking their cues from the 1788 Federalist Papers, the Renew Democracy Initiative is a collective of pro-democracy advocates from across the political spectrum, including Anne Applebaum, Garry Kasparov, Max Boot, Bret Stephens, Ted Koppel, and Natan Sharansky. This book is their foundational document, a collection of essays that analyze the multi-pronged threats to liberal democracy in the U.S. and abroad, and offer solutions based on fundamental democratic principles such as freedom of speech, a free press, and the rule of law.
Fight for Liberty is a roadmap for the struggle against the rising tide of extremism and a cri de coeur in defense of the liberal world order, which sees itself threatened as never before today.
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2018
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189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 1, 2019
A summary on foundations of Open Societies that transcend [precede?] left/right priorities/programmes. If the current vogue for authoriarian/illiberal "solutions" brought this self-examination on, all is not lost. The book is foundational, so it points more to what needs to be conserved, what principles need to observed in our search for solutions to problems rather than to the solutions themselves, so, if anything, is just a starting point.
December 13, 2018
An interesting collection of essays by leading academics, journalists, and politicians. Reaffirms the importance of first principles like truth and civility to liberal-democratic societies, and openly discusses, and present solutions for, the myriad internal and external challenges these societies are facing.
March 2, 2020
Compilation of mixed quality. There are some good ideas and insights here as well as some which seem to be merely reactionary.
December 28, 2018
"Fight for Liberty" has persuasively articulated what many have been thinking for the past several years. The dangers to our liberal democracy and the world's aspiration to follow is not simple to assess or cure. We've neglected to sustain our collective understanding of the foundations that keep our democracy thriving and help inform America's role on the world stage. This collection of essays builds a strategic vision to right our ship based on our shared aspirational values, weaving together historical perspective with current events.
The collection of essays is divided into three sections, each inspiring a different response by the reader. 1) "First Principles" had me wanting to reach out and shake the hands of the authors for reminding me of our mission statement. 2) "Threats" had me grumbling, but not in a partisan sort of way, but rather in an acknowledgment of where our attention ought to be focused. 3) "Solutions" had me nodding my head about approaches to righting our ship.
A few essays stood out for me and will certainly stimulate many discussions with friends and neighbors. The issue of truth and the free press is covered well in essays by Roger Scruton, Ted Koppel and Mark Lasswell, who is also editor of the collection. The issue of tribalism and immigration, a defining issue of a liberal democracy is discussed in all its historical complexity in essays by John Avlon and Linda Chavez. And the connection between our values and our policies is discussed with clarity by Bret Stephens.
The collection ends on a hopeful note with a short manifesto that ought to be required reading in schools across the country.
The collection of essays is divided into three sections, each inspiring a different response by the reader. 1) "First Principles" had me wanting to reach out and shake the hands of the authors for reminding me of our mission statement. 2) "Threats" had me grumbling, but not in a partisan sort of way, but rather in an acknowledgment of where our attention ought to be focused. 3) "Solutions" had me nodding my head about approaches to righting our ship.
A few essays stood out for me and will certainly stimulate many discussions with friends and neighbors. The issue of truth and the free press is covered well in essays by Roger Scruton, Ted Koppel and Mark Lasswell, who is also editor of the collection. The issue of tribalism and immigration, a defining issue of a liberal democracy is discussed in all its historical complexity in essays by John Avlon and Linda Chavez. And the connection between our values and our policies is discussed with clarity by Bret Stephens.
The collection ends on a hopeful note with a short manifesto that ought to be required reading in schools across the country.
December 7, 2018
A fascinating collection of essays by renowned authors including Max Boot and Richard North Patterson. So much of what was stated needs to be announced to the world at large, especially in our own country. Some notable quotes:
The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil of poverty and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better life has died. We must keep that hope alive. The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world – and shall surely endanger the welfare of our own nation. –Harry Truman, 1947.
The Russian government is thoroughly corrupt. It seeks to obtain excellence only in the arts of war – for that there is no sum they will not pay. Russia lives on the intrigues of agents and on the reports of highly paid spies. Rather than govern its own country well, it disturbs countries better governed than its own and strives to reduce them to their own level of debasement. – Harry Verney, Our Quarrel with Russia, 1855.
It ought to be obvious that Vladimir Putin’s regime has no interest per se in US domestic politics. Rather the Kremlin sees that exacerbating the growing divisions in the American polity is a potent way of weakening America’s role in leading and stabilizing the world order that Russia would like to overturn. – Philip Bobbitt, 2018.
Unfortunately, the people who really need to read this - like Donald Trump and his Loyalists - won't.
The seeds of totalitarian regimes are nurtured by misery and want. They spread and grow in the evil of poverty and strife. They reach their full growth when the hope of a people for a better life has died. We must keep that hope alive. The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world – and shall surely endanger the welfare of our own nation. –Harry Truman, 1947.
The Russian government is thoroughly corrupt. It seeks to obtain excellence only in the arts of war – for that there is no sum they will not pay. Russia lives on the intrigues of agents and on the reports of highly paid spies. Rather than govern its own country well, it disturbs countries better governed than its own and strives to reduce them to their own level of debasement. – Harry Verney, Our Quarrel with Russia, 1855.
It ought to be obvious that Vladimir Putin’s regime has no interest per se in US domestic politics. Rather the Kremlin sees that exacerbating the growing divisions in the American polity is a potent way of weakening America’s role in leading and stabilizing the world order that Russia would like to overturn. – Philip Bobbitt, 2018.
Unfortunately, the people who really need to read this - like Donald Trump and his Loyalists - won't.
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October 20, 2020Excellent variety of sources on politics, government, and political history. Concise chapters are great bedtime reading. Good primer to understand what's at stake on November 3rd.
December 6, 2023
Relatively balanced. Interesting read knowing everything that has happened since publication
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews