Saturday, June 30, 2018

Review: Trump's America by Newt Gingrich

Trump's America: The Truth about Our Nation's Great Comeback

It was ok. That's what my two-star rating is.

I began Newt Gingrich's Trump's America in an effort to understand what President Trumps appeal is. A little more than 50% in I had to give up. It is true that Gingrich writes this in an approachable, precise, and captivating manner but I couldn't help but feel like this America that in some aspects, this "Make America Great Again" never existed. Or at least it never existed for people like me... or my parents... or grandparents.


If we're going back to those times when Freedom of Speech (as long as it's spoken in English) was not in peril, that would also mean it was in peril for someone else. If we went back to this America they speak of when no one disrespected the flag and stood during the National Anthem (that many should study the history of because it's actually quite racist), I still must figure he doesn't mean me as well. I grew up pledging allegiance (daily in middle school) and am still unaffected by it. I'm neither more or less patriotic for having done so.

I won't even get into the police thing and the BLM he decries because I absolutely admonish any acts of hatred against the blue, but I also know the angst I feel when being pulled over in Highland Park as I drive my late model Nissan Murano is real. The numbers are real that minorities and poorer neighborhoods are ticketed more often. Oh... and please put your hand down in the back who wants to scream well "y'all" commit the most crimes. There's seriously no reason why a driving infraction should result in the loss of my life if I comply with all the officers orders. The America that was so great they want to return to would allow police to be judge and jury. Why not just offer cops a noose. It was just as efficient in the America that we want to return to...

I GET IT. Gingrich is suggesting Trump is only interested in putting America's needs first, and I'm not against that. But there are a lot of countries that have been devastated economically by the beast that is America. We want clothing cheap, food cheap, and America doesn't care who's country we have to pillage in order to make that happen. That's a "them" problem.

Don't get me wrong. I love this country but we love playing slight of hand with the truth.

Either way... once Gingrich got into the regulations that impose sanctions on a global warming that's not even happening or are many years away according the Gingrich... I just had to stop. Believe me, I tried to give this read an impartial try. I genuinely want to be able to see a middle ground where in some alternate reality I could come to stomach Trump... but instead I just kept getting more and more unhappy with this read. 

I choose to be stingy with my time. It's extremely precious. Thanks Newt Gingrich for trying to help me understand Trump's America. This one was simply an "ok" for me. Based on it's readability... I couldn't give it a 1-star. That just wouldn't be fair... but then again... this is Trump's America, I can do what I want and not be fair to anyone or anything. Patrice's feelings are first. **

Copy provided by Center Street via Netgalley

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