The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2020

96 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL and Goodwin argue that understanding Britain’s and America’s political upheavals requires seeing what the authors call “the four ‘D’s” of contemporary politics. They are “ distrust of politicians and institutions”; strong voter fears of the “ destruction of the national group’s historic identity and established ways of life”; and globalization’s relative depriva- tion of traditional middle-class whites and these voters’ loss of faith in the future. These drivers, the authors argue, have led, finally, to voter “ de-alignment ” from traditional party and community affiliations. De-alignment leaves “political systems Critics have derided Whiteshift as a conservative apologia for white ethno-nationalism. This claim is simplistic. across the West far more volatile, frag- mented, and unpredictable than at any point in the history of mass democracy.” Stating that we live in a period of “hyper- ethnic change” in the West, the authors note that American suspicion of large- scale immigration has waxed and waned, with 1965’s Immigration and Nationaliza- tion Act leading tomore immigration from non-Western countries. Ethnic white discomfort with the hyper-ethnic change that has followed (i.e., fundamental immigration-driven ethnic shifts leading to minority-majority transitions in previously white-domi- nated communities) fuels national popu- lism. This, the authors conclude, “will have a powerful impact on the politics of many Western countries for many years to come.” At the dawn of the twentieth century, W.E.B. Du Bois predicted that “the prob- lemof the color-line—the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and the islands of the sea”—would continue to bedevil Western politics. A century later, as soaring numbers of migrants seek new homes in the West, these books show that the color line is as strong as ever. n Andrew Erickson is a retired Foreign Service officer who served in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. A graduate of Brown University and the National War College, he resides in Germany. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS n LEGAL SERVICES ATTORNEY WITH OVER 25 YEARS ’ successful experience SPECIALIZING FULL- TIME IN FS GRIEVANCES will more than dou- ble your chance of winning: 30% of grievants win before the Grievance Board; 85% of my cli- ents win. Only a private attorney can adequately develop and present your case, including necessary regs, arcane legal doctrines, precedents and rules. Call Bridget R. Mugane at: Tel: (301) 596-0175 or (202) 387-4383. Email: fsatty@comcast.net Website: foreignservicelawyer.com EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING FS officers in griev- ances, performance, promotion and tenure, financial claims, discrimi- nation, security clearance and disciplinary actions. We represent FS officers at all stages of the proceedings from an investigation, issuance of proposed discipline or initiation of a grievance, through hearing before the FSGB. We provide experienced, timely and knowledgeable advice to employees from junior untenured officers through the Senior FS, and often work closely with AFSA. Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman & Fitch Tel: (202) 331-9260. Email: attorneys@kcnlaw.com n PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Former FSJ Editor and author available to help with your memoir, novel or article. Whether you need editorial guidance, copy-editing or just an objective eye, I’m here for you. Rates negotiable. Steven Alan Honley Tel: (202) 479-9114. Email: SAHonley@his.com n REAL ESTATE Tom was my “go to” Realtor in Northern Virginia for 25+ years. Posted overseas, having access to an ethical Realtor who under- stood our needs and profession, could offer advice on residential and investor real estate and trends, paid attention to detail, and could be unconditionally trusted was invaluable to my family. As a retired SFSO and full-service VA-licensed Realtor, I provide this same service but at your pace. Please contact me to learn more about how my personalized service differentiates. ALAN DAVIS, REALTOR® Long & Foster Burke/Fairfax Station/Clifton 6045 Burke Centre Parkway, Burke, VA 22015 Cell/Text: (571) 229-6821. Email: alandavisrealtor@gmail.com Website: www.alandavisrealtor.com