As Mario Vargas Llosa once said, I also think that all writers aspire to reach intelligent, intuitive, creative readers.
In today’s world of caricatures and mockery, it is difficult, if not impossible, to find readers ready to assimilate a decent message. After all, this may be the writer’s once-in-a-lifetime chance to step forward and explain that some things that are happening around us still have liberal origins and that liberalism is the most advanced, progressive form of democracy. We are talking about that kind of liberalism that is the complete opposite of the caricatures that present it as the most extreme form of conservatism.
To reclaim this political philosophy from its current distortion, we must first dismantle the prevailing public misconceptions. Critics frequently weaponise economic anxieties to paint individual liberty as a cold mechanism for inequality. Yet true liberalism seeks precisely the opposite. It champions social mobility, personal autonomy and the rule of law as foundational pillars for a fair society. When we abandon these principles to partisan noise, we surrender the very tools required to address modern injustices.
Writers therefore carry a unique responsibility in this cultural landscape. Rather than pandering to the loudest voices on the political extremes, literature and essayism must offer a sanctuary for nuance. It is an invitation to pause, reflect and reconsider how freedom operates in our daily lives. If we fail to articulate these values with clarity and conviction, the public square will remain entirely dominated by superficial slogans and reactionary dogmas.
Ultimately, the defence of freedom begins with the courage to name it correctly. Liberalism is not a relic of the past, nor is it an instrument of stagnation. It is a living, breathing commitment to human potential and democratic progress.
If we can reach even a handful of thoughtful readers, our efforts will have served their highest purpose, because the future of democracy depends entirely on the quality of our convictions.
