DDR: Counter-Revolution: Liberal Europe in Retreat by Jan Zielonka

Here's a book that's been on. My must read list for a very long time.

Since I am caught on the cusp of reading Dan Brown's The 🙊  of 🙊s (copy unavailable to me at the moment), I decided to sneak this one in. It's only xxii + 164 = 186 pages, so I'm thinking I can knock this out pretty quickly.🤞 

Day 1 (DDRD 2,889), September 28, 2025

Read to page 22.

This book was published in 2018. Question: "How is it possible that a peaceful, prosperous, and integrated continent is falling apart?" (x) Substitute "country" for "continent" and you see who we're talking about.

Speaking of...this commentary on the EU sounds familiar:

"Deregulation marketization, and privatization became the order of the day even in states run by socialist parties. The private sector has subsequently expanded at the expense of the public sector. Markets and market-values moved into spheres that used to be the domain of the public sector in Europe such as health, education, public safety, environmental protection, and even national security. Social spending has been contained if not slashed altogether for certain disadvantaged groups." (4)

Here's some food for thought from an endnote on page 137: "We may define populist leaders as clowns, and their statements as 'ridiculous', or 'absurd', but they actually do appeal to things or ideas that for some reason have not been suppressed by the dominant post-1989 order and discourse."

And here is THE question: "...if the last three decades of liberal rule was such a great accomplishment, why have so many people started to hate liberals?" (17)

Day 2 (DDRD 2,890), September 29, 2025

Read to page 53.

This bears thinking about: "Liberalism is not defending minorities against majorities; it is minorities--professional politicians, journalists, bankers, and jet-set experts--telling majorities what is best for them." (25) I'm a bleeding ❤️ liberal, but I've got to say that I see some truth in this. And even if I didn't,  I'd say that this IS his conservatives see it for sure.

And another Big One: "Does any genuine liberal still believe that the American empire is indeed an agent of freedom around the world?" (32)

This is a depressing read. It seems like what Zielonka was describing as the state of the EU 7 years ago is exactly what is happening in the USA right now. As if Trump is not an aberration, but a paradigm. 😰

Day 3 (DDRD 2,891), September 30, 2025

Read to page 84.

Day 4 (DDRD 2,892), October 1, 2025

Read to page 113.

This looks like a must watch documentary: La Nave Dolce.

Keep in mind that we're talking about the EU here: "...the majority of immigrants cross borders legally and stay on after their visas expire. Curbing that sort of migration would require major restrictions of international travel and the introduction of mass police surveillance on all residents." (93-94)

Reference, the damage caused to the EU by Brexit, Zielonka says, "This time Uncle Sam won't be there to bring us all to our senses; Uncle Trump is likely to add to our complications." (110)

Yep.

Day 5 (DDRD 2,893), October 2, 2025

Read to page 164, The End.

This seems like a person I should get to know:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Arendt

"I am disappointed, if not angry, that liberal ideals have been compromised or betrayed by the post-1989 generation of politicians and intellectuals across Europe. The counter-revolution will not just stop at correcting liberals' mistakes; it will go further by destroying many institutions without which democracy cannot function and capitalism becomes predatory." 131)

And there it is.

Two more things.

"Democracy is not safe when we question the wisdom of electoral choices. Equality is not served when we accuse poor people of being stupid and prone to manipulation. Liberty is not going to prevail in an atmosphere of hate and vengeance directed against political opponents." (132)

And...

" A fundamental responsibility of intellectuals is to doubt all received wisdom, to wonder what is taken for granted, to question all authority, and to pose all those questions that otherwise no-one else dares to ask." (133--Ralf Dahrendorf)

Now THAT oughtta be a tattoo, man.