On Fascism, Matthew C. MacWilliams
On Fascism, Matthew C. MacWilliams
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On Fascism
12 Lessons from American History

Author: Matthew C. MacWilliams

Narrator: Kevin Stillwell

Unabridged: 4 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/29/2020


Synopsis

An expert on American authoritarianism offers a searing rebuke of the exceptional narrative that dominates our understanding of US history. In 12 lessons, Matthew C. MacWilliams' On Fascism exposes the divisive rhetoric, strongman tactics, violent othering, and authoritarian attitudes that course through American history and compete with our egalitarian, democratic aspirations. Trumpism isn’t new, but rooted in our refusal to come to terms with this historical reality.

The United States of Lyncherdom, as Mark Twain labeled America. Lincoln versus Douglas. The Chinese Exclusion Act. The Trail of Tears. The internment of Japanese-Americans. The Palmer Raids. McCarthyism. The Surveillance State. At turning points throughout history, as we aspired toward great things, we also witnessed the authoritarian impulse drive policy and win public support. Only by confronting and reconciling this past, can America move forward into a future rooted in the motto of our Republic since 1782: e pluribus unum (out of many, one).

But this audiobook isn’t simply an indictment. It is also a celebration of our spirit, perseverance, and commitment to the values at the heart of the American project. Along the way, we learn about many American heroes – like Ida B. Wells, who dedicated her life to documenting the horrors of lynching throughout the nation, or the young Jewish-American who took a beating for protesting a Nazi rally in New York City in 1939. Men and women who embodied the soaring, revolutionary proclamations set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution.

On Fascism is both an honest reckoning and a call for reconciliation. Denial and division will not save the Republic, but coming to terms with our history might.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Griffin

About Matthew C. MacWilliams

Matthew C. MacWilliams is a scholar, an award-winning practitioner of American politics, and a recognized expert on authoritarianism. He was the first researcher to use survey research to establish a link between Trump’s core supporters and authoritarianism. Early in the Republican nominating contest for president, he warned that Trump’s activation of American authoritarians would make his candidacy virtually unstoppable. His articles in POLITICO, the London School of Economics blog, and VOX on Trump sparked an international media debate that contributed to the framing of Trump and his tactics as authoritarian. His work was reprinted or referenced by leading media around the world including CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, the Washington Post, Newsweek, New York Times columnist David Brooks, NPR, The Atlantic, and Der Spiegel. He has presented to elected officials and civil society leaders in the United States and Europe about the rise of authoritarianism and its implications for the future of democracy.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sheena on September 11, 2020

On Fascism covers America's dark past that still continues to bleed into todays current events. It goes over events such as the trail of tears, lynching of Black Americans, Japanese internment camps, and Trump's presidency. MacWilliams gives statistics on American’s who still don’t believe in racial......more

Goodreads review by Maxine on October 22, 2020

Our fervent belief in the myth of American exceptionalism persuades us that we are uniquely immune to the activation of authoritarianism. Some of us contend that we are different from people in every other country in the world. We are not. Many people, both within and outside the United States believe......more

Goodreads review by Luke on July 28, 2022

2.5 rounded up. This is borderline spolier-ish but I think there is still so much in the book that isn’t gone through in here. I’ll start by saying the individual points this book makes are compelling - and the central theme that “America is not this exception to history and has never experienced fa......more

Goodreads review by Jeff on September 02, 2020

Better Title: On Fascism I Disagree With. In this text, MacWilliams does something I've literally never seen before, at least not this blatantly. He takes the concept of "prooftexting" from Christian nonfiction/ preaching, wherein the speaker (or writer) selectively quotes particular passages in "pr......more

Goodreads review by Crystal on August 26, 2020

This book will alarm you, and it should. MacWilliams doesn't pull punches. It's not meant to be exhaustive. This small volume succinctly and bluntly makes the case that, frankly, we have problems. And the book seems to be intended for those who are perhaps less aware of our nation's history. I hope......more