José María Aznar finds it difficult to witness the calamitous decline of Spain, a nation he led to robust economic health as prime minister from 1996 to 2004. The gains during his administration have vanished following the international financial crisis. But the economic misfortunes of Spain and other European nations are actually long-standing, Aznar says, and represent a profound underlying “political, cultural and social crisis” suffered by the entire European continent. Aznar recommends a “broad, historical perspective” to grasp this crisis. He begins after World War II, when European nations, pursuing a trio of goals — “security, freedom and prosperity”-- joined the Atlantic alliance, committed to democratic forms of government, and established the welfare state. These countries pledged to support all three “pillars” simultaneously, because “the moment we sacrifice one, the other two are bound to be lost.” But over time, Aznar suggests, Europe’s will to sustain these fundamental principles flagged, and now many people have come to believe “that freedom, security and progress are something like national properties, perpetually guaranteed whatever you do.” Europeans are divided between two starkly different world views, and in this division Aznar perceives the “true origin of our European crisis.” One ideology he describes as “utopian,” and involves a “cocktail of postmodern illusions” including the belief that societies will “just continue to improve,” that “social cohesion and well-being can be preserved without any effort whatsoever,” and that “one’s self is an endless source of economic rights (that) the government has an obligation to fulfill in exchange for nothing and for an indefinite period of time.” It is the world view of “progressive do-gooders and eternal teenagers.” Aznar sums up the alternative: a “realistic and responsible approach” to governing that encourages “civilization, freedom, science, culture and enterprise.” The “European pro...