The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason

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Douglas Murray begins his most recent polemic with a blunt, clear opening. It is both a warning and a lament for the state of the modern world and contemporary politics: In the end, for all the West’s failings, as Murray says in his chapter on China, the most important question to ask its critics is “compared to what?” Today, the China-Russia alliance presents a chilling glimpse of the real alternative: a pair of genocidal, expansionist regimes, each justifying its crimes in the name of civilisational purity. Instead of providing answers this is more a guide in what to look out for and how to counter some of the more spurious arguments of those who are seeking to redefine our society and create an entirely new paradigm. There may be much that will be new to the reader in this fine book. Murray sometimes asks uncomfortable questions – questions which Damon Albarn and June Sarpong do not have the answers to. But the book is also a call to remembrance. Do not forget about your roots. The values and virtues of the West may be the solution to, rather than cause of, certain problems. So say it loud, say it proud: 2 + 2 = 4.

Oh, there were plenty. The chapter about reparations is very good, and the ones about "privilege" and cultural imitation are great as well - in fact, it's hard to find any section one could find redundant or not informative. My absolute top one was about the hypocrisy of the far left, whose witch-hunting efforts' results are sometimes utterly ridiculous, while Marks himself seems to be excluded from any scrutiny ... keeping in mind his letters to Engels, LOL. As Murray points out regarding the British Empire – Britain wasn’t the only country to have one. And Britain wasn’t the only country to be involved in slavery: In recent years, the critics of the West have marked themselves out through a set of extraordinary claims. Their technique now has a pattern. It is to zoom in on Western behavior, remove it from the context of the time, set aside any non-Western parallels, and then exaggerate what the West actually did.”A warts-and-all portrait of the famed techno-entrepreneur—and the warts are nearly beyond counting. One thing that did stand out in this chapter is how Murray’s approach to culture can contrast with his previous approach in the Strange Death of Europe. But let’s break it down by chapters, shall we? Although, I will not go into the introduction and the conclusion. Mr. Murray, I may not agree with everything about your politics but I am proud as an American that you had the courage to write this book. It is a clarion call for all of us to reject this noxious divisiveness that is happening around race. I’m sure Murray doesn’t buy into Kendi’s analysis, but there’s no way for the reader to know that, because Murray never engages with the analysis in any way.

As expected from a polemicist as smart and gifted as Murray, both elements are well-executed and repay the reader’s attention. Applause for the West has become the exception rather than the rule in recent years. Here we get the almost unsayable: a full-throated hymn to its permanent and continuing contributions. And if Murray had actually strived towards constructing an alternative to progressive discourse, this book might have been half interesting. Instead, Murray falters to the same tired, stereotypical tropes of the recently popular conservative and Liberal pop-critics. Murray begins the book with a great intro. He is an excellent author and orator. Douglas is one of the sharper authors/pundits of our modern day, IMHO. The intro here is worth the price of the book alone. The audiobook version I have is also read by the author; which is a nice touch I always appreciate. The War on the Westby Douglas Murray is not necessarily a history book, but it is one of the most important books that any historian should read this year. Historians (and students of history) are well placed to show that the story of the West is not just a litany of shame. There is plenty in the traditions of the West that should be celebrated rather than condemned. Douglas Murray breaks down “The War on the West” by showing how the basic tenents of America’s foundation have been eroded. He looks at race, reparations, crt, religion, history, education, China, art, music, health care and more. Not only are these subjects spoken about but Murray gives specific examples that demonstrate his claims. There’s an interactive notes section in the Kindle edition that makes this an easy function to follow up on.

The problem is that Murray never does anything to discredit these things. This entire chapter is like Murray standing on a pier, looking over the ocean, and stating that there’s obviously no fish out there, refusing to join bell hooks in the submarine to on an aquatic safari.