Informative, but frustrating
2 stars
First off, this was written by Americans during Trump's first term, so it is very much from an American perspective (which is fine for me, but YMMV) and dated in several aspects. The historical sections were well researched and I learned a lot from them, although you could tell they were straining to make democratic breakdowns seem like a "both sides" problem.
Where this book really falls down is in its recommendations going forward. The authors seemingly can't decide whether they want to compromise with fascists or fight them, but they ultimately seem to come down on the side of the Democrats moving rightwards. Although they rightly point out how much of the former American political consensus was grounded in white supremacy, they cling to a fantasy where it's possible to move far enough right to attract "moderate Republicans" without sacrificing people of color.
Ultimately, this book doesn't live up …
First off, this was written by Americans during Trump's first term, so it is very much from an American perspective (which is fine for me, but YMMV) and dated in several aspects. The historical sections were well researched and I learned a lot from them, although you could tell they were straining to make democratic breakdowns seem like a "both sides" problem.
Where this book really falls down is in its recommendations going forward. The authors seemingly can't decide whether they want to compromise with fascists or fight them, but they ultimately seem to come down on the side of the Democrats moving rightwards. Although they rightly point out how much of the former American political consensus was grounded in white supremacy, they cling to a fantasy where it's possible to move far enough right to attract "moderate Republicans" without sacrificing people of color.
Ultimately, this book doesn't live up to the current moment. It's an important subject… that deserves to be covered by someone else.