Introduction -- The cruelty of backlash: Welcome to 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 Roberts court: The Supreme Court is headed back to the nineteenth century -- 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:
"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."-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.