Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy

by Tom Nichols

“Abbiamo incontrato il nemico, e siamo noi”, diceva all’inizio degli anni ‘70 Pogo, un popolare personaggio dei fumetti. Walt Kelly, il suo creatore, non immaginava che la battuta sarebbe diventata un modo di dire comune, né che avrebbe descritto a perfezione la situazione di cinquant’anni dopo. Mentre in Occidente le condizioni materiali di vita sono le migliori di sempre e continuano a migliorare, infatti, risentimento e malcontento sembrano dominare ogni spazio della vita élite ciniche e corrotte, stranieri e immigrati, banchieri e intellettuali sono di volta in volta i “colpevoli” della decadenza che tanti cittadini dei paesi più evoluti al mondo percepiscono ormai in modo tanto drastico da mettere in discussione la democrazia liberale. Il consenso ottenuto da autocrati populisti, la propensione di molti per un governo di funzionari non eletti o le giustificazioni per l’uso politico della violenza sono i pericolosi segnali di tendenze illiberali sempre più dopo aver supe – rato malattie, tensioni sociali, guerre e tragedie di ogni tipo, i paesi occidentali rischiano il paradosso di non superare la sfida di prosperità e benessere. Ma dove ha fallito la democrazia? La risposta che Tom Nichols dà in questo libro ha la forma di un’altra, scomodissima e se invece fossimo noi a non aver superato la prova della democrazia? Quando Edward Banfield teorizzò il “familismo amorale” nella Basilicata degli anni ‘50, stava descrivendo una società disfunzionale in cui persone altrimenti perbene erano capaci di pensare soltanto al loro benessere e a quello della loro ristretta cerchia uno schema che rischia di descrivere ancora meglio noi, cittadini globali del Ventunesimo secolo, ormai incapaci di dedicare tempo, motivazione, impegno e persino intelligenza ai temi politici del giorno – a meno che non siano per noi di vitale importanza personale. Secondo Tom Nichols, siamo ormai diventati una società narcisistica e infantile, affamata non di pane ma di conferme tribali e nazionalistiche, nella quale le tentazioni autoritarie stanno mettendo sempre più a rischio la tenuta dei sistemi democratici. Tutto è perduto, dunque? No, perché, anche se sarà difficile, resuscitando virtù dimenticate come amore per la comunità, compromesso, orgoglio civile e sacrificio, potremo difendere la democrazia, ancora oggi il nostro più prezioso bene comune.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written after the first Trump administration, this book is very applicable as we approach the second. I purchased it back then but it sat on my shelf until Nov. 7, 2024. Nichols’ writing is entertaining and his commentary on the topic at hand is well thought out and engaging.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Nichols' take on how we came to be in our present crisis with respect to the very existence of our democracy is a stunning contribution to understanding that crisis. His prose is engaging, his reasoning solid. He lays blame for our problem in large measure on social media and the persistent flood of negativity and paranoia that have taken up residence there. Every issue now has a national audience, and that leads to people completely unaffected by a crime in New York to assume that crime is rampant in their immediate vicinity, crime that our democracy can't save them from, and so they lose faith in that democracy and hope for a strong man who will make all the scary stuff go away. Enter Trump.

Another point that resonated with me and something I hadn't previously considered is that we are living in pretty secure times. Even those at the lower end of the economic spectrum have a fair amount of security. These are not the worst of times by any stretch of the imagination. And that is even more true for this in the middle class. Nichols points out that the majority of the January 6th insurrectionists are in that fairly comfortable demographic. They own businesses and clearly had the disposable income to make the trip to D.C. on that historic day. So what motivates folks like those to oppose the very democracy and the very government that gave them that measure of security. Boredom. The need for excitement, for drama. An attraction to a reality show host who shows no compassion and wants to fire everyone who displeasures him in any way. Our cable media have built up this expectation for drama, the thrill of going for the jugular, and anyone not in their particular tribe is fair game.

A third idea that resonated with me is Nichols' observation that our community associations have broken down, isolating us from those nearby and thrusting us into virtual relationships, where anonymity is a shield for displaying our worst impulses. We have lost our moral bearings, along with our intellectual curiosity, our desire to learn and to know. I'll be reading Nichols' earlier book, The Death of Expertise to further pursue this aspect of our broken society.

Finally, Nichols speaks of the impact of demographic change, whereby white Christian Americans find themselves facing the prospect of becoming a minority in the country, as a driver of the rejection of democracy in favor of an authoritarianism that promises to keep those others in check ... by deportation, by voter suppression, by denial of services and opportunities.

Nichols' final chapter offers three possibilities for fixing this degradation of our democracy and three nightmare scenarios, if we aren't able to pull back from its destruction. Definitely a great read!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this felt like being trapped in a locked room with a scolding NPR host who just finished a mediocre political science podcast and thinks it qualifies as deep insight. Every sentence drips with smug certainty, like democracy could be saved if the peasants would just stop having opinions. It’s a sermon disguised as analysis, heavy on finger-wagging and light on original thought. By the end, I wasn’t sure if I disagreed with the argument or just wanted to rebel out of spite.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

Our Own Worst Enemy is a tedious exercise in finger-pointing that oversimplifies complex issues plaguing modern democracy. Tom Nichols offers little more than sanctimonious lecturing, blaming the masses for systemic failures while ignoring deeper structural problems. The book is heavy on condescension and light on actionable solutions, making it both alienating and unproductive.

[Sara Rocutto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non mi è piaciuto tutto, ma interessante l'idea che noi stessi siamo il male della Democrazia con il nostro non partecipare proprio a niente nella vita pubblica nazionale...