Beyond the Big Lie is an extremely sobering/terrifying look at the devolution of American politics over the last years and what we can potentially do about it by Professor Bill Adair (creator of PolitiFact). Released 15th Oct 2024 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
Anyone on the planet who has been paying even cursory attention to the last years has seen the progressive demise of politics in the USA and the relentless tide of chicanery, lying, dangerous rhetoric, and increasing violence (including stochastic terrorism). This is a remarkably balanced, sober judgement by an intelligent reasonable historian elucidating in accessible real language 1)what's going on, 2)where we've seen it before, 3)how to mitigate the worst of the damage (most of which has already come true, sadly), and 4) a constructive path, however tenuous (and scary) forward toward unity and healing.
The stakes have absolutely never been higher. Objective truth -must- begin to mean something as a currency of public discourse and it better happen PDQ or it's all going to be too late (literally). As I write these words, The GoP held a political rally last night (27th Oct. 2024) in Madison Square Gardens with chilling parallels to the infamous 1939 American Nazi rally in the exact same venue. The subjects ranged from insulting Americans of Puerto Rican heritage in the vilest manner imaginable to racist, misogynistic signals to an ever increasingly violent base. America must be better than this. The world must be better than this.
The book also includes a useful cross referenced index, and the well annotated chapter notes are likely worth the price of the book by themselves.
Five stars. One of the most horrifying reads of the year. Hope it's not too little, too late. Truth matters.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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