by Damla
It’s General Election day (again) here in the Netherlands!
After weeks of campaigning and heated debates, the Netherlands opens the ballots today to elect its new members of the House of Parliament. The most recent polls have suggested a very close race, adding to the tension in the current political climate. As each party has declared their stances and platforms on a range of hot-button issues from immigration and international relations to healthcare and climate change, it is most important to go out and cast your vote to get your voice heard if you are eligible to do so. Democracy and whatever shape the future of the Netherlands might hold depends heavily on the participation of the people themselves.
As a result, we have gathered some recommendations for the election season, whether it is to contemplate the importance of democracy, to dive deeper into today’s politics, or to make better sense of the upcoming election results and its consequences.
1. Democracy May Not Exist, But We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone – Astra Taylor
“What is democracy really? What do we mean when we use the term? And can it ever truly exist?”
Although we hear the word often enough, we haven’t actually experienced democracy in its truest form, with all the inclusivity and equality it implies. With her book, Taylor considers the term “democracy” and all that comes with it: its meaning, limitations, applications, paradoxes, and loopholes. A thoughtful examination that combines philosophy and history, this book sets a great foundation to understand the function and value of a truly democratic system.
2. Why We’re Polarized – Ezra Klein
As different social issues and economic obstacles raise tensions, the resulting “identity politics” (or them-vs-us mentality) appears to be commonly used as a platform and a weapon in the recent political climate. One of the most stark examples of this is the ongoing cultural war in the US for the past decades, threatening to render the chasm between its own people further. In his book, Klein delves into the depth of this divide to expose its causes and the inevitably disastrous consequences on both a national and international scale.
3. Protecting Democracy in Europe – Tom Theuns (local author!)
In a more Eurocentric gaze, this book looks at the scope of democracy in the EU in the face of recent political issues, to protect, promote, and assure the continuity of its principles of peaceful integration and cooperation between its members. In his book, Theuns is not afraid to draw stark lines to prevent possible exploitations of outdated and insufficient legislation that might harm the democratic foundations.
4. How To Lose A Country – Ece Temelkuran
From Brexit to Trump’s rising popularity and Erdogan’s rise to total power, Temelkuran shines a light on how the slowly creeping footsteps of populism and autocracy can quickly take deep and destructive roots in the fabric of a nation. And she pleads her case for each individual to stand up and speak out, offering crucial tools to fight against the very thing that many nations thought “It couldn’t happen here” before it is too late.
5. Hope in the Dark – Rebecca Solnit
To end on a more hopeful note, there is always hope to shine a light on the darkness, no matter how pointless or difficult it may seem.
In Hope in the Dark, Solnit encourages to feed hope in the face of all the troubling and uncertain times. Drawing on historical, cultural, and environmental references, she emphasizes that our actions can truly make a positive difference in the long run, even if it isn’t measurable or immediately seen.
Other titles that might grab your interest:
The Road to Unfreedom- Timothy Snyder
In this visionary work of contemporary history, Timothy Snyder shows how Russia works within the West to destroy the West; by supporting the far right in Europe, invading Ukraine in 2014, and waging a cyberwar during the 2016 presidential campaign and the EU referendum. It is necessary reading for any citizen of a democracy.
Equality Is a Struggle – Thomas Piketty
Arguing that an ecological socialism is the best hope for global equality, Piketty continues to find reasons for hope in his vivid first draft of history–on the rise of China, political upheaval, armed conflict, inequity within and between nations, discrimination, and beyond.
Another Now – Yanis Varoufakis
Imagine a world with no banks, stock market, tech giants or billionaires. Imagine if Occupy and Extinction Rebellion actually won. In his book, Varoufakis shows us what such a world would look like. But would we really want it? This boundary-breaking new book confounds expectations of what the good society would look like and reveals the uncomfortable truth about our desire for a better world…
Discover more on the subject with our highlights list here.
