Timothy Garton Ash on his new book Homelands

[@zakschneider9961]

As an American, I just finished living 6 months in Eastern Europe (Vilnius). I was shocked by the "europeanness." More specifically, I was moved by their display of affection toward "Europe." As Ash writes, while support for the EU remains steady--but beleaguered--in many Western EU nations, the Baltics (for example) see something larger than just a supranational bureaucracy. They see a manufactured political/social identity. For them, it's civilizational. It's not just a witness of the alternatives that drives support for EU and NATO, but positive values. Values such as respect for rule of law, human rights, and genuine freedom (not the bastardized American version) were hard won, and that shows. I have great respect for this conversation because we anglo/Western Europeans need to relearn the positive and negative ways to "struggle for something." We need to reinvigorate the "End of History" thesis, not just as a useless strawman or faux inevitability of the gears of history. Rather, using the End of History idea to spark a real conversation about what the highest goal of our politics can actually deliver. As Dr. Fukuyama said: lowering the aspirations of politics to the protection of human rights and dignities and essential freedoms. This requires genuine struggle that we in Western Democraies need to relearn.

[@cosimocub]

Much appreciated chaps

[@arexp8369]

Panie timoty wypowiadasz się na tematy związane z polską i wyborami w Polsce więc może wypowiedź się dlaczego Anglia wyszła z unii europejskiej??? Dlaczego polityka UE nie podobała się na wyspach?? Więc może ostrożnie z tą pana krytyka polski i Polaków i tych którzy popierają PiS ,władze Tuska już mieliśmy i nie trzeba nas przekonać do człowieka który działa na szkodę swojego państwa

[@antaiko8744]

The two biggest failures finally meets.

[@harryoneil6007]

CRINGE