Yves Decock

Liberal Quicksand Yves Decock

According to a fairytale, after World War Two Europe rejected nationalism and started the European project, which brought uninterrupted peace since then. In this book, this version of history is unmasked. First, Europe did not desert nationalism after 1945. On the contrary, since 1800 the nationalist programme, based on linguistic divisions, has been implemented continuously, also after World War Two. Second, nationalism is a strong progressive force which is intrinsically connected with the liberal developments at the end of the eighteenth and in the middle of the nineteenth century. The question rises whether another path is possible. ¬ Roughout history, the USA has followed the European path and remained fundamentally Anglo-Saxon until 1965. Since then, the USA has been struggling how to deal with its multi-cultural reality. And what are the implications of Europe's history when applied to the Middle-East or multi-national states like China? Can they democratize without falling apart?