Fantasies of Salvation

Rating:
Summary: Strong integrated analysis of post-socialist politics
Review: "Fantasies of Salvation" is a study of political mythologies and ideologies in the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Tismaneanu takes an integrative approach, rather than engaging in the generally common practice of considering each country separately - something which is quite commendable, and he does a very good job providing an overview of the overall political climate in this region. Even so, he concentrates most of his analysis to the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Romania, while the former Soviet republics and the Balkans are covered less. Generally this book is quite valuable as it covers an area this is not generally dealt with in such a comprehensive manner. Thus, his comparative look at nationalism, anti-communism and the associated political mythologies gives readers an excellent basis for understanding political discourse throughout the region. Tismaneanu correctly points out that mythology is a common aspect of politics anywhere in the world, but his overriding thesis in this work is to show that under the circumstances of rapid transition in the post-socialist countries of Europe, such political mythologies can assume disturbingly paranoid, exclusionary and even violent forms. This is where the term "fantasies of salvation" comes from. Such fantasies are, in the author's words, "an irrational blend but compelling blend" of quasi-religious searches for salvation, egotistic nationalist self-identification and simplified utopian social doctrines. His anaylsis of natonalism in this context is illuminating, and very sobering. He notes that the troubles with economic transition have fanned the flames of xenophobia and racism not only in places like Russia and the Balkans, but even in the more "successful" countries like Hungary or the Czech Republic - although, to be sure, in the latter cases there is less cause for concern than in the former. One can apply the conclusions he draws to other parts of the world as well.

However, the book does have its flaws. One is that Tismaneanu excessively frets over the fate of the former dissidents, like Havel, Konrad or Michnik, who have lost quite a bit of their popularity both in their own countries and abroad. Another (and I believe key) flaw is that while he criticizes many of the political myths or fantasies in the region for, among other things, promoting a simplistic manichean world view, he falls prey to this himself in the sense that he portrays the West, liberalism and the market economy as absolutes which must be attained by all former communist societies. Rarely are the concepts of liberal democracy and capitalism discussed as political myths themselves (regardless of their validity), and Tismaneanu never even entertains the notion that grafting such idealized concepts onto the post-socialist societies may be yet another cause for their often staggering economic and social problems. This really takes away from some of the top-notch analysis in this book, for at times it seems less of a scholarly work than an ideological tract.