Troll Nation : How The Right Became Trump-Worshipping Monsters Set On Rat-F*cking Liberals, America, and Truth Itself

In Troll Nation, Journalist Amanda Marcotte Outlines How Trump Was The Inevitable Result Of American Conservatism's Degradation Into An Ideology Of Blind Resentment. For Years Now, The Purpose Of Right Wing Media, Particularly Fox News, Has Not Been To Argue For Traditional Conservative Ideals, Such As Small Government Or Even Family Values, So Much As To Stoke Bitterness And Paranoia In Its Audience. Traditionalist White People Have Lost Control Over The Culture, And They Know It, And The Only Option They Feel They Have Left Is To Rage At A Broad Swath Of Supposed Enemies -- Journalists, Activists, Feminists, City Dwellers, College Professors -- That They Blame For Stealing Their Country From Them.--amazon. Political Correctness -- Whose Political Correctness? -- Women -- The Environment -- Health Care -- Guns -- Race -- Conspiracy Theories -- The Media -- Will There Be An End To Trolling? Amanda Marcotte ; Foreward By David Talbot. "2016 continues to be the most surreal and unpredictable election year in recent memory and this is due in large part to one Donald J. Trump and the millions of Americans who made him this year's Republican nominee for president. As Trump continues to succeed despite behavior that would cripple any other politician, whether it is questioning the patriotism of the Gold Star Khan family or banishing a baby from one of his press conferences, it is imperative to understand why so many continue to support him. And this is what makes The Gilded Rage so important; it provides insight into the forgotten Americans that continue to befuddle pundits and "experts" on CNN and FOX alike. This grippingly intimate and heart-breaking book provides a portrait of the walking wounded who make up the base of the Trump movement. Desperate and angry, these are the Americans of the vanishing industrial heartland, depressed Appalachian coal country, and the no-man's land along the Southwestern border. These are coal miners, out of work construction workers, and small business owners, who have watched their fortunes dwindle with each passing year. They have no illusions about the grandstanding billionaire and his glaring flaws. But these men and women feel forgotten and screwed over by political, corporate and media elites...and they feel that Donald Trump, despite his flamboyant demagoguery, might well be their last chance for salvation. Reminiscent of Studs Terkel's Working, with a dash of Hunter S. Thompson, Alexander Zaitchik in this important book takes us deeper into the ravaged soul of America than any other chronicler of our times. Selected as one of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten picks for Politics & Current Events of Fall 2016 Praise for Alexander Zaitchik's Common Sense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance: "A sharp and informative smackdown. For Zaitchik, [Glenn] Beck is just one more American con artist in the P.T. Barnum tradition, a shameless pseudoconservative bottom-feeder who will say anything to keep the spotlight on himself while the money rolls in." -Mark Lilla, The New York Review of Books "A sensational book; This is a beautifully written and insightful biography-thoughtful, considered, and very intentional about the need to understand Beck both as a symbol of something larger going on in America and as a person." -Susan Gardner, Daily Kos "A scathing profile that follows the powerful pundit from a single-parent home in rural Washington state to conservative superstardom." -The Boston Globe "A great political book. Zaitchik tells [Beck's story] well and nobody has told it more soberly." -Slate "An informative study." -Sean Wilentz, The New Yorker "A gripping and thoroughly researched biography." -Joe Conason, Salon"-- "A grippingly intimate and heart-breaking portrait of the walking wounded who make up the base of the Trump movement. Desperate and angry, these are the men and women of the vanishing industrial heartland and the depressed Appalachian coal country and the drug-running, no-man's land along the Southwestern borderlands. They have no illusions about the grandstanding billionaire and his glaring flaws. But they feel forgotten and screwed over by the political, corporate and media elites...and they feel that Donald Trump, despite his flamboyant demagoguery, might well be their last chance for salvation. Part Studs Terkel, part Hunter Thompson, Alexander Zaitchik takes us deeper into the ravaged soul of America than any other chronicler of our times" "2016 continues to be the most surreal and unpredictable election year in recent memory and this is due in large part to one Donald J. Trump and the millions of Americans who made him this year's Republican nominee for president. As Trump continues to succeed despite behavior that would cripple any other politician, whether it is questioning the patriotism of the Gold Star Khan family or banishing a baby from one of his press conferences, it is imperative to understand why so many continue to support him. And this is what makes The Gilded Rage so important; it provides insight into the forgotten Americans that continue to befuddle pundits and "experts" on CNN and FOX alike. This grippingly intimate and heart-breaking book provides a portrait of the walking wounded who make up the base of the Trump movement. Desperate and angry, these are the Americans of the vanishing industrial heartland, depressed Appalachian coal country, and the no-man's land along the Southwestern border. These are coal miners, out of work construction workers, and small business owners, who have watched their fortunes dwindle with each passing year. They have no illusions about the grandstanding billionaire and his glaring flaws. But these men and women feel forgotten and screwed over by political, corporate and media elites ... and they feel that Donald Trump, despite his flamboyant demagoguery, might well be their last chance for salvation. Reminiscent of Studs Terkel's Working, with a dash of Hunter S. Thompson, Alexander Zaitchik in this important book takes us deeper into the ravaged soul of America than any other chronicler of our times. Selected as one of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten picks for Politics & Current Events of Fall 2016 Praise for Alexander Zaitchik's Common Sense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance: "A sharp and informative smackdown. For Zaitchik, [Glenn] Beck is just one more American con artist in the P.T. Barnum tradition, a shameless pseudoconservative bottom-feeder who will say anything to keep the spotlight on himself while the money rolls in."--Mark Lilla, The New York Review of Books "A sensational book; This is a beautifully written and insightful biography-thoughtful, considered, and very intentional about the need to understand Beck both as a symbol of something larger going on in America and as a person." -Susan Gardner, Daily Kos "A scathing profile that follows the powerful pundit from a single-parent home in rural Washington state to conservative superstardom." -The Boston Globe "A great political book. Zaitchik tells [Beck's story] well and nobody has told it more soberly." -Slate "An informative study." -Sean Wilentz, The New Yorker "A gripping and thoroughly researched biography." -Joe Conason, Salon"-- Provided by publisher Chris Hedges On The Most Taboo Topics In America, With David Talbot. Chris Hedges Has Been Telling Truth To (and Against) Power Since His Earliest Days As A Radical Journalist. He Is An Intellectual Bomb Thrower, Who Continues To Confront American Empire In The Most Incisive, Challenging Ways. The Kinds Of Insights He Provides Into The Deeply Troubled State Of Our Democracy Cannot Be Found Anywhere Else. Like Many Of Our Most Important Thinkers, He Has Been Relegated To The Margins Because Of Ideas Deemed Too Radical—or True—for Public Consumption. Whether It Is Covering The Dissolution Of Former Soviet States Or Embedding In The Middle East To Understand The Post-9/11 World, He Has Been A Singular Voice Pushing Against Mainstream Media Disinformation And The Amnesia Of Establishment Received Wisdom. He Is An Intellectual Heir To American Radical Heroes Such As Thomas Paine And Noam Chomsky, And Is Dedicated To Reigniting A Shared Commitment To Radical Equality And Honesty. Hedges Here Speaks Up About The Most Pressing Issues That Currently Face Our Nation. He Tackles The Rise Of A Fascist Right In Support Of Donald Trump, Which Advocates Xenophobia And Violence In A Push For American Totalitarianism. He Rails Against The Posturing Of Inclusivity From Establishment Elites On Both Sides Of The Aisle, Who Post-occupy-wall-street Continue To Advocate For Policies That Make America Uninhabitable For All But The Ultra-rich And, As Lackeys For Corporate Interests, Continue To Expand Income Inequality In All Directions. He Tears Into The Contemporary Glamorization Of The Military And The Unchecked, Unchallenged Hawkishness That Defines Contemporary American Foreign Policy. Moreover, He Shows His Support For Contemporary Revolts Against This Twisted Order—such As Black Lives Matter—that Represent Americans Refusing To Take The Destruction Of Their Country Lying Down. And That’s Just The Start. He Possesses A Clear Understanding Of The Challenges That Lie Before Us, And Has Proven To Be Ahead Of The Curve Time And Again. All Of Which Is To Say, Chris Hedges Is Unafraid To Say What Is Necessary And True—and Has Always Been. If We Are To Combat The Intellectual And Moral Decay That Have Come To Grip American Life, We Must Listen To Him And The Urgent Message He Brings In This Book. "Amanda Marcotte drains the swamp and reveals a Republican Party hijacked by grifters and frauds." ?David Daley The election of Donald Trump in 2016, like most of his campaign, came as a shock to many Americans. How could a man so lacking in capacity, so void of any intellectual heft, become the president of the United States? How did Trump, a man with no detectable personal qualities outside of resentment and the will to dominate, appeal to millions of Americans and win the highest office in the land? The American right has spent decades turning away from reasoned discourse toward a rhetoric of pure resentment—it's this shift that laid the groundwork for Trump's ascendency. In Troll Nation, journalist Amanda Marcotte outlines how Trump was the inevitable result of American conservatism's degradation into an ideology of blind resentment. For years now, the purpose of right wing media, particularly Fox News, has not been to argue for traditional conservative ideals, such as small government or even family values, so much as to stoke bitterness and paranoia in its audience. Traditionalist white people have lost control over the culture, and they know it, and the only option they feel they have left is to rage at a broad swath of supposed enemies ? journalists, activists, feminists, city dwellers, college professors ? that they blame for stealing "their" country from them. Conservative pundits, politicians, and activists have abandoned any hope of winning the argument through reasoned discourse, and instead have adopted a series of bad faith claims, conspiracy theories, and culture war hysterics. Decades of these antics created a conservative voting base that was ready to elect a mindless bully like Donald Trump. A Senior Political Reporter examines how Trump, a man with no detectable personal qualities outside of resentment and the will to dominate, could appeal to millions of Americans and win the highest office in the land. The election of Donald Trump in 2016, like most of his campaign, came as a shock to many Americans. How could a man so lacking in capacity, so void of any intellectual heft, become the president of the United States? How could a man with no detectable personal qualities outside of resentment and the will to dominate appeal to millions of Americans, enough so that he was able to win the highest office in the land? With this book, journalist Amanda Marcotte will outline how Trump was the inevitable result of American conservatism's degradation into an ideology of blind resentment. For years now, the purpose of right wing media, particularly Fox News , has not been to argue for traditional conservative ideals, such as small government or even family values, so much as to stoke bitterness and paranoia in its audience. Traditionalist white people have lost control over the culture, and they know it, and the only option they feel they have left is to rage at a broad swath of supposed enemies journalists, activists, feminists, city dwellers, college professors that they blame for stealing "their" country from them. Conservative pundits, politicians, and activists have abandoned any hope of winning the argument through reasoned discourse, and instead have adopted a series of bad faith claims, conspiracy theories, and culture war hysterics. Decades of these antics created a conservative voting base that was ready to elect a mindless bully like Donald Trump. Chris Hedges on the most taboo topics in America, with David Talbot.The War on Terror is a profitable crusade against convenient enemies. “Muslim rage” is an understandable response to US state terror. Rising oligarchy in America has made democracy a sham and turned the electoral process into an increasingly absurd circus. Police violence against minorities is part of a systematic effort to crush social discontent. Proliferating violence against women's health clinics is part of the war on women's bodies. Freedom of speech is an illusion, with government agencies and corporate media dictating acceptable boundaries of public discourse. America's only hope is a revolution to create genuine structures of popular power.This kind of insight into America's deeply troubled current state cannot be found on television, in the pages of leading newspapers, or on Google News. Many of our most important thinkers are relegated to the shadows because their ideas are deemed too radical—or true—for public consumption. Among these intellectual bomb throwers is Chris Hedges, who, after decades on the front lines, continues to confront power in America in the most incisive, challenging ways.Hedges's unfettered conversation with Hot Books editorial director David Talbot— founder of Salon and author of New York Times bestseller, The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA and the Rise of America's Secret Government—will be the first in a series for Hot Books called “Unspeakable,” featuring some of the most important – and censored – voices in the world today. "The election of Donald Trump in 2016, like most of his campaign, came as a shock to many Americans. How could a man so lacking in capacity, so void of any intellectual heft, become the president of the United States? How did Trump, a man with no detectable personal qualities outside of resentment and the will to dominate, appeal to millions of Americans and win the highest office in the land? In Troll Nation, journalist Amanda Marcotte outlines how Trump was the inevitable result of American conservatism's degradation into an ideology of blind resentment. For years now, the purpose of right wing media, particularly Fox News, has not been to argue for traditional conservative ideals, such as small government or even family values, so much as to stoke bitterness and paranoia in its audience. Traditionalist white people have lost control over the culture, and they know it, and the only option they feel they have left is to rage at a broad swath of supposed enemies -- journalists, activists, feminists, city dwellers, college professors -- that they blame for stealing "their" country from them. Conservative pundits, politicians, and activists have abandoned any hope of winning the argument through reasoned discourse, and instead have adopted a series of bad faith claims, conspiracy theories, and culture war hysterics. Decades of these antics created a conservative voting base that was ready to elect a mindless bully like Donald Trump"--Amazon From the New York Times bestselling author Dick Russell, edited and introduced by New York Times bestselling author Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.! ”A must read for anyone concerned with climate and energy issues.” —Leonardo DiCaprio, Academy Award winning actor and environmental activist The science is overwhelming; the facts are in. The planet is heating up at an alarming rate and the results are everywhere to be seen. Yet, as time runs out, climate progress is blocked by the men who are profiting from the burning of the planet: energy moguls like the Koch brothers and Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson. Powerful politicians like Senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Inhofe, who receive massive contributions from the oil and coal industries. Most of these men are too intelligent to truly believe that climate change is not a growing crisis. And yet they have put their profits and careers ahead of the health and welfare of the world's population—and even their own children and grandchildren. How do they explain themselves to their offspring, to the next generations that must deal with the environmental havoc that these men have wreaked? Horsemen of the Apocalypse takes a personal look at this global crisis, literally bringing it home. "A grippingly intimate and heart-breaking portrait of the walking wounded who make up the base of the Trump movement. Desperate and angry, these are the men and women of the vanishing industrial heartland and the depressed Appalachian coal country and the drug-running, no-man's land along the Southwestern borderlands. They have no illusions about the grandstanding billionaire and his glaring flaws. But they feel forgotten and screwed over by the political, corporate and media elites ... and they feel that Donald Trump, despite his flamboyant demagoguery, might well be their last chance for salvation. Part Studs Terkel, part Hunter Thompson, Alexander Zaitchik takes us deeper into the ravaged soul of America than any other chronicler of our times"-- Provided by publisher A grippingly intimate and heart-breaking portrait of the walking wounded who make up the base of the Trump movement. Desperate and angry, these are the men and women of the vanishing industrial heartland and the depressed Appalachian coal country and the drug-running, no-man's land along the Southwestern borderlands. They have no illusions about the grandstanding billionaire and his glaring flaws. But they feel forgotten and screwed over by political, corporate and media elites...and they feel that Donald Trump, despite his flamboyant demagoguery, might well be their last chance for salvation. Part Studs Terkel, part Hunter S. Thompson, Alexander Zaitchik takes us deeper into the ravaged soul of America than any other chronicler of our times. "Hedges offers his unvarnished views on topics rarely aired by the corporate media, including the hopeless corruption of our political system and the urgent need for a third-party rebellion; the difficulty of challenging the prevailing story lines of the Washington elite and the Israeli government; the disturbing parallels between current US conditions and the collapse of Balkans society into fascist violence during the 1990s; the criminalization of poverty; how many of the best and brightest in black America are siphoned from school to prison; and how the pornography industry reflects the most dehumanizing qualities of global capitalism"--Jacket sleeve. "Hedges offers his unvarnished views on topics rarely aired by the corporate media, including the hopeless corruption of our political system and the urgent need for a third-party rebellion; the difficulty of challenging the prevailing story lines of the Washington elite and the Israeli government; the disturbing parallels between current US conditions and the collapse of Balkans society into fascist violence during the 1990s; the criminalization of poverty; how many of the best and brightest in black America are siphoned from school to prison; and how the pornography industry reflects the most dehumanizing qualities of global capitalism"-- Dust jacket "Hedges offers his unvarnished views on topics rarely aired by the corporate media, including the hopeless corruption of our political system and the urgent need for a third-party rebellion; the difficulty of challenging the prevailing story lines of the Washington elite and the Israeli government; the disturbing parallels between current US conditions and the collapse of Balkans society into fascist violence during the 1990s; the criminalization of poverty; how many of the best and brightest in black America are siphoned from school to prison; and how the pornography industry reflects the most dehumanizing qualities of global capitalism"--Worldcat The making of a radical Central America: journalism as a mission Life at the New York Times The seductions of power Beyond electoral politics Revolution or fascism? The bankruptcy of the liberal elites How the pillars of power fall The isolation of the independent intellectual Crime and punishment The morality of capitalism, climate change, pornography, and meat Maintaining your humanity even while cruelty reigns. "Who are these people?" Arizona Wisconsin Pennsylvania West Virginia New Mexico California.