In Defence of Open Society
The Legendary Philanthropist Tackles the Dangers We Must Face for the Survival of Civilisation
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Publisher Description
George Soros is among the world's most prominent public figures. He is one of the history's most successful investors and his philanthropy, led by the Open Society Foundations, has donated over $14 billion to promote democracy and human rights in more than 120 countries. But in recent years, Soros has become the focus of sustained right-wing attacks in the United States and around the world based on his commitment to open society, progressive politics and his Jewish background.
In this brilliant and spirited book, Soros offers a compendium of his philosophy, a clarion call-to-arms for the ideals of an open society: freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights, social justice, and social responsibility as a universal idea. In this age of nationalism, populism, anti-Semitism, and the spread of authoritarian governments, Soros's mission to support open societies is as urgent as it is important.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Philanthropist Soros (The Tragedy of the European Union) offers a slim guide to his economic philosophies and the work his Open Society Foundations have done to promote democracy around the world. Collecting recent writings and speeches, Soros details his charitable network's organizational structure and describes such initiatives as providing scholarships to black students in apartheid-era South Africa; establishing a cultural foundation in his native Hungary to expose the "falsehood" of Communist Party dogma; and supporting drug policy reform and end-of-life care in the U.S. Elsewhere, he offers a detailed analysis of the 2008 financial crash and its implications for the stock market. Speaking to the current global political moment, Soros describes Facebook, Google, and other "internet monopolies," as a "menace," and contends that the European Union is facing an "existential crisis" brought about by Brexit, the refugee crisis, and austerity measures. In a speech delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2019, Soros suggests that President Trump will make concessions to China while renewing his trade war with U.S. allies. While that analysis has been undermined by recent events, his warning that the White House needs to develop a "sophisticated, detailed, and practical" plan to deal with China remains sound. This is an accessible starting point for those seeking insights into Soros's current thinking.
