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Name: The Dying Citizen
Rating: 2.8 (676 reviews)
Author: Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson

How Progressive Elites, Tribalism, and Globalization Are Destroying the Idea of America

2.8 (676 ratings)

18 mins

Brief summary

'The Dying Citizen' by Victor Davis Hanson is a thought-provoking analysis of the decline of civic participation in America. It explores the causes and consequences of this trend and offers insights into how we can revive our civic culture.

Topics

Race US Politics Democracy US History US Economics Political Philosophy

Table of Contents

The Dying Citizen
Summary of 6 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Discover why progressives aren’t making any progress.

Do you ever get the feeling that Western society has taken a step backward? Politicians keep saying we need to make more progress on everything from racism to climate change, and yet it feels like something bigger is being forgotten. That something is democracy.

In these blinks, you’ll discover how so-called progressives are endangering the social fabric of America – and compromising workers, the economy, and the democratic process. From identity politics to the US Constitution, what’s really going on is laid out here.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why some Americans want to rip up the Constitution;
how the deep state really operates; and
what globalization is doing to the West.

The destruction of the middle classes spells disaster for democracy.

You might know that the roots of Western democracy lie in ancient Greece. But have you ever thought about which ancient Greeks we have to thank for our political system?

In ancient Greece, society was split into three economic groups: the very rich, the very poor, and the people in the middle. Philosophers of the time felt that only the middle classes could be trusted to uphold democratic notions of legal equality, property rights, and fair political representation. In contrast, the rich tended to be idle and were concerned only with generating more wealth for themselves. On the other hand, the very poor were so hungry that they were easily manipulated by political zealots – who told them to hate the rich.

Why did the political philosophers of ancient Greece feel the middle classes were trustworthy? Well, first, such people were not easily manipulated; they tended to be self-sufficient landowners who produced olives and wine in abundance, and so they had resources at their discretion. Released from the drudgery of the daily grind, they had more time to spend on political thought. Unlike the rich, though, the middle classes could not afford to be idle. Instead, these landowners set about improving the legal and political systems around them, so that they could pass their hard-won land on to their children. Essentially, the middle classes were the only group that combined hard work, independent thought, and an interest in political stability.

Today’s Western middle classes still retain these valuable characteristics.

But, worryingly, the United States is witnessing the hollowing out of its middle classes – and the reemergence of a class that has more in common with the medieval peasantry of Europe. These are impoverished Americans who don’t own their own homes, who are always one paycheck away from destitution, and who are financially exploited by the rich. These modern American peasants now make up around 46 percent of the population.

This decline of the middle class leaves us with a sharp dichotomy between the rich and the poor. For an illustration of this, consider the beautiful campus of Stanford University. You’ll find its wealthy students’ Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs in the college’s parking lot. But if you leave the campus and take a look at nearby streets, you’ll see hundreds of people living in trailers parked on the curb. This is a problem for all of us, because a society without a middle class is not conducive to a functioning democracy.

America’s sense of collective identity is now under threat.

America has always been a nation of immigrants. In the nineteenth century, great numbers of people flocked to this huge, sparsely populated land. They came in search of greater freedom and opportunity than they’d had back home. By the end of the century, immigrants from all corners of Europe, as well as Latin America and Asia, had set sail for America.

In this blink, we’ll take a look at how all these different nationalities managed to transform themselves into a united people.

The deep state has a grip on American political life.

In a democratic nation like the United States, you might assume it's the citizens who decide who wields political power. After all, it’s the voters who elect their representatives, and it’s these representatives who ultimately control the state’s apparatuses, right? Well, that’s not exactly the whole story.

In fact, there are many people in the United States who have enormous amounts of political power – and yet were never elected at all. We’re talking about the deep state.

Tribalism is a narrow and dangerous way to organize society.

What tribe do you belong to? Until a few years ago, most Americans would have replied that they belonged to only one tribe: that of the United States. But these days, American society is splintering into different tribes divided along ethnic, religious, and racial lines. In this blink, we’ll examine the bloodstained history of tribalism and explore why the United States’ backslide into it is so disturbing.

Let’s start by looking at what history tells us about tribalism. Before there were nation states, there were different tribes that competed and warred with one another. Indeed, throughout most of human history, tribalism was the norm; your tribe consisted of people who looked like you, sounded like you, and lived near you. Anyone else was the enemy.

The Constitution is under attack from progressives.

The US Constitution has served Americans well for over two centuries. But today, a growing number of people want to see the Constitution ripped up. If they succeed, it will be a disaster for democracy – and for the average citizen.

To understand why some people resent the Constitution so much, we have to understand its original purpose. In fact, the founders’ intentions when they drew up the Constitution were a lot narrower than you might assume. The Constitution’s primary purpose was to enshrine the American citizen’s personal freedom and liberty, as well as to protect his property. It was not designed to further egalitarian values, such as greater equity among Americans.

Globalization is hurting America.

Can you be a citizen of the world and still be a citizen of your home country? In this final blink, we’ll look at modern globalization and its effects on the United States. Let’s start by exploring a fundamental question: What do we mean when we talk about globalization?

Globalization happens when nations begin thinking of themselves as part of a world community. As a result, leaders start putting the interests of this community above the interests of their own nations – or at least start giving them equal consideration.

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What is The Dying Citizen about?

The Dying Citizen (2021) explores the ways in which modern American democracy is being weakened. Touching on issues like globalization and identity politics, it discusses how left-wing progressives are damaging the foundations of the United States.

The Dying Citizen Review

The Dying Citizen (2021) examines the decline of civic virtue and the erosion of individual responsibility in America. Here's why this book will grab your attention:

With a meticulous analysis of historical and cultural factors, the book sheds light on the root causes of the modern crisis of citizenship.
From personal anecdotes to insightful case studies, it effectively illustrates the consequences of a society that values entitlement over duty.
The book offers a thought-provoking exploration of the implications of a declining citizenry, compelling us to reflect on our own roles and responsibilities.

Who should read The Dying Citizen?

Conservatives looking for fresh insights
Fans of Donald Trump
Anyone interested in politics and current affairs

About the Author

Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at Stanford University. He is also a professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno. Hanson has authored over 20 books, including The Case for Trump.

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