The Cruelty Is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump's America
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- Author：Adam Serwer
- ISBN：0593230809
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Summary
From an award-winning journalist at The Atlantic， these searing essays make a damning case that cruelty is not merely an unfortunate byproduct of the Trump administration but its main objective and the central theme of the American project。
"No writer better demonstrates how American dreams are so often sabotaged by American history。 Adam Serwer is essential。"--Ta-Nehisi Coates
"Trump summoned the most treacherous forces in American history and conducted them with the ease of a grand maestro。"
Like many of us， Adam Serwer didn't know that Donald Trump would win the 2016 election。 But over the four years that followed， the Atlantic staff writer became one of our most astute analysts of the Trump presidency and the volatile powers it harnessed。 The shock that greeted Trump's victory， and the subsequent cruelty of his presidency， represented a failure to confront elements of the American past long thought vanquished。
In this searing collection， Serwer chronicles the Trump administration not as an aberration but as an outgrowth of the inequalities the United States was founded on。 Serwer is less interested in the presidential spectacle than in the ideological and structural currents behind Trump's rise--including a media that was often blindsided by the ugly realities of what the administration represented and how it came to be。
While deeply engaged with the moment， Serwer's writing is also haunted by ghosts of an unresolved American past， a past that torments the present。 In bracing new essays and previously published works， he explores white nationalism， myths about migration， the political power of police unions， and the many faces of anti-Semitism。 For all the dynamics he examines， cruelty is the glue， the binding agent of a movement fueled by fear and exclusion。 Serwer argues that rather than pretending these four years didn't happen or dismissing them as a brief moment of madness， we must face what made them possible。 Without acknowledging and confronting these toxic legacies， the fragile dream of American multiracial democracy will remain vulnerable to another ambitious demagogue。
"No writer better demonstrates how American dreams are so often sabotaged by American history。 Adam Serwer is essential。"--Ta-Nehisi Coates
"Trump summoned the most treacherous forces in American history and conducted them with the ease of a grand maestro。"
Like many of us， Adam Serwer didn't know that Donald Trump would win the 2016 election。 But over the four years that followed， the Atlantic staff writer became one of our most astute analysts of the Trump presidency and the volatile powers it harnessed。 The shock that greeted Trump's victory， and the subsequent cruelty of his presidency， represented a failure to confront elements of the American past long thought vanquished。
In this searing collection， Serwer chronicles the Trump administration not as an aberration but as an outgrowth of the inequalities the United States was founded on。 Serwer is less interested in the presidential spectacle than in the ideological and structural currents behind Trump's rise--including a media that was often blindsided by the ugly realities of what the administration represented and how it came to be。
While deeply engaged with the moment， Serwer's writing is also haunted by ghosts of an unresolved American past， a past that torments the present。 In bracing new essays and previously published works， he explores white nationalism， myths about migration， the political power of police unions， and the many faces of anti-Semitism。 For all the dynamics he examines， cruelty is the glue， the binding agent of a movement fueled by fear and exclusion。 Serwer argues that rather than pretending these four years didn't happen or dismissing them as a brief moment of madness， we must face what made them possible。 Without acknowledging and confronting these toxic legacies， the fragile dream of American multiracial democracy will remain vulnerable to another ambitious demagogue。
Reviews
Mcurtis3
，
Disagreed with a couple of points， yet it is a fine work of articles from the Atlantic。 Must read is the article on Robert E。 Lee。
Joey Nedland
，
Phenomenal book from one of the most insightful writers I’ve ever read on history and our political moment。 Essential reading for those who haven’t read Adam’s essays before， and especially for those who have。
Kevin
，
Doesn’t hit quite as hard as the first time reading the title essay， but still a wide-eyed look at the forces that produced the past 5+ years。 Occasionally strolls into polemic territory， but that’s in-bounds for an opinion journalist。 Found the NOI essay the most compelling， maybe because I hadn’t read it before？
Mitch Rodricks
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Adam Serwer should be required reading for the Trump Era。 He brilliantly provides historical context to the motivations， policies and consequences of the modern GOP base， current Democratic coalition and their antecedents and his experience as a white-passing Black and Jewish man living in Texas lends a unique perspective to his writing。 He lays bare the through-line from slavery to reconstruction to Jim Crow to the Civil Rights Era and the comforting facade of colorblind equality that followed。 Adam Serwer should be required reading for the Trump Era。 He brilliantly provides historical context to the motivations， policies and consequences of the modern GOP base， current Democratic coalition and their antecedents and his experience as a white-passing Black and Jewish man living in Texas lends a unique perspective to his writing。 He lays bare the through-line from slavery to reconstruction to Jim Crow to the Civil Rights Era and the comforting facade of colorblind equality that followed。I read most of these essays when they were originally published （though there are some new ones， including on the political divide of American Jews and the evolution and consequences of police unions） and what has always stood out is how our deep-seated racial and cultural problems have carried forth through history because of our failure as a nation to comprehensively deal with them。 Even in the 1860’s， Thaddeus Stevens recognized that civic empowerment （e。g。， enfranchisement） of freedmen without economic justice would make them subject to the whims of political expediency （which proved to be prescient by the time of the Compromise of 1876）。 The biggest difference today is that the general idea of white supremacy was a majority popular opinion in the period between 1876 and 1964 but it is not so now。 My hope is that we are merely witnessing the violent death throes of white supremacy as a shrinking minority attempts to entrench power through counter-majoritarian means。 As some state and local governments attempt to censor works that explore America’s complicated racial history and outright embrace the Lost Cause movement， more than ever， it becomes crucial that the lessons of history are not forgotten。 。。。more
Juanita De Vittorio
，
The historical connections are informative and expand the reader's vision of what US really is。 The historical connections are informative and expand the reader's vision of what US really is。 。。。more
Kelly
，
I’ve grown to distrust books that are just compilations of previously published periodical articles。 What’s the point？ Aside from being a naked money hustle， the content is often slapdash and discursive。 They draw undue attention to a writer’s confidence in his or her own virtuosity。For whatever reason， this one looked like it might be something different。 It helped that I hadn’t been reading Adam Serwer’s articles as they’d been published， but it also helped that the interstitial material is （a I’ve grown to distrust books that are just compilations of previously published periodical articles。 What’s the point？ Aside from being a naked money hustle， the content is often slapdash and discursive。 They draw undue attention to a writer’s confidence in his or her own virtuosity。For whatever reason， this one looked like it might be something different。 It helped that I hadn’t been reading Adam Serwer’s articles as they’d been published， but it also helped that the interstitial material is （a） new and （b） devoted to the task of contextualizing each essay with an eye to a broader historical perspective。 There’s a lot of good research in these pages—the kind of information and perspective that doesn’t stale with time。 Also， Serwer is just a very good writer。 He keeps every paragraph sharp and focused on the content; never veering into unnecessary flourishes or gratuitously raising the stakes for the sake of drama。 It’s a quick read， but only because it’s so tight and engaging。 。。。more
Vance Christiaanse
，
A more complete view of American history than I got in school。 Very sobering。
Owen Cantrell
，
This collection of essays brings together Serwer's work from the Trump era。 A few additional essays fill the book out。 I'd put this with Ta-Nehisi Coates's We Were Eight Years in Power as a useful "first draft of history" of a political tumultuous time in American life。 This collection of essays brings together Serwer's work from the Trump era。 A few additional essays fill the book out。 I'd put this with Ta-Nehisi Coates's We Were Eight Years in Power as a useful "first draft of history" of a political tumultuous time in American life。 。。。more
Donald Marks
，
Overall I had a very favorable experience reading this collection of essays by Adam Serwer。 I was particularly interested in his view of the contentious and divided relationship between Jews and Trump。 I refer you to the following discussion on that subject: https://jewishinsider。com/2021/07/ada。。。 Overall I had a very favorable experience reading this collection of essays by Adam Serwer。 I was particularly interested in his view of the contentious and divided relationship between Jews and Trump。 I refer you to the following discussion on that subject: https://jewishinsider。com/2021/07/ada。。。 。。。more
Sandra Armor
，
This book is dense。 I listened to the author read his book and had to slow it down to 0。9 speed。 And I still feel like I only digested a small percentage of the ideas in this book。 I’m going to get a physical copy so I can take it in more slowly。 His words in these essays are that important。
Maureen Bitley
，
So content dense that I needed to go back and re-read in some places。 Typical Serwer: meticulously researched， sensitively written， and crystal clear。 I hung on every word。
Alex Adams
，
I remember reading the original essay “The Cruelty Is The Point” when it was published， and finding it a depressingly apt analysis of the Trump presidency。 This book takes the incisive commentary of that essay and multiplies it。 Adam Serwer tackles several facets of Trump’s rise and political projects， connecting them to parallel moments in American history。 His writing is accessible， smart， and incisive， and he avoids the trap of just listing the various sins and scandals of Trump and his admin I remember reading the original essay “The Cruelty Is The Point” when it was published， and finding it a depressingly apt analysis of the Trump presidency。 This book takes the incisive commentary of that essay and multiplies it。 Adam Serwer tackles several facets of Trump’s rise and political projects， connecting them to parallel moments in American history。 His writing is accessible， smart， and incisive， and he avoids the trap of just listing the various sins and scandals of Trump and his administration。 This indeed is an essential read for perspective on the events of the last 5 years， and I am curious if he’ll publish an updated edition some time in the future with further reflections as appropriate。 。。。more
Miguel
，
There are some fairly good essays in here， and others that get a bit too caught up in the culture war du jour。 Also， it’s a bit of a let down to see publication of what are a string of older magazine articles with some contemporaneous introductions added – feels like a bit of recycled effort in that respect。
Laura
，
Throughout the Trump years， Adam Serwer's essays at the Atlantic have been powerful analyses of the current moment in America and how it relates to American history。 His writing does an amazing job of tying current movements into the broader pattern of American history and showing how Trump's cruelty， the barbarity of police unions， etc。 reflect deeply historical trends and mirror or echo past movements such as Reconstruction and the "Redemption" backlash。 Even when I know the historical facts h Throughout the Trump years， Adam Serwer's essays at the Atlantic have been powerful analyses of the current moment in America and how it relates to American history。 His writing does an amazing job of tying current movements into the broader pattern of American history and showing how Trump's cruelty， the barbarity of police unions， etc。 reflect deeply historical trends and mirror or echo past movements such as Reconstruction and the "Redemption" backlash。 Even when I know the historical facts he's talking about， the way he fits everything together always leaves me with a more informed perspective and more to think about。 This book includes his major essays from the Trump years plus new introductions， as well as several new essays - the one on abolishing police unions was a particularly interesting addition。 Really can't recommend his writing enough！ 。。。more
Ietrio
，
Oh， a book about the magical realm of ”Trump's America”， a land where physics and chemistry don't work as expected。 Oh， a book about the magical realm of ”Trump's America”， a land where physics and chemistry don't work as expected。 。。。more
Mansoor
，
دنیای ژورنالیسم امروز پر است از ژورنالیستهایی که بی هیچ عذاب وجدانی حاضرند حقیقت را، در خدمت سنگر ایدئولوژیکشان از راست و چپ، تحریف کنند。 ولی ادم سرور از همهشان فاسدتر است
CJ
，
Serwer is a great writer so a lot of these essays were excellent， but I didn't really feel like they provided a cohesive explanation for Trumpism （as the subtitle implied） as much as they were just a collection of his writing's during the Trump presidency and immediate aftermath。 However， it was interesting to revisit some of these with the benefit of hindsight。 Serwer is a great writer so a lot of these essays were excellent， but I didn't really feel like they provided a cohesive explanation for Trumpism （as the subtitle implied） as much as they were just a collection of his writing's during the Trump presidency and immediate aftermath。 However， it was interesting to revisit some of these with the benefit of hindsight。 。。。more
Anjali
，
I know it feels soon to pick at the wound that still exists for many of us re: the last 5 years。 The threat of authoritarianism is still vey real。 I appreciate Adam Serwer’s writings all together in this book - propelling me forward， to keep the lights on and continue to work towards justice and abolition。
Beth
，
Excellent。
Paul
，
Politics of White Identity What struck me most about this interesting read is how divided we are as a Nation by Race。 The 21st Century rise of Social Media make this all the more clear。 Author Adam Serwer includes and comments on his recent essays showing， quite persuasively that， “cruelty is the point。” I read/listened to the digital editions and recommend this book for its clarity。
Stephen Rhodes
，
This book of essays written over the past four years by Adam Serwer （and a couple of new ones written in early 2021） is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the various forces and undercurrents of American politics and racial equity while Trump was in office。 Serwer also ties these forces and undercurrents to those which have preceded them throughout American history。 He demonstrates how “the cruelty is the point” was not only Trumpism’s underlying motivation， but one that has deep roots This book of essays written over the past four years by Adam Serwer （and a couple of new ones written in early 2021） is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the various forces and undercurrents of American politics and racial equity while Trump was in office。 Serwer also ties these forces and undercurrents to those which have preceded them throughout American history。 He demonstrates how “the cruelty is the point” was not only Trumpism’s underlying motivation， but one that has deep roots in our country。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Matt Goldberg
，
I loved reading these essays in The Atlantic， and now I love reading them again with introductions and reflections from Serwer。 It’s a vital chronicle not only of the Trump era， but of American history。 What makes Serwer better than many of his contemporaries is that he doesn’t try to look at the personage of Trump as a singular anomaly， but rather how Trumpism is a recurring aspect of America’s white supremacy， a barrier to our democratic ideals。 It’s not an easy read （although Serwer’s writing I loved reading these essays in The Atlantic， and now I love reading them again with introductions and reflections from Serwer。 It’s a vital chronicle not only of the Trump era， but of American history。 What makes Serwer better than many of his contemporaries is that he doesn’t try to look at the personage of Trump as a singular anomaly， but rather how Trumpism is a recurring aspect of America’s white supremacy， a barrier to our democratic ideals。 It’s not an easy read （although Serwer’s writing is excellent）， but it is an essential one for understanding the racial conflicts that undergird the American experiment。 。。。more
Ben
，
Tore through it in a day。 It’s a collection of essays looking at the cruelties of the Trump administration but also situating them in greater historical context。 I especially liked the new essays in the book， which often ran a bit longer。 As a Jewish person I thought his piece in particular on why American Jews do not support Trump despite the relationship with Israel was fascinating。
Susan Tunis
，
4。5 stars。 This excellent essay collection by The Atlantic writer Adam Serwer put me very much in mind of Ta-nehisi Coates We Were Eight Years in Power， which looked back at essays he'd written throughout the Obama years， with updated introductions for context。 These are mostly previously published pieces Serwer wrote during the Trump years。 He， too， adds generous introductions giving context to the time and events that inspired his insightful essays。 Oh， and the book even got a generous blurb f 4。5 stars。 This excellent essay collection by The Atlantic writer Adam Serwer put me very much in mind of Ta-nehisi Coates We Were Eight Years in Power， which looked back at essays he'd written throughout the Obama years， with updated introductions for context。 These are mostly previously published pieces Serwer wrote during the Trump years。 He， too， adds generous introductions giving context to the time and events that inspired his insightful essays。 Oh， and the book even got a generous blurb from his former colleague， Mr。 Coates。I know several Atlantic writers by name， but Mr。 Serwer is not one I could have placed。 In the pages of the book， it becomes clear that he is a member of two marginalized communities--half black， half Jewish。 This is a man who knows a thing or two about cruelty。 And during this painful and shameful period of our history， he was a careful observer and chronicler。 His essays are both convincing and compelling。 The Trump administration and the American people gave him plenty of material to work with in proving his premise that the cruelty is the point。 Alas。 This is another smart read towards my quest to understand the inexplicable times I'm living through。 。。。more
Ebookwormy1
，
I have decided not to read this book。 This article was helpful to me in making my determination。https://www。theamericanconservative。c。。。 I have decided not to read this book。 This article was helpful to me in making my determination。https://www。theamericanconservative。c。。。 。。。more
Traci at The Stacks
，
The history connected to the present is top notch。 Loved Serwers reflections on his own work。 So really incredible and well formed arguments about this current political moment。 The writing was sometimes hard to follow a little over written。
Mabinty
，
Adam Serwer is one of the most incisive writers of the 21st century。 'The Cruelty is the Point' is a detailed book that shows readers how the American public went from electing the first African American president to electing Donald Trump。 It is easy for people to think that Trump's election is an aberration， but 'The Cruelty is the Point' shows that Trump is part of an American history that far too often been ignored or excised from the American public sphere。 Serwer is literally correcting the Adam Serwer is one of the most incisive writers of the 21st century。 'The Cruelty is the Point' is a detailed book that shows readers how the American public went from electing the first African American president to electing Donald Trump。 It is easy for people to think that Trump's election is an aberration， but 'The Cruelty is the Point' shows that Trump is part of an American history that far too often been ignored or excised from the American public sphere。 Serwer is literally correcting the record and undoing the whitewashing of history with this collection of essays。 Serwer reminds us that: racism， white nationalism or antisemitism are not limited to any one party; Justice is not inevitable， but it most be fought for over and over throughout history。 Liberals and conservatives have both at times enacted cruel policies that have devastated vulnerable communities。 Towards the end of 'The Cruelty is the Point' Sewer traces a line from the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Lives Matter Movement through the history of police unions。 At the same time he reminds us that the U。S。 has often been at the brink of massive change and then stepped away from truly creating a multiracial democracy。 The question that runs through this book is whether the U。S。 will continue to move forward towards progress or once again fail to live up the creed 'all men are created equal'？*** This was my review after winning the give away for this book。 。。。more
Stuart Jennings
，
This book should definitely go down in historyas the definitive battle cry for what NOT to doin a country that cherishes Democracy。。。Adam Serwer has down an amazing job puttingthis book together。。。Highly Recommended！
Amethyst
，
I was not looking to read a book about Trump。 The wounds that resulted from his presidency still feel too raw， and that is because the cruelty didn’t end because he lost the 2020 election。 Our democracy is still being threatened， as evidenced by the most recent use of the filibuster by Republicans to block voting rights。 Adam Serwer wrote for The Atlantic （June 2021）， “The most immediate threat to American democracy was removed once Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election failed。 But with I was not looking to read a book about Trump。 The wounds that resulted from his presidency still feel too raw， and that is because the cruelty didn’t end because he lost the 2020 election。 Our democracy is still being threatened， as evidenced by the most recent use of the filibuster by Republicans to block voting rights。 Adam Serwer wrote for The Atlantic （June 2021）， “The most immediate threat to American democracy was removed once Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election failed。 But with Trump gone， the Republican Party has focused on the long-term project of engineering the electorate to preserve its hold on power。”I picked this up based on the high praise of writers I trust and appreciate， Ta-Nehisi Coates and Kiese Laymon。 Glad I did。 This is a book that is unafraid of telling the truth and filing in “the gaps in American public memory” about the connections between the present and past。 It is an unflinching meditation on the Trump presidency and of our brutal history that paved the way for the Trump era， from the cruelty of separating enslaved families to the apparent expendability of the poor during our current pandemic。 It also talks about related topics （and how they relate） including immigration， internal Jewish community divisions， and police unions。 While many people including myself may have Trump-fatigue， we must reckon with what led to his rise; recognize the interconnectedness of politics， race， and economics; and make strides toward a more perfect union。Thank you to Adam Serwer， One World （an imprint of Random House）， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title before its release next week。 May we never forget the cruelty of Trump’s America。 。。。more
Chad Guarino
，