Imagine a new political party in the UK. It launches as the ‘Anti-Democratic Party’. Its purpose is clearly and unambiguously stated. It promises to abolish democracy and replace it with a dictatorship in the UK. The Houses of Parliament will be turned into an upmarket shopping mall. During campaigning it does not use any form of intimidation or coercion. It adheres strictly to all existing electoral rules.
Should our existing Government ban the Anti-Democratic Party? You can see the paradox. If it is banned, that would be anti-democratic. If it is permitted, democracy may die in these damp islands of ours.
These are the sorts of questions investigated by Peter Cave (Peter Cave: Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) – Bloomsbury) in his 2019 book ‘The Myths We Live By: A contrarian’s guide to democracy, free speech and other liberal fictions’. The author’s style is witty and mischievous. He sets out for our consideration the most controversial disputes of our times, revealing that they are much less straightforward than we’d like to believe. Topics covered are: justice, free speech, taxation, land ownership and belonging, nationalism, cosmopolitanism, human duties, human rights, equality, representation, community identity and trans identity.
Cave’s method is to use ingenious stories and examples to challenge our most deeply held assumptions. This is a provocative book for the general reader which is delivered in enjoyable prose.
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First published 2019
345 pages in Atlantic Books paperback
ISBN 978 1 78649 522 8
Peter Cave