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The cruelty is the point : the past, present, and future of Trump's America / Adam Serwer.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Random House Large Print, [2021]Copyright date: ©2021Edition: First large print editionDescription: xxiv, 435 pages ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780593414156
  • 0593414152
Other title:
  • Past, present, and future of Trump's America
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
Introduction: Promises made, promises kept -- The cruelty of backlash -- Is this the second redemption? -- The cruelty of the lost cause -- The myth of the kindly General Lee -- The cruelty of the lies we tell ourselves -- The nationalist's delusion -- The cruelty of reconciliation -- Civility is overrated -- The cruelty of the mob -- The cruelty is the point -- The cruelty of the nativists -- White nationalism's deep American roots -- The cruelty of the Stephen Millers -- Not the right way -- The cruelty of conspiracy -- Why Tamika Mallory won't condemn Farrakhan -- The cruelty of exclusion -- What we do now will define us forever -- The cruelty of Philo-Semitism -- The Jewish divide -- The cruelty of the Covid contract -- The Coronavirus was an emergency until Trump found out who was dying -- The cruelty of the code of silence -- Abolish police unions -- The cruelty of the president -- The new reconstruction -- Conclusion: The slow fall of authoritarian America.
Summary: "Taking joy in suffering is more human than we'd like to admit. The cruelty of the Trump administration's policies and the ritual rhetorical flaying of his targets are intimately connected. Shared cruelty and the delight it brings are critical moments of connection for white supremacists, a fact that is not new. Adam Serwer has been chronicling our political landscape for the last decade. He is one of the most resonant voices of our time, relentless in his pursuit of fact, unsentimental in his storytelling, yet deeply humane in his perspective. At The Atlantic, he has written about the Supreme Court's role in Jim Crow; the history of "white genocide" conspiracy theory; hoaxes; racism; inequality; and of course, Trump. But this collection isn't just about Trump--it's an investigation across centuries interrogating both this moment and its antecedents to reveal the deep roots that have given rise to Trumpism. New material includes four, audience-building essays that expand upon the collection's themes, and unearth more approaches to nationalism and pluralism. Like the polarizing effect Trump's administration has had on American Jews; tracing the emergence of police unions; and making the historical case for abolishing billionaires to preserve American democracy. Additionally, new introductions will provide context and insight into the impact of previously published pieces, why they garnered so much attention amongst media figures, politicians, and social platforms"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Large Print Book Large Print Book Main Library Large Print NonFiction 323.1196 S492 Available 33111010540587
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From an award-winning journalist at The Atlantic , these searing essays make a powerful case that "real hope lies not in a sunny nostalgia for American greatness but in seeing this history plain--in all of its brutality, unadorned by euphemism" ( The New York Times ).

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR * "No writer better demonstrates how American dreams are so often sabotaged by American history. Adam Serwer is essential."--Ta-Nehisi Coates

To many, our most shocking political crises appear unprecedented--un-American, even. But they are not, writes The Atlantic' s Adam Serwer in this prescient essay collection, which dissects the most devastating moments in recent memory to reveal deeply entrenched dynamics, patterns as old as the country itself. The January 6 insurrection, anti-immigrant sentiment, and American authoritarianism all have historic roots that explain their continued power with or without President Donald Trump--a fact borne out by what has happened since his departure from the White House.

Serwer argues that Trump is not the cause, he is a symptom. Serwer's phrase "the cruelty is the point" became among the most-used descriptions of Trump's era, but as this book demonstrates, it resonates across centuries. The essays here combine revelatory reporting, searing analysis, and a clarity that's bracing. In this new, expanded version of his bestselling debut, Serwer elegantly dissects white supremacy's profound influence on our political system, looking at the persistence of the Lost Cause, the past and present of police unions, the mythology of migration, and the many faces of anti-Semitism. In so doing, he offers abundant proof that our past is present and demonstrates the devastating costs of continuing to pretend it's not. The Cruelty Is the Point dares us, the reader, to not look away.

"Taking joy in suffering is more human than we'd like to admit. The cruelty of the Trump administration's policies and the ritual rhetorical flaying of his targets are intimately connected. Shared cruelty and the delight it brings are critical moments of connection for white supremacists, a fact that is not new. Adam Serwer has been chronicling our political landscape for the last decade. He is one of the most resonant voices of our time, relentless in his pursuit of fact, unsentimental in his storytelling, yet deeply humane in his perspective. At The Atlantic, he has written about the Supreme Court's role in Jim Crow; the history of "white genocide" conspiracy theory; hoaxes; racism; inequality; and of course, Trump. But this collection isn't just about Trump--it's an investigation across centuries interrogating both this moment and its antecedents to reveal the deep roots that have given rise to Trumpism. New material includes four, audience-building essays that expand upon the collection's themes, and unearth more approaches to nationalism and pluralism. Like the polarizing effect Trump's administration has had on American Jews; tracing the emergence of police unions; and making the historical case for abolishing billionaires to preserve American democracy. Additionally, new introductions will provide context and insight into the impact of previously published pieces, why they garnered so much attention amongst media figures, politicians, and social platforms"-- Provided by publisher.

Include bibliographical references.

Introduction: Promises made, promises kept -- The cruelty of backlash -- Is this the second redemption? -- The cruelty of the lost cause -- The myth of the kindly General Lee -- The cruelty of the lies we tell ourselves -- The nationalist's delusion -- The cruelty of reconciliation -- Civility is overrated -- The cruelty of the mob -- The cruelty is the point -- The cruelty of the nativists -- White nationalism's deep American roots -- The cruelty of the Stephen Millers -- Not the right way -- The cruelty of conspiracy -- Why Tamika Mallory won't condemn Farrakhan -- The cruelty of exclusion -- What we do now will define us forever -- The cruelty of Philo-Semitism -- The Jewish divide -- The cruelty of the Covid contract -- The Coronavirus was an emergency until Trump found out who was dying -- The cruelty of the code of silence -- Abolish police unions -- The cruelty of the president -- The new reconstruction -- Conclusion: The slow fall of authoritarian America.

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