Summary of Tom Butler-Bowdon's 50 Politics Classics

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Acton’s view of history as a morality tale in which liberty and truth unfold over time was unfashionable during his lifetime. It was only during the Second World War that his unyielding moral outlook came into its own and was seen as a prophetic warning against totalitarianism.

#2 Acton, like de Tocqueville, believes that history is the progress of increasing freedom. He believes that liberty is the result of a mature civilization, and that it takes a long time for freedom to become rooted in institutions.

#3 Acton defines liberty as the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes his duty against the influence of authority and majorities. He believes that the history of liberty is the history of the deliverance of man from the power of man.

#4 Acton believed that America was founded on the right balance between democracy and liberty. He noted that while democracies have allowed the slave trade to flourish, many of the most religiously intolerant societies have been democracies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822534445

IRB Media

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Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Acton’s view of history as a morality tale in which liberty and truth unfold over time was unfashionable during his lifetime. It was only during the Second World War that his unyielding moral outlook came into its own and was seen as a prophetic warning against totalitarianism.

#2

Acton, like de Tocqueville, believes that history is the progress of increasing freedom. He believes that liberty is the result of a mature civilization, and that it takes a long time for freedom to become rooted in institutions.

#3

Acton defines liberty as the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes his duty against the influence of authority and majorities. He believes that the history of liberty is the history of the deliverance of man from the power of man.

#4

Acton believed that America was founded on the right balance between democracy and liberty. He noted that while democracies have allowed the slave trade to flourish, many of the most religiously intolerant societies have been democracies.

#5

Acton’s life was a failure, but his ideas on freedom, democracy, and power can still inspire and guide us. He believed that successful societies must have a moral, Christian backbone.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The authors argue that the poorest countries have elites who have monopolized political power and wealth, whereas successful, rich countries have political rights that are broadly distributed and governments accountable to citizens.

#2

Inclusive economic institutions, such as the freedom to exchange, a legal system to enforce contracts, and roads to assist commerce, are what make a country rich. However, they can only be achieved by the state.

#3

extractive institutions are not brought about by markets alone. Markets can be used to amass power and wealth, which can then be used to crowd out opportunities for others.

#4

However, the institutions in place in a country are not always changed, and may even become more entrenched over time. This is because the powerful push society in their direction, and the poor and disenfranchised have little choice but to accept it.

#5

Some countries with extractive institutions can still grow fast if they monopolize production in something that the world wants, or if they transfer resources from less valuable to more valuable, which was what Stalin did when he collectivized the farms and transferred the income into building up Russian industry.

#6

The book will open your eyes to the deadening and weakening effects of colonization on host countries, the prevalence of slavery throughout history, and the fact that humans choose domination over others rather than the distribution of power, even if that distribution will lead to the prospering of the nation as a whole.

Insights from Chapter 3

#1

During the McCarthy era, American radicals were decimated, yet the disillusionment that America’s young felt in the 1960s about politicians and institutions was not addressed.

#2

Alinsky believed that organizers must be able to communicate and inspire people. They must believe that their cause is 100 percent just, while still being willing to compromise to get things done.

#3

Alinsky believes that the only thing that matters is whether particular ends justify particular means. He notes that the less a person is directly involved in an issue, the more moralistic they are about it.

#4

To change the system, we must work within it. We cannot just drop out of society and expect to change it. If you don’t act as a citizen, you lose your identity as a person.

#5

Rules for Radicals was written by Alinsky, and it was intended to be a guide for radicals to achieve change without resorting to dogma or cruelty. The book's main message is about power: we must study it and handle it properly to achieve anything, but if not handled properly, it will corrupt or destroy the ideals we fought for.

Insights from Chapter 4

#1

The Cuban missile crisis was the most dangerous moment in recorded