‘If he can make money in a tyranny, that’s fine by him’: Francis Fukuyama on Trump, democracy
The political thinker became famous for declaring the triumph of liberal democracy. Thirty-seven years on, he explains what he really meant and why he made the rare journey from right to left
TL;DR
- Francis Fukuyama's 1989 essay 'The End of History?' was misinterpreted as predicting the end of all human conflict and events.
- Fukuyama clarifies his thesis, inspired by Hegel and Kojève, argued that liberal democracy was the final, unbeatable form of government, not that conflict would cease.
- He describes the 'end of history' as leading to the 'Last Man,' who is materially comfortable but may lack purpose and struggle.
- Fukuyama has moved from a conservative stance, supporting the Reagan and Bush administrations and the Iraq War, to a more left-leaning view, renouncing his support for the war.
- He identifies a lack of 'equally distributed respect' and a 'hunger for a cause' as key drivers for populist movements and dissatisfaction with liberal democracy.
- Social media and the internet are seen as contributing to a disconnect from reality, fostering discontent and a longing for meaning.
- Fukuyama's intellectual shift was influenced by major events like the Iraq War and the 2008 financial crisis, prompting a rethink of his assumptions about foreign policy and economics.