For the decade that followed the end of the cold war; the world was lulled into a sense that a consumerist; globalized; peaceful future beckoned. The beginning of the twenty-first century has rudely disposed of such ideas―most obviously through 9/11and its aftermath. But just as damaging has been the rise in the West of a belief that a single model of political behavior will become a worldwide norm and that; if necessary; it will be enforced at gunpoint.In Black Mass; celebrated philosopher and critic John Gray explains how utopian ideals have taken on a dangerous significance in the hands of right-wing conservatives and religious zealots. He charts the history of utopianism; from the Reformation through the French Revolution and into the present. And most urgently; he describes how utopian politics have moved from the extremes of the political spectrum into mainstream politics; dominating the administrations of both George W. Bush and Tony Blair; and indeed coming to define the political center. Far from having shaken off discredited ideology; Gray suggests; we are more than ever in its clutches. Black Mass is a truly frightening and challenging work by one of Britain's leading political thinkers.
#80170 in Books imusti 2016-04-26 2016-04-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 234.70 x .96 x 6.31l; .0 #File Name: 0374252947272 pagesFARRAR STRAUS GIROUX
Review
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful. The Reason for the Arab SpringBy Hubert H. HornschwagleWorth is amazing. Great reporting; great storytelling. A true example of literary journalism at its best.Small quibble: the book picks up at the start of the Arab Spring without giving a lot of details as to what caused it in the first place. Oh; sure; there were lots of people being repressed etc. but; you know; nobody complained before the downturn of the Middle Eastern economy. Start with the price of oil. We think it's repressive regimes versus Islamic fundamentalists and greater and greater factionalism; but these are symptoms. The area is an economic disaster. Petitt's book; "The Crucible of Global War: and the Sequence that is Leading back to It;" covers this nicely in the chapter on the Middle East.Again; small quibble. I don't think it was Worth's intention to uncover the reasons so much as report on the effects. And in that; this book is priceless.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. History in the making; exceedingly well toldBy Mal WarwickHistorians are fond of advancing the notion that no major event in human affairs can be fully understood until many years later; when the major actors have passed from the scene and long-suppressed archival records finally come to light. Journalists sometimes dispute this contention; citing their eyewitness accounts and face-to-face interviews with players large and small. Though I’m fond of history and read a good deal of it; I’m sometimes tempted to side with the journalists; if only because contemporary conditions may be best understood by contemporaries. Robert F. Worth’s new postmortem on the Arab Spring; A Rage for Order; is a case in point.The Arab Spring and the disorder it spawnedShifting from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya; Syria; and Yemen; Worth’s account of developments in the Middle East beginning in 2011 introduces us to a series of fascinating individuals whose stories illustrate the intimate realities that together comprise what we sum up in shorthand as the “Arab Spring.†It’s a finely textured portrait of the region; and profoundly sad.In A Rage for Order; you’ll meet two Syrian women; one Sunni; the other Alawite. Close friends in their youth; they gradually grow apart under the pressures of the increasingly violent civil war. Worth sees the tragedy here and elsewhere in the region; explaining “that this great battle between Sunni and Shiite was really just a cynical power struggle between the region’s two biggest oil producers; Saudi Arabia and Iran; who fed their people sectarian slogans the way you might feed amphetamines to a tired boxer.â€You’ll also meet the two remarkable old men; bitter enemies for decades in the turbulent opposition politics of Tunisia; who swallow their differences to force a moderate compromise on their followers; ensuring peace for their nation. You’ll meet a defector from ISIS and read his tale of favoritism and corruption within the Islamic State. And you’ll learn the little-understood history of the Alawites who rule Syria under the iron thumb of their leader; Bashar al-Asaad. This is history in the making; well told.In summing up his story in the book’s final paragraph; Worth writes: “The protesters of 2011 had dreamed of building new countries that would confer genuine citizenship and something more: karama; dignity; the rallying cry of all the uprisings. When that dream failed them; many gave way to apathy or despair; or even nostalgia for the old regimes they had assailed. But some ran headlong into the seventh century in search of the same prize.â€About the authorRobert F. Worth’s bio on his publisher’s website reads as follows: “Robert F. Worth spent fourteen years as a correspondent for The New York Times; and was the paper’s Beirut bureau chief from 2007 until 2011. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine and The New York Review of Books. He has twice been a finalist for the National Magazine Award. Born and raised in Manhattan; he now lives in Washington D.C.â€1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. and they're all pretty depressing; but this one especiallyBy Brian GlusovichIt's hard to say that you actually "like" this book; since it's so depressing. We've read 5 or 6 books in the last year or so on the Middle East; for my book club; and they're all pretty depressing; but this one especially. This book focuses on individual relationships within the overall "Arab Spring" timeframe -- two close friends who grew up together in Syria; close relationships formed within the promise of Tahrir Square; etc. He describes the relationships before; during and after the Arab Spring events; in each case; where there were early strong bonds (as in the case of the Syrian friends); or where bonds developed during the street events; these bonds devolved into partisanship; sectarianism; and downright hatred; to the extent that former "friends" were often fighting each other.The one thing that comes out clearly in this book (as in other recent books on the Middle East) is that these hatreds; whether derived from tribalism or religious sectarianism; are way beyond our understanding and ability to influence (other than negatively). The idea of bringing our sort of democracy to this part of the world is both naïve and counter-productive.The book is well-written and researched -- it's clear that the author has spent a lot of time in these countries and spends a lot of it on the street; in cafes and in general; learning to know the people.
