Diante do inegável e acelerado declínio cultural da civilização ocidental nas últimas gerações, faz-se inevitável a pergunta: como chegamos a esse ponto? Como passamos do amplo horizonte vital das antigas civilizações a essa espécie de sentimentalismo mesquinho e narcisista? Em busca das raízes da nossa crise atual, James Burnham analisa as definições antiga e moderna da ideologia progressista, mostra suas características, crenças e mazelas, e conclui que as tendências suicidas ocidentais residem não tanto na falta de recursos ou poderes militares, mas na erosão dos fatores intelectuais, morais e espirituais da sociedade ocidental. A análise que o autor faz das deformações atuais de ordem moral, existencial e política se prova quase profética, pois não se limita a atacar o comunismo, mas aponta muitas faces do totalitarismo e critica a possível "revolução administrativa", que tem por objetivo banir a liberdade em nome da eficiência e do controle burocráticos. Muitos concordarão, outros terão um acesso de fúria desvairada, mas ninguém poderá ignorar a amarga profecia de James Burnham: o esquerdismo é a ideologia do suicídio ocidental.

This is still incredibly relevant, maybe even more so today - if it was written now, the author would be hounded for it. ( )

A classic work that is illuminating at least as much for its analysis of modern ideology as for its thesis (which has become relevant again in the face of the rise of militant Islam).

The main flaw in this work is the 39 point litmus test for liberalism; people reflexively take it as a measure of where one falls on a left-right spectrum and so misunderstand it. The list is best understood as a list of principles that are so central to liberalism that their negation would question one's status as a bona fide liberal; a measure of conservatism would require a different list. ( )

The amazing thing about this work is how icily cold-blooded it is. There is no sentiment here. For example, consider the cliche that more education is the answer to most (or all) problems. I always swallowed that one uncritically. It seems so reasonable on a superficial examination. Thinking, instead of emoting, Burnham points out that the most aggressive and destructive nations have been some of the best-educated, Germany and Russia being obvious 20th century examples. And let's not get started on France. If you're a liberal and you like your cliches unexamined in light of the facts, do not read this book; it will give you nightmares.
For me, it was refreshing because he plows through hallowed cliches, warm, pink, fuzzy, feel-good, everybody-hug cliches, with a bulldozer. No one will agree with everything here (some of it is just silly), but it's a bracing breath of fresh air. ( )