The history of universal suffrage is best understood as a conflict between liberal elites and democratic labor movements, according to Domenico Losurdo. John Stuart Mill, for example, argued that electoral influence should be stronger among the educated - and wealthy - rather than those who work with their hands. Every vote should not have the same value. Countries with deep liberal roots have historically quickly restricted the spread of the electoral process, maintaining distinctions based on property, race, and gender. In this context, the rise of popular presidential and ministerial figures, with remarkable powers, has served to hinder efforts of political association and mobilization for substantial change. This is modern Bonapartism, a mild authoritarianism where popularity, bolstered by media dominated by the interests of the wealthy, replaces true democratic expression. As alternatives to this system recede, Bonapartism seems to become the dominant political regime of our time. Understanding the history of its development and the conflicting forces behind it may allow us to advance towards true democracy.
Praise for LIBERALISM: A COUNTER-HISTORY:
“Losurdo is almost unbelievably well-read” - JACOBIN
“A brilliant exercise in the demolition of liberal expectations, surveying over three centuries with a masterful grasp of the sources” - FINANCIAL TIMES
“Stimulatingly diagnoses the contradictions of an ideology it all too uncritically celebrates” - PANKAJ MISHRA, GUARDIAN
“A book of broad reference and genuine erudition” - TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
“The book is a historically grounded, very accessible critique of liberalism, complementing a growing literature that critiques liberalism” - CHOICE
Praise for WAR AND REVOLUTION: RETHINKING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY:
“War and Revolution is a relentless document. It is dense and disturbing. That's exactly why it should be considered one of the most important historical books written since 9/11” - RON JACOBS, COUNTERPUNCH
Pages: 352, Year of Publication: 0702, Dimensions: 15.6x15.6cm
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