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A review by some_okie_dude27
The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left the Right by Max Boot
5.0
A few years ago, I probably would have dismissed Max Boot as naive, short-sighted, and foolish. I know how arrogant that sounds coming from a 16 year old, but then again I was pretty arrogant at that time. Now, I see Max Boot as thoughtful, wise, and insightful. I still disagree with many of his views, but I certainly know the feeling of being isolated from the people that you are supposed to be allied with, it is why I left the mainstream libertarian movement as they began to peddle anti-semitic conspiracy theories and advocated genocide for political opponents, so I share Boot's designation as a 'political ronin' as he puts it. As Ronald Reagan once said 'I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.'
Much like everyone else in the political field, I initially couldn't make heads or tails on what Donald Trump was doing, but also puzzled on how people could ever like such a man. Sure, Trump is most certainly entertaining and his odd brand has certainly shaken up the political establishment, it is his streak of being vindictive towards his enemies as well as his penchant for manipulation that has me worried. I don't believe that he is racist, rather that he uses these talking points that he espouses in order to take advantage of people's fear and resentment of the so called 'other' in order to slither his way into power, as most politicians tend to do. It was almost like Trump took a page from Machiavelli (or a Sparknotes, as Trump probably hasn't taken the time to read The Prince) and used them in practice, which of course worked in his favor. The man said it himself 'I could stand in the middle of Fifth avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters.'
Boot writes with a smooth, conversational tone and his prose never feels boring, even though I would doubt that he would win a Pulitzer for it. He never panders or sounds like he is attempting to get in with anyone or gain acceptance from a so called 'elite', as so many would gladly pronounce nowadays. He speaks modestly and honestly about what has happened to him and why he grew disenfranchised with the modern day Republican Party, which has proven itself cowardly and lacking any sort of standards whatsoever, it makes me question what's worse: the people who are fanatically devoted to him or the people who have phoned in support for the man. Boot asks these same questions, while also reiterating the same critiques and issues that I have with our current president, while doing it in a informative and well spoken manner, something our current Commander in Chief seems to lack.
Certainly there are problems that I have with the book, mainly some of the accusations of racism and nativism, there are certainly some things that could point to this, but the reasons I disagree with this are the points that I brought up before. However, there's some other things, such as Trump peddling anti-semitic conspiracy theories, that are utter nonsense and this is coming from an outspoken critic of Trump. This shouldn't be too hard to see why, considering his son in law and daughter are both Jewish and he has expressed his support for Israel several times, though again that could also play into the game of politics that is played, but there is no serious evidence that I have seen that points to Trump being an anti-semite.
I suppose that it is Boot's sticking to his principles is what I admire the most about him, I admire that he had the balls to put this out in an era that is so divisive and willing to screech and scream at each other when one disagrees with another. It is this strength of character that Boot has that I would like to emulate in my own life and beliefs, and in a way I find a kindred spirit in Max Boot. We're both in a 'political ronin' stage of our lives and it's nice to find someone who feels the same way that I do, though our experiences were rather different in coming to that conclusion. I usually like cathartic experiences, and this book is a 260 page catharsis. It's nice to find someone who you can relate to in a time that seems dour, and this book is one that doesn't seek to comfort, but it certainly understands the pain.
Much like everyone else in the political field, I initially couldn't make heads or tails on what Donald Trump was doing, but also puzzled on how people could ever like such a man. Sure, Trump is most certainly entertaining and his odd brand has certainly shaken up the political establishment, it is his streak of being vindictive towards his enemies as well as his penchant for manipulation that has me worried. I don't believe that he is racist, rather that he uses these talking points that he espouses in order to take advantage of people's fear and resentment of the so called 'other' in order to slither his way into power, as most politicians tend to do. It was almost like Trump took a page from Machiavelli (or a Sparknotes, as Trump probably hasn't taken the time to read The Prince) and used them in practice, which of course worked in his favor. The man said it himself 'I could stand in the middle of Fifth avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters.'
Boot writes with a smooth, conversational tone and his prose never feels boring, even though I would doubt that he would win a Pulitzer for it. He never panders or sounds like he is attempting to get in with anyone or gain acceptance from a so called 'elite', as so many would gladly pronounce nowadays. He speaks modestly and honestly about what has happened to him and why he grew disenfranchised with the modern day Republican Party, which has proven itself cowardly and lacking any sort of standards whatsoever, it makes me question what's worse: the people who are fanatically devoted to him or the people who have phoned in support for the man. Boot asks these same questions, while also reiterating the same critiques and issues that I have with our current president, while doing it in a informative and well spoken manner, something our current Commander in Chief seems to lack.
Certainly there are problems that I have with the book, mainly some of the accusations of racism and nativism, there are certainly some things that could point to this, but the reasons I disagree with this are the points that I brought up before. However, there's some other things, such as Trump peddling anti-semitic conspiracy theories, that are utter nonsense and this is coming from an outspoken critic of Trump. This shouldn't be too hard to see why, considering his son in law and daughter are both Jewish and he has expressed his support for Israel several times, though again that could also play into the game of politics that is played, but there is no serious evidence that I have seen that points to Trump being an anti-semite.
I suppose that it is Boot's sticking to his principles is what I admire the most about him, I admire that he had the balls to put this out in an era that is so divisive and willing to screech and scream at each other when one disagrees with another. It is this strength of character that Boot has that I would like to emulate in my own life and beliefs, and in a way I find a kindred spirit in Max Boot. We're both in a 'political ronin' stage of our lives and it's nice to find someone who feels the same way that I do, though our experiences were rather different in coming to that conclusion. I usually like cathartic experiences, and this book is a 260 page catharsis. It's nice to find someone who you can relate to in a time that seems dour, and this book is one that doesn't seek to comfort, but it certainly understands the pain.