Books: “Age of Revolutions” by Fareed Zakaria

It’s discouraging to see the MSM (aka Mainstream Media) abdicating their journalistic responsibilities in favor of high ratings and clickbait. Which makes it a pleasure to read CNN’s Fareed Zakkaria’s “Age of Revolutions,” a survey of revolutions—political, economic and social—that is anything but superficial.

FZ examines why certain political revolutions succeeded throughout history. The Dutch Revolution (yes there really was one) in the late 16th century resulted from the country’s rebellion against increased taxes raised by the distant Habsburg monarchy in Spain. This among other things drove the Dutch from Catholicism to Calvinism, and the country soon became a haven for independent minds and religious dissenters.

Freedom of thought soon spread to England, when the Whigs and Tories invited Holland’s William of Orange to invade and seize power in the late 17th century. This led, one hundred fifty years later, to what is known as the Industrial Revolution, powered by England’s natural resources (such as coal) and ingenuity. Switching from wind to coal, and the development of a steam-powered pump, accelerated the production of textile factories, and propelled the economy forward.

Americans bested the British through the ingenuity of thinkers like Robert Fulton and Samuel Morse. And it would only be a century and a half later when a small company called Microsoft became the world’s most important software developer.

This eventually brought about what is referred to as “globalization.” Initially thought to be a godsend, globalization has had its downsides, as FZ points out. Once companies realized they could get their work done and products made overseas for a fraction of the cost, they basically “hollowed out the heartland” of jobs that people had held for decades.

Compounded by fears of immigration—i.e., the people around you start looking different, talking in different languages—anti-immigrant sentiment flourished, especially among people who still believed that their country, culture, and jobs were under threat. This in turn has led to the rise of “populist” movements like MAGA, Brexit and the French National Front.

Will such populist ideology fill the hole in the heart created by modernity and globalization? FZ is doubtful. In the end, Walter Lippmann's "acids of modernity" ‘

means human beings are free to make choices. Young people would not leave their small towns for big cities if opportunity still existed in those towns, for instance.

In FZ’s view—and mine—history has been a battle—between liberalism, meaning progress, growth, disruption, and illiberalism, standing for regression, religious fervor, and a longing for the past. To some, this distinction may seem  Captain Obvious. To others, who are hungry for facts rather than uncritical thinking from vapid newsreaders, “Revolutions” is a fascinating and stimulating read. Should be mandatory in college classrooms. Wish it had been in mine.

Like this review? Follow me at “What Does Aug Think?” at acsntn.substack.com. Thank you!