- Question
Is Western liberalism obsolete?
In a 2019 interview with the Financial Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Western liberalism "obsolete". He is not alone. The death of the West's ideological mainstay, is being discussed by everyone, from former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban, and high-profile journalists including Edward Luce and James Traub. Authoritarian China is ascendant. Free trade, the rule of law, freedom of movement and tolerance are in trouble around the world. So, has the cluster of ideas known as Western liberalism had its day?
No, western liberalism is needed more than ever.
This position holds that Western liberalism is needed more than ever. It argues that liberalism is a cornerstone of healthy democracy that can adapt to a changing world — and that the alternatives now on offer are dangerous ideologies that make its defence all the more urgent.
Western liberalism is not obsolete, but under threat.
This position holds that Western liberalism is not obsolete but under serious threat. It argues that liberalism is in decline and at risk of being wiped out — pressured by authoritarian leaders who call for its end — even though liberal societies tend to be the wealthiest and freest.
Liberalism has outlived its purpose.
This position holds that Western liberalism has outlived its purpose. It argues that liberalism is no longer essential to a nation's social or economic health — that it is being supplanted by movements like Christian democracy, and that individuals, not ideologies, shape a society's character.
Yes, Western liberalism is over, and it's a shame.
This position holds, in mourning rather than triumph, that Western liberalism is over. It argues that populism has supplanted liberalism as the guiding principle of the age — pointing to Trump, Brexit, 'illiberal democracy' in Hungary and kindred movements worldwide.