{
  "id": 9004028,
  "title": "Waleed Aly believes liberalism is in trouble, but his argument leaves us in a bind",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/waleed-aly-believes-liberalism-is-in-trouble-but-his-argument-leaves",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-21T20:11:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation AU",
    "slug": "the-conversation-au",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/waleed-aly-believes-liberalism-is-in-trouble-but-his-argument-leaves-us-in-a-bind-291144"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Waleed Aly contends that liberalism is facing significant challenges, yet his argument raises concerns of its own. In his book Time of Monsters: What Future for Liberalism?, Aly discusses the present state of liberalism within post-modern political landscapes. Liberalism as a concept in this context is not a unified ideology, but rather a tradition that emerged during European modernity and gained prominence in the 19th century. It champions individual freedom, democratic politics, and equal treatment of all citizens.\n\nHowever, the recent political environment has seen a decline in support for traditional liberal ideas, as they face opposition from both the right and left. Aly points out that major parties in Anglophone liberal democracies no longer rely on these traditional principles, which are contested by opposing movements. The book reviews various perspectives on liberalism's decline, including Mark Lilla’s The Once and Future Liberal and Francis Fukuyama’s Liberalism and Its Discontents.\n\nAly's concern is that liberalism is in trouble due to its inability to understand the deep disquiet within liberal democracies. Liberalism emphasizes social pluralism and mutual tolerance, yet it struggles to protect freedom of speech against progressive movements that prioritize dismantling oppressive structures. The left-wing \"woke\" ideology, rooted in Western Marxism, postcolonial theory, and continental philosophy, has emerged as a significant challenge to liberalism.\n\nAccording to Aly, this left-wing ideology prioritizes social justice for marginalized groups over traditional liberal values such as freedom of speech. It is characterized by a comprehensive theoretical belief system and intolerance of dissent. Aly argues that this radical progressive movement represents a post-liberal alternative, emphasizing disillusionment with liberal promises rather than hyperliberalism.",
  "summary": "There is a ‘deep disquiet’ within liberal democracies: a feeling, manifested on both sides of politics, that the conventional order has failed and is beyond reform.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}