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Loading... Resistance (At All Costs): How Trump Haters Are Breaking America (edition 2019)by Kimberley Strassel (Author)
Work InformationResistance (At All Costs): How Trump Haters Are Breaking America by Kimberley Strassel
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In response to the criticism of Donald Trump being a threat to American democracy, this book makes the case that it is Trump's critics who are undermining our foundations. It asserts that the reaction to Trump will prove far more consequential and damaging to our nation long-term than Trump's time in office. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)323.0420973Social sciences Political Science Civil and political rights Civil Rights Essays; Special TopicsLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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In this effort one of steps I have started to take is to read articles and books that don't necessarily align with my political point-of-view. While I began as a conservative, I have definitely become more liberal in my views as I have gotten older. I am also not a Trump supporter, however, my first point here is that this is not a book about Trump. It is a book about how liberal America has reacted to Trump's election and Trump's presidency. If you read this book thinking it is about Trump or his presidency, you will be disappointed. And while I expect that Strassel agrees with some of Trump's policies, I don't get the impression she agrees with him or his administration across the board.
For me this book was a learning opportunity. It was a chance to look at this country and its conservative and liberal factions from a different perspective and from a perspective different than mine. With that intent reading this was a success. This book is well-researched and documented; the arguments and points are made, for the most part, logically and reasonably. A lot of what I learned I believe will help me in conversations in the future. For instance, I recognize now that some Americans, including a lot of conservatives, care as much about this country operating within the legal boundaries of our democracy as they do about promoting a particular policy issue. That is something I agree with as well. I learned, not surprisingly, that "effecting change" through a bureaucracy is as difficult, if not more difficult, in the federal government as it is in a large corporation, and when that bureaucracy does not support the change, either subtly or adamantly, it is extremely difficult to make that change happen. And I learned that sometimes we react strongly to a communication style just because it is not what we are used to and not what we have come to expect, and you need to look beyond that.
Where I struggled with this book is that Strassel was making an argument, not just describing political events, and in doing so she really only presented those events and incidents that supported her points. It was clear that she did not like how Obama and his administration operated, and I understood where she was coming from, but her argument would have been stronger, in my opinion, if for instance she had contrasted the way in which liberal America has reacted and resisted the Trump presidency to how conservative America reacted to Obama's presidency. But then I am always going to be more convinced if I am presented with both sides of an argument. To me the approach you take depends on who you are writing for. Are you writing for those readers who already agreed with you before they to picked up your book, or are you trying to persuade those who come to the book with a very different point of view.
Regardless, I found this book very educational. I think I understand this country and a broader range of Americans a little bit better as a result of reading it. And, yes, I did pay for the book. In fact, I ended up buying two copies, an Audible version and the hardback. I always find it funny when someone says they are not going to buy something because it would mean giving money to someone they disagree with. ( )