I strongly recommend this for those fed up with where we are:
It doesn't answer all questions: it does ask a lot of the right ones.
As Ivan Horrocks has noted here this morning the first paragraph says:
Something is profoundly wrong with the way we live today. For thirty years we have made a virtue out of the pursuit of material self-interest: indeed, this very pursuit now constitutes whatever remains of our sense of collective purpose. We know what things cost but have no idea what they are worth. We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or legislative act: is it good? Is it fair? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society or a better world? Those used to be the political questions, even if they invited no easy answers. We must learn once again to pose them.
It says something that such a powerful book, written just before Judt died and published in 2010, appears to only now be available second hand.
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You can probably get it cheaper than Amazon by searching Alibris/Abe.books.uk/Oxfam books
Try http://www.bookfinder.com where prospective purchasers will find a whole range of prices and conditions to choose from.
Excellent questions. While the answers are not easy, the source is, individual choice.
These are questions each individual must answer for themselves. One-size fits all ‘answers’ foisted upon the individual are anathema to freedom and liberty.
Do-gooders, heal thyself….
“Freedom and liberty” is itself a one size fits all answer.
I thought it was a good book – he’s clearly a fantastic and insightful historian – but I was massively disappointed that the book stops before offering any genuine answers – he basically concludes that we just need to go back to ‘social democracy’ which I suppose is not the worst idea in the world, but for such a brilliant book it seems a real shame that it’s not more creative in offering solutions.
That is its weakness