Ben Shapiro’s new book is is anti-anti-Trumpism distilled, writes jonathanchait
Like many conservative intellectuals, Ben Shapiro reacted to Donald Trump’s rise with horror, declaring, “ I will never vote for this man.” After Trump’s election, some of them drifted away from the Republican Party, while others plunged headlong into his cult. Shapiro joined the largest faction in undertaking what he probably regards as a sensible middle course. He has pared back his criticism to the barest form, and directed nearly all his considerable bile against Trump’s critics.
Shapiro’s apparent intention to advance this bold thesis was to almost entirely ignore Trump’s four years of Nixonian abuses. The January 6 insurrection seems to have made this untenable, and Shapiro devotes a large chunk of his introduction to explaining that the storming of the Capitol, while regrettable, was a minor episode carried out by a few bad apples lacking any political support.
That is not to say Shapiro’s one-sided indictment of the left is baseless. His book mainly consists of a chronicle of the illiberal left’s very real efforts to ideologically cleanse elite institutions. The list of horribles is pretty familiar: social-media mobs whipping up panics against the likes of David Shor, Donald McNeil, Gina Carano, and many others.
Shapiro could still make a solid case that anti-racism often goes too far or attacks the wrong targets while acknowledging that Trump’s racism has contributed to it. Shapiro refuses to concede this. Instead, he argues, incredibly, that the left “began with a simple recognition” that conservatism had a weak point: its “militant insistence on cordiality.”
Trump publicly boasted that the NFL was blackballing Kaepernick because owners were afraid of being attacked by Trump if they signed him. This seems like a more precise comparison to the McCarthyist blacklist than any of the episodes Shapiro likens to the ’50s blackballing of communist screenwriters.
Shapiro gets around this problem with his trademark cocktail of sweeping assertions unsupported by any evidence. The “Democratic party leadership has shifted from liberal to leftist,” he writes, a claim that would come as a surprise to both the Democratic Party’s leaders and any self-identified leftist.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Had a Stylish Craig's Dinner Date NightThe couple were photographed on another Los Angeles date.
Consulte Mais informação »
Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck House Hunting at $85 Million EstateJennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's house hunting in L.A. continues.
Consulte Mais informação »
TODAY is looking for Ben Platt's biggest fanBen Platt will be on the Citi Concert Series this Friday but before he performs, we want to find his No. 1 fan.
Consulte Mais informação »
Ben Affleck, J Lo Get Real Estate Tips from 'Million Dollar Listing' Stars'Million Dollar Listing' stars Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck weigh in with pro advice on their house hunting.
Consulte Mais informação »
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Are House Hunting at a $85 Million EstateJennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are out here house hunting at a $85 million mansion as they prepare to move in together—get details here!
Consulte Mais informação »
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck tour $85m mansion – complete with boxing ringJennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were pictured touring a new palatial mansion in Beverly Hills – complete with boxing ring and parking for 80 guests!
Consulte Mais informação »