On ‘Radio Times’: Threats to Western liberal democracy

Donald Trump, Brexit, rising nationalism, and declining labor markets…Financial Times columnist ED LUCE says these are all significant threats to Western liberal democracy. On Wednesday’s Radio Times, Luce spoke with Marty Moss-Coane about his new book, The Retreat of Western Liberalism. Luce told Marty that economic growth, not values, are more important in holding the United States together and economic stagnation felt by the middle class led to Trump’s rise.

While these conditions set the stage for Trump’s election, Luce pointed out that

“Donald Trump is not the cause of our problems.  He is the symptom.”

But unfortunately, he explained to Marty, the President is not pursuing the kinds of policies that could help the middle class and provide a solution.  Luce pointed to Trump’s budget proposal as an example, which includes funding reductions in education and job training and tax cuts for the wealthy.