Debate with the Author

 

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Comments on the Life and Death of Democracy by a reader. Dear Professor Keane I have just finished reading your latest book on democracy and would like to provide you with a couple of comments/observations. I am a retired professional and avid reader with quite an extensive personal library covering numerous topics dominated by all aspects of history and the great leaders of the world. Your book on democracy I found to be a very interesting read and great history lesson that can be beneficial to all who read it regardless of their historical knowledge of this subject. As with all books they have their own personality and the personal view of the author always comes through at some point in the publication. With this book the academic influence was clearly evident as the research required to produce a book of this quality is enormous. The difference in history books written by academic versus nonacademic authors is obvious in many ways. This is not to say that one is better than the other but only to note that the style, flavor and quality are completely different. As indicated in your final unit of the book history is sometimes very difficult to state as historians do add their own flavor or view to the subject they are writing on. In your book I did not detect any personal view or opinion until shortly after page seven hundred when it became clear to me (my impression) that you had a negative regard for America and the Republican party. Whenever you needed examples to support your position on why monitory democracy was taking place or that the world situation was in need of certain changes, America or Republican individuals were identified as the causes or problem. I would suggest to you that America is not without fault but it is not responsible for all that it is being blamed for today. In regards to the Republican party they are not without blame but the Democratic party in our country are not without dirty hands in the problems identified. It didn't seem to me as the reader that this was presented evenly in your book. In conclusion professor, I found the book very enjoyable and read many things that were intellectually challenging and informative. I would recommend individuals read this book as it does identify in many ways what is actually taking place in the world today. This is not to say that I agree with current events but they are what they are. Your work was well done and will be regarded highly I'm sure. Sincerely, Carlton C. Connecticut

John Keane's reply Dear Mr C. Thank you very much for your kind and thoughtful comments. I think you have somewhat misread my treatment of the United States, which during the 19th century was the exemplar of efforts to build representative democracy. It is true - here I found myself in agreement with the large majority of citizens of the world - that the George W. Bush years had negative consequences for American democracy. The rest of what I have to say concerns the burdens of empire, and whether the United States will handle its global power wisely or foolishly, as indeed happened to imperial Athens and Napoleonic France, the two previous democratic empires. With my best wishes, John Keane

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