SUICIDE OF THE WEST

by James urnham ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 1964

For the past two generations, according to Mr. Burnham, Western civilization has been shrinking. By this he means colonialism has collapsed, and it has one so because liberalism- the dominant ideology of democracies (though democracies, Mr. Burnham, aren't supposed to have an ideology)- is an ideology of suicide. Thus he diagnoses the old failure of nerve theory-liberalism preoccupied with welfarism, and peaceful coexistence ruining its strength and will. But sad to say this is neither made new nor interesting, nor do the formulations bear scrutiny. or Burnham Western civilization means power, and power nothing more than holding nto territory, an odd conception surely in these days of technological expansion on the one hand and missile deployment on the other, (not to mention the right of wars of liberation, one of which founded the US). Even odder, in another sense, when Westernization is spreading everywhere like wildfire, and almost bizarre if one considers the new Europe, the Common Market, our economy of abundance etc. But for the author these issues are beside the point; the monolithic madmen of the East have a realpolitik designed to bury us and our liberal overlords- effete, egalitarian, muddled- are allowing them to do it and gulling the people to boot. They are not, for instance, preparing the people to be willing to ""die in large numbers"" etc..... This book isn't really as silly as its hullaballo argument sounds; there's a hard core of clear, clever, highly detailed attack upon certain liberalist cliches, contradictions, ""leftist"" demagogies and cultural manipulations which make the work intellectually respectable and well worth the reading.

Pub Date: April 9, 1964

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: ohn Day

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1964

Categories: NONFICTION