Europe is at a crossroads. The mass migration of refugees and Islamic terrorism have plunged the continent into a new crisis that is perhaps the greatest of the post-war period.

This crisis cannot be overcome merely with compassion and a sincere willingness to empathize with the feelings of others. One thing is certain: the wave of migration is not simply the result of political decisions. It is also, and primarily, a symptom of global capitalism.

In this crucial book, philosopher and cultural theorist Slavoj Žižek argues that the wave of migration, like Islamic terrorism, is the result of a new class struggle. Because the class struggle permeates everything: those who seek to undermine governments or to exclude whole sections of the population and regions of the planet from prosperity and participation in society should not be surprised when, at some point, these societies are led to the brink of collapse.

Thus, the West's insistence on the values of democracy, freedom, and equality seems hollow, no matter how desirable these values may be. We have the right to maintain and defend our Western way of life and our European values, but we have no right to divide the world between those who are allowed and those who are not allowed to partake in it. Otherwise, in the long term, we are doomed. How can we uphold the values and goods of the West without excluding a large part of humanity from them?