From one of the most admired international leaders, comes a timely, considered, and personal look at the history and current resurgence of fascism today and the virulent threat it poses to international freedom, prosperity, and peace.
At the end of the 1980s, when the Cold War ended, many, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, believed that democracy had triumphed politically once and for all. Yet nearly thirty years later, the direction of history no longer seems certain. A repressive and destructive force has begun to re-emerge on the global stage—sweeping across Europe, parts of Asia, and the United States—that to Albright, looks very much like fascism.
Based on her personal experience growing up in Hungary under Hitler and the Communist regime that followed World War II, as well as knowledge gleaned from her distinguished diplomatic career and insights from colleagues around the globe, Albright paints a clear picture of how fascism flourishes and explains why it is once again taking hold worldwide, identifying the factors contributing to its rise. Most importantly, she makes clear what could happen if we fail to act against rising fascist forces today and in the near future, including the potential for economic catastrophe, a lasting spike in terrorist activity, increased sectarian violence, a rash of large-scale humanitarian emergencies, massive human rights violations, a breakdown in multilateral cooperation, and nearly irreparable self-inflicted damage to America’s reputation and capacity to lead.
Albright also offers clear solutions, including adjusting to the ubiquity of social media and the changing nature of the workplace, and understanding ordinary citizens’ universal desire for sources of constancy and morality in their lives. She contends that we must stimulate economic growth and narrow the gap between the rich and poor, urban and rural, women and men, and skilled and unskilled; work across borders to respond to transnational challenges; and ultimately recognize that democracy’s unique virtue is its ability—through reason and open debate—to find remedies for its own shortcomings.
source: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062802248/fascism-a-warning/
I have a great admiration for Ms. Albright. She is from a time in politics where conversations could be had, and people could agree to disagree while still working together to try and make things better. She wasn't perfect - but no person is. Knowing she was writing this book, and hearing the word "Fascist" tossed about an awful lot these days, I was curious to know more. This book is...a lot of things. But most importantly - it is necessary.
Albright takes the reader on a journey through history, discussing some of the political leaders in different countries who have been, or who have skirted being, Fascist. She explains how they developed their thinking, how they gained power, and what some of those consequences were. She very carefully does *not* discuss Trump - instead, like the excellent Professor I'm guessing she is, she allows the reader to start putting the pieces together. It is only in the last couple of small chapters that she spends much time on Trump at all. But by then, you've come to realize on your own how great a resemblance he bears to those other leaders who divided their people, demonized entire groups of others, railed about immigrants and the press, decided they were the only ones who could lead properly...and in one case, eventually led the world to war.
However, do not read this because of Trump - whether you support him or not. Read this because, as a responsible citizen, you owe it to yourself to understand what Fascism really is - not what some claim it to be. Read it because everyone should be knowledgeable and willing to further their learning to help their country. Read it because it's easy to get lost in the maelstrom of chaos, while rights erode little by little until there no longer are any for the vast majority. It's up to everyone to understand what can happen, and to help prevent it however we can.
