eatwritereadrepeat's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Good to see both sides of the argument
prairie_fairie's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
5.0
After reading Murray's "The Madness of Crowds", it was hard NOT to pick this up when I came across it. The War on the West is an interesting and intelligently informative read about the changing political and cultural landscape occurring in the world today. Murray shows his worldly knowledge in music, art, foreign culture, global politics and the current trends in Western and briefly, non-Western societies.
This book is not an attack on the west. It is an indictment on some of the people attacking the west, which broadly speaking has many roots in Judeo-Christian ideologies and while Murray doesn't focus on this much, the sentiment is there. Murray demonstrates with example upon example how many western people denounce the western ways and demonize it by calling it 'white' and the broad strokes with how white western culture is so demonized, if it were reversed, those crying foul on Western culture (while enjoying its relative freedom of expression) would indeed suggest it was racist. Because it is.
Many western nations have practically fallen over themselves to try and make up for the real or perceived mistakes of their colonial ancestors, whether or not, their ancestors were responsible for smallpox blankets or displacement of peoples. If not them, most likely it would have been someone eventually. The demonization of Western ideals is a common trend in today's society and this has given way to a collective shame that has encouraged whole governments and corporations to 'reeducate' their staff into ways that are actually quite ludicrous. When we are expected to feel guilt for things not done or said and it's perfectly acceptable, yet if the roles were reversed it would be victimization, then we have a problem. When it's perfectly acceptable to pick apart the ways of the West, yet not consider the histories of other lands who often don't give people the ability to speak, practice beliefs freely, or permit backchat on their own nation, nobody is seeing a problem with that? Perhaps the West has had it too good for too long that maybe those who are vying to come here at risk of drowning, or being shot at borders deserve the West more than those in it.
Read this book. If nothing else, read the conclusion and then start from the beginning.
This book is not an attack on the west. It is an indictment on some of the people attacking the west, which broadly speaking has many roots in Judeo-Christian ideologies and while Murray doesn't focus on this much, the sentiment is there. Murray demonstrates with example upon example how many western people denounce the western ways and demonize it by calling it 'white' and the broad strokes with how white western culture is so demonized, if it were reversed, those crying foul on Western culture (while enjoying its relative freedom of expression) would indeed suggest it was racist. Because it is.
Many western nations have practically fallen over themselves to try and make up for the real or perceived mistakes of their colonial ancestors, whether or not, their ancestors were responsible for smallpox blankets or displacement of peoples. If not them, most likely it would have been someone eventually. The demonization of Western ideals is a common trend in today's society and this has given way to a collective shame that has encouraged whole governments and corporations to 'reeducate' their staff into ways that are actually quite ludicrous. When we are expected to feel guilt for things not done or said and it's perfectly acceptable, yet if the roles were reversed it would be victimization, then we have a problem. When it's perfectly acceptable to pick apart the ways of the West, yet not consider the histories of other lands who often don't give people the ability to speak, practice beliefs freely, or permit backchat on their own nation, nobody is seeing a problem with that? Perhaps the West has had it too good for too long that maybe those who are vying to come here at risk of drowning, or being shot at borders deserve the West more than those in it.
Read this book. If nothing else, read the conclusion and then start from the beginning.
camscampbell's review against another edition
informative
4.0
A very well-written book that sets out its themes clearly and backs them up well with citations from other sources. The chapter on Culture was particularly enjoyable.
It will be interesting to look back at this period in history, and I would imagine that anyone who follows Douglas Murray will have similar hopes on how they (we) would like it to go.
It will be interesting to look back at this period in history, and I would imagine that anyone who follows Douglas Murray will have similar hopes on how they (we) would like it to go.
joe8506's review against another edition
5.0
If you consider yourself to be a liberal minded progressive, this book is a must read for you. Because it is within your area of the political landscape that these destructive bad actors reside.
It is easy to dismiss the excesses of the far left. It is tempting to assume they are the irrational extremists making noise at the far reaches of the political spectrum. This may be true but those noise makers are having a frighteningly disproportionate effect on wider society. This book documents some of the more egregious triumphs of the noisy minority and the choke hold they have on many organisations and institutions. It seems to me that that the most important battle taking place in our society at the moment is not between the Left and the Right, but between the liberal and illiberal.
I do not necessarily share Murray’s political position or the importance he places on Christian tradition. I do, however, share his considered, rational and well researched concerns about the destructive path down which we have allowed ourselves to be taken.
This books is excellent and it’s a shame because I suspect those that need it most will be the least likely to read it.
It is easy to dismiss the excesses of the far left. It is tempting to assume they are the irrational extremists making noise at the far reaches of the political spectrum. This may be true but those noise makers are having a frighteningly disproportionate effect on wider society. This book documents some of the more egregious triumphs of the noisy minority and the choke hold they have on many organisations and institutions. It seems to me that that the most important battle taking place in our society at the moment is not between the Left and the Right, but between the liberal and illiberal.
I do not necessarily share Murray’s political position or the importance he places on Christian tradition. I do, however, share his considered, rational and well researched concerns about the destructive path down which we have allowed ourselves to be taken.
This books is excellent and it’s a shame because I suspect those that need it most will be the least likely to read it.
robertn25's review against another edition
Repetitive points continually made, Dry, Whiney, Doesn’t provide solutions to the problems presented (ie. Complaining)
javamamanc's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
miguelf's review against another edition
2.0
Though Murray’s latest entry into the culture wars has some similarities to, say, the recent work by John McWhorter (‘Woke Racism’), one critical difference is that as McWhorter explains he is writing to the New Yorker crowd while it’s all so obvious that Murray’s rants are clearly aimed at the Ben Shapiro / Faux News / Newsmax listenership. This is an issue because he rarely makes any attempt to convince anyone outside of the ditto-head philosophical leaning rabble on the merits of his arguments and instead is just boiler plate boring grievances to serve as chum for his readership. Just take one of his ham-fisted examples: is the information regarding the centuries-long castrating of African slaves by middle easterners actually true and if so what bearing does it have on the obvious wrongs done by European slave traders and the founding of the ‘West’? It’s sophomoric. He just comes off as a hack throughout even when he would otherwise make some decent argumentation.