First published 2022
Roxane van Iperen traces how the Netherlands abandoned its cherished ideals of openness and tolerance. The country once prided itself on postwar optimism and middle-class belief in equal opportunity regardless of background or family name. Strong public institutions would ensure each generation surpassed the last. This faith in progress has crumbled over recent years. Political influence has replaced optimism with powerful instincts for self-preservation, generating extreme sentiments across society. Van Iperen provocatively examines how this transformation occurred, mapping the journey from collective hope to individual survival. She argues that the middle class must rediscover its commitment to progress if the Netherlands hopes to reclaim its founding values of inclusion and advancement.
Genres: political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-critique, social-commentary
Setting: Netherlands
Period: 21st Century
144 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Rap