The World We're In

To understand the global economy, Hutton argues, one must first understand the United States where, over the past thirty years, the forces of conservatism have achieved such supremacy as to reduce liberalism to a term of abuse.
The results have been dire: America is a weaker, fragmented society and its greatest prides - its commitment to democracy and opportunity for all - have been enfeebled by the conservative advance. Even its economic strengths are oversold and misunderstood. This has not shaken the stranglehold of conservative beliefs in the U.S., with American economic hegemony spreading them across the globe.
But Britain and Europe are different. Ours is a civilisation predicated on values and priorities distinct from America's current leanings: our attitudes towards property, equality, social solidarity and the public realm are strikingly divergent. Hutton argues that it is Europe and not the U.S. that is far nearer to building a highly efficient and socially fair economy. Europe should not be afraid to stand up against the American version of globalisation, and champion the cause of a reinvigorated international society - taking over the mantle now abandoned by the U.S.
In The World We're In, Hutton argues it is time for Britain to stop vacillating between two cultures and make common cause with its continental partners - to reject the conservative orthodoxy in favour of the shared European beliefs of obligations, rights, and fairness.