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Our Own Worst Enemy

The Assault from Within on Modern Democracy

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Our Own Worst Enemy

By: Tom Nichols
Narrated by: Tom Nichols
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About this listen

Over the past three decades, citizens of democracies who claim to value freedom, tolerance, and the rule of law have increasingly embraced illiberal politicians and platforms. Democracy is in trouble - but who is really to blame?

In Our Own Worst Enemy, Tom Nichols challenges the current depictions of the rise of illiberal and antidemocratic movements in the United States and elsewhere as the result of the deprivations of globalization or the malign decisions of elites. Rather, he places the blame for the rise of illiberalism on the people themselves. Nichols traces the illiberalism of the 21st century to the growth of unchecked narcissism, rising standards of living, global peace, and a resistance to change. Ordinary citizens, laden with grievances, have joined forces with political entrepreneurs who thrive on the creation of rage rather than on the encouragement of civic virtue and democratic cooperation. While it will be difficult, Nichols argues that we need to defend democracy by resurrecting the virtues of altruism, compromise, stoicism, and cooperation - and by recognizing how good we've actually had it in the modern world.

©2021 Oxford University Press (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books Political Science Politics & Government United States World Capitalism Socialism Modern Liberal
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Stimulating, thought-provoking and to some extent depressing but truthful. We need more books like this.

Harsh truth

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A thought-provoking, if depressing take on the decline of Liberal democracy in America. Nichols, a traditional conservative (they seem to be an increasingly endangered species these days), ably narrates his own work and places much of the blame for the decline of American democracy at the feet of the American people.

Nichols essential thesis is that the American people, by and large, have never had it better. But rather than enjoying their relative prosperity, they have become bored and dysfunctional, looking for a some great cause to rally against. Because there aren't any real dramatic causes to fight, people invent them through conspiracy theories about globalists and deep states.

Nichols also beleives that there needs to be a revival in civic-virtues. Nice people are terrible citizens if they don't attach value to community-welbeing or take their democracy seriously.

If I had any major criticism of the book, it would be that, like many works of this sort, Nichols makes a persuasive argument in identifying the problem, but unfortunately he is much less detailed a d convincing in his proposed solutions.

Nice People Often Make Bad Citizens

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