The Defeat of Solidarity: Anger and Politics in Postcommunist EuropeHow did the fall of communism and the subsequent transition to capitalism in Eastern Europe affect the people who experienced it? And how did their anger affect the quality of the democratic systems that have emerged? Poland offers a particularly provocative case, for it was here where workers most famously seemed to have won, thanks to the role of the Solidarity trade union. And yet, within a few short years, they had clearly lost. An oppressive communist regime gave way to a capitalist society that embraced economic and political inequality, leaving many workers frustrated and angry. Their leaders first ignored them, then began to fear them, and finally tried to marginalize them. In turn, workers rejected their liberal leaders, opening the way for right-wing nationalists to take control of Solidarity. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 Democracy and the Organization of Anger | 13 |
2 Solidarity Against Itself | 37 |
3 Market Populism and the Turn to the Right | 60 |
4 How Liberals Lost Labor | 94 |
5 Communist and Postcommunist Experiences of Class | 121 |