Climate of Fear: The quest for dignity in a dehumanized world

In this new book developed from the prestigious Reith Lectures delivered at Oxford, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, a courageous advocacte for human rights around the world, considers fear as the dominant theme in world politics. Decades ago, the idea of collective fear had a specific source: the atom bomb. Today, our shared anxiety has become far more complex and insidious, arising from tyranny, terrorism, and the invisible power of the “quasi-state.” In Wole Soyinka’s opinion, the climate of fear that has enveloped the world was sparked long before September 11, 2001. Rather, it can be traced to 1989, when a passenger plane was brought down by terrorists over the Republic of Niger. From Africa to lower Manhattan to Madrid to Beslan, this invisible threat has erased distinctions between citizens and soldiers; we are all potential targets now. In this volume, Soyinka explores the implications of this poisonous atmosphere, especially for the meaning of human dignity. Fascinating and disturbing, CLIMATE OF FEAR offers a defining perspective on our age.