Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World

This book was incredibly well written and informative. In many ways reading this book was horrifying because it made me realise how little I know about certain political events. The events described are horrifying but everyone should know about them. The stories relayed here showcase the power of political propaganda and radicalisation and the corrupt nature of Western involvement in international politics. Not being educated on the impact the covert and open involvement of the West has had in other countries creates the opportunity for ignorance to be exploited. We should all be aware of what governments are doing so we can ensure they are held accountable for their actions and do not abuse their power to incite mass violence and further their own agendas.

The book has many mentions of war, colonialism, violence, kidnapping, sexual violence and slavery. None of it is very graphic but it can be very uncomfortable and triggering.

Content Warnings

trevbo97's review

Go to review page

challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A very important book for anyone looking to learn more about the real history of the Cold War and Washington’s violent interference in developing Third World countries. This book is very well written and takes you through the lives of those who experienced unimaginable atrocities in the Cold War era. I cannot recommend this enough.

Content Warnings

clayby's review

Go to review page

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

An awful, heartbreaking, necessary read.

Content Warnings

ddnreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Born and raised in Indonesia, this book is a slap in the face for what I've known in the classroom was never the whole truth of history.
(Sure, I'm not that naive to believe that it's true TRUE, but the EXTENT of what actually happened scared the f out of me.)

Frustrating and sad for it was always the powerless who were killed, raped, and slaughtered. And in the name of what?
Who get the most benefits out of this? For whose purpose do my people had to suffer this much?

It left me utterly devastated.
(bcs in the end my country is still a corruption plague, overpopulated nation with unsolved trauma)

Taking the international approach, this book told a neat chronological order of what's happening around the world during 1960s. It helped me to understand the pattern, the agenda, and in the end the propaganda to eliminate communism.
It talked about what happened in Brazil, Guatemala, Philippines, and Chiles. Since this kind of book is out of my comfort zone, I thought it would be hard for me to digest its content, but IT ACTUALLY MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. How the culture shaped the nation and took part of its violence.

This war of ideology took too much out of everything and everyone.

It also revealed the people and organization responsible behind those inhumane acts. ~~Spoiler: it's US~~

The 'method' revealed made me nauseous. Never once I thought that the city in my country could be the blueprint for wanton slaughters in other parts of the world.

Wishing the reconsolidation could be done in the most justifiable way.

Disclaimer: I'm very new on this left right discourse, so this book served its novelty brilliantly. Eye opening for me~

The most frightening part: I used to believe those lies. Hating PKI and thinking they deserved to be eliminated. Even after more than 20+ years, the story was ingrained and the horrors and paradigm never really left.

Idk Im just so glad that I read it. Hearing the others side of the story, not matter how frustrating it turned out in the end. At least for me, now I know better.

Content Warnings

pvbobrien's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark informative medium-paced

3.5

Content Warnings

More...