Terror And Liberalism: Amazon.ca: Paul Berman: Books

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From Publishers Weekly

Berman puts his leftist credentials (he's a member of the editorial board of Dissent) on the line by critiquing the left while presenting a liberal rationale for the war on terror, joining a discourse that has been dominated by conservatives. The most original aspect of his analysis is to categorize Islamism as a totalitarian reaction against Western liberalism in a class with Nazism and communism; drawing on the ideas of Camus in The Rebel, Berman delineates how all three movements descended from utopian visions (in the case of Islamism, the restoration of a pure seventh-century Islam) into irrational cults of death. He illustrates this progression through a nuanced analysis of the writings of a leading Islamist thinker, Sayyid Qutb, ending with some chilling quotations from other Islamists, e.g., "History does not write its lines except with blood," the blood being that of Islam's martyrs (such as suicide bombers) as well as of their enemies, Zionists and Crusaders (i.e., Jews and Christians). Berman then launches into his most provocative chapter, and the one he will probably be most criticized for in politically correct journals: a scathing attack on leftist intellectuals, such as Noam Chomsky, who have applauded terrorism and tried to explain it as a rational response to oppression. Berman exhorts readers to accept that, on the contrary, Islamism is a "pathological mass political movement" that is "drunk on the idea of slaughter." A former MacArthur fellow and a contributing editor to the New Republic, Berman offers an argument that will be welcomed by disaffected progressives looking for a new analysis of today's world.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

So new that at press time the publisher's sales reps had yet to hear about it, this work considers how liberals can respond to the threat of terrorism.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
DURING THE BUILDUP to the Persian Gulf War of 1991, Richard Nixon wrote an op-ed for The New York Times, endorsing the coming war and explaining its goals. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

34 Reviews

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3.8 out of 5 stars (34 customer reviews)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A new perspective into history, July 15 2004

By

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terror And Liberalism (Paperback)

This book is a thoughtful, thorough and insightful study of totalitarian thought. Berman writes convincingly of his opinions and thoughts on totalitarian and how it is related to the Islamist movement that is raging through the Middle East. He writes about how the current Islamist movement came to being and why. He tells of the reasons why bin Laden is fighting the war against us ~~ not because we're greedy corporate Americans but because we are a threat to his and his people's vision of utopia. He also delves into the Israel and Palestine's problems. He also explains the history behind communism, facism, and socialism. Berman also talks about Western Europe and their ideas on democracy as well as United Nation's ineptness in dealing with different problems.

This is perhaps one of the most rewarding reading I've done lately. I don't know much about Islam and what causes Muslims to declare a jihad against Westerners. Then again, I don't know much about the history of the last fifty years or so. And this book has whetted my appetite to know more and how liberalism is related to the current events going on today, even with the Bush's administration. It is also a great way to learn more about the Islamist movement that is going on in the Middle Eastern countries as well as Arabic countries. It is an eye-opener for me and it does help me understand current events better.

This is one book that I will definitely pass onto my friends and family. I think everyone who is curious about world affairs and likes essay-type writing, will enjoy this book. It will provoke thought and conversation among your friends and family. It will help you see the world in a different light, even if you don't agree with the author's perspective. But he makes his arguments in a convincing way ~~ and the book is easy to read, very well-written and with thoughtful, concise reasoning behind every word.

7-15-04

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4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful discussion on totalitarianism, July 5 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Terror And Liberalism (Hardcover)

Got this from one of my liberal friends...a Michael Moore lefty with a whole shelf of Chomsky in his library. Told me Berman's book is a good framework for redirecting the discussion about the nature of our enemy.

After reading it, I share my friend's veiw. Berman does a wonderful job of laying out some of the internal battles facing the West in first defining what it is we are at War with.

Definitely worth buying.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Short, to the point, and excellent, May 31 2004

By

Squab (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Terror And Liberalism (Paperback)

This book is a wonderful short tour of twentieth century totalitarian ideology and its similarities to current Muslim extremists. It traces the flow of ideas in Europe, especially Germany, to Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood, and on to Saudi Arabia, Al Qaeda, The Taliban, and Iran.
Berman's successful identification of this common thread of ideas reveals that dictators of today and the recent past in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan are using Islam as a stepping stone to power in the same way that the Nazis used race and the Communists used class - they all ruthlessly killed their enemies and quieted dissent at any cost. According to Berman, the real object is power, and the real problem is totalitarianism - whatever form it may take. His solution to this totalitarian monster is classical liberalism and the free exchange of ideas.
Does he explain every detail of exactly how the ideas change as they flow? No, and this is not because his understanding is simplistic. His intended audience is an educated audience, which is at the very least moderately familiar with the history and philosophy discussed.
It is a short book, and in some places incomplete. For instance, totalitarianism did not begin in the twentieth century - see the Inquisition and the slaughter of the Cathars, and on and on back into history - it did however, seem to become larger and more terrifying after the rise of 19th century liberalism and the great disaster of World War I. However, this does not take away from its central thesis about totalitarianism, and that our defeat of it abroad will make us safer at home. Petty squabbling (no pun intended) over ideological and political toes stepped on cannot and do not take away from this powerful central argument.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Provocative and insightful arguments
Ah, if only more liberals wrote like this. Berman emphasizes and elaborates on issues other lefties will not simply because it would mean identifying with American (liberal)... Read more

Published on May 20 2004

1.0 out of 5 stars Sophomoric
Despite a fair summary of Qutb and a few critical comments about Sharon, Berman defends aggressive attacks on the "enemy". Read more

Published on May 17 2004 by L. F Sherman