The Dragons of Expectation: Reality and Delusion in the Course of History, by Robert Conquest

The splendid Robert Conquest has devoted his life to exposing the political distortions that spawn and appease tyranny. Whether discussing the political thinking of ancient Greece, the corrosive effect of Stalinism, or the inanities of the European Union, Conquest assesses the ravages of our past, the absurdities of our present, and the pitfalls that lie in our future. He's not exactly an optimist, but at least he identifies the problem. Politicians, mostly.

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