Customer Reviews

Against Democracy and Equality: The New European Right

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_Against Democracy and Equality_ by Tomislav Sunic is a study of far-right wing political ideology in Europe. Beginning with a great introduction by Paul Gottfried, the book features a discussion of the ideas of the leading theorists of this very obscure movement, the most predominant of whom are Carl Schmidt, Vilfredo Pareto and Oswald Spengler. These scholars were noteworthy intellectuals of the so-called "conservative revolution" in pre-world war Italy and Germany. Other intellectual inspirations have come from Nietzsche and the pagan-traditionalist philosophies of Julius Evola and Alain de Benoist. Oddly enough, Sunic notes how these radical conservative critics presaged, during the 1920s and 30s, the leftist critiques of materialism and middle-class society that became popular during the 1950s, 60s and 70s by philosophers such as Hannah Arendt and Herbert Marcuse. The book concludes with observations about the communist systems of government in Eastern Europe. It is unlikely, in my opinion, that any of the ideas expressed by the "New Right" in Europe will get any type of audience amongst conservatives in America because of the explicitly anti-Christian stance it takes. The New Right believes that Christianity is a corrupt religion because of its explicitly monotheistic theology, a supposed reflection of its Jewish origins and totalitarian tendencies.

Although I agree with many of the ideas expressed by the so called European "new right" (not to be confused with neo-conservatism or traditional right wing paleo-conservatism) especially the faction that wants to be rid of Christianity and bring back Paganism in Europe, reading this book was about as exciting or interesting as watching paint dry.

Another fault this book has is it paints the "new right" as being a real political movement when in reality it is nothing but a vague ideology that is derived from the writings of a few intellectuals. As I said I like many of the ideas of the "new right" but this book just didn't do anything for me. Read this only if you have a big interest in the subject or some of the writers that helped shape this ideology.