Our Own Worst Enemy

In Our Own Worst Enemy, Tom Nichols challenges the current depictions of the rise of illiberal and anti-democratic movements in the United States and elsewhere as the result of economic changes or institutional failures. Rather, he argues that too many of us have succumbed to a toxic cocktail of growing narcissism and increasing expectations, all of which have paradoxically been fueled by affluence, peace, and a connected global culture. These citizens have been exploited by political entrepreneurs who encourage reinforcing cycles of perceived relative deprivation, political alienation, unvirtuous political (and social) behavior, and who provide targets for subsequent bouts of unfocused rage.