Member Review

MacWilliams' book could also be titled: "12 Instances of America Behaving Badly." Each of the 12 'lessons' details a time in the history of the US when there have been elements of fascism. These range from the lynching of African Americans to the Japanese American internment camps during World War II. This was a book that made these events in history (even specific ones that I didn't have a lot of background on) immensely accessible. MacWilliams also did an amazing job tying in the mistakes we've made in the past directly to how our current White House administration is acting in a fascist or authoritarian stance. This book was well-researched and insightful, but unfortunately, it left me feeling rather depressed. It doesn't seem as though we've done much to learn from our country's troubled past. I worry that we're doomed to repeat a lot of these injustices (since that seems to be what we're already doing). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a clearer understanding of fascism in the US and who would like to learn of connections between the past and present day examples of fascist behavior by our government.