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Don't Burn This Country: Surviving and Thriving in Our Woke Dystopia
A guide for anyone who wants to revive the American dream while the woke mob tries to burn down the country.You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to see that something dark is happening in America. Just look Massive corporations monitor our every move. The Thought Police stand ready to cancel any who dare think for themselves. Brainwashed activists openly attack the American experiment. The dystopian future we've been warned of is here. Dave Rubin has been on the front lines of the culture wars for years. Now, he offers tactics you can use to protect yourself from today’s authoritarian rule—from resisting the grip of Big Tech to staying sane in a post-truth world. What’s more, he offers a vision for the next generation of patriots who will need to face the future head-on, holding fast to their values and creating a meaningful life no matter how frenzied and fabricated the news of the day is. In order for free-thinking people to thrive in this era of woke lunacy, we need to step up and create freedom for ourselves. While exposing Progressive lies and offering practical advice you can employ right now, this book is a call for Americans to live the freest life possible—and a roadmap for saving the greatest country in the history of the world.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
About the author
Dave Rubin
2 books154 followersDave’s journey from a left leaning progressive to a free thinking classical liberal has been quite an adventure. As a gay married man living in America, Dave spent the majority of his adult life subscribing to a certain political belief system based primarily on his immutable characteristics. Fed up with the mainstream media narrative and click-bait news, Dave decided to open up about his awakening, for all to see. He came to realize
that no person or idea should be expected to join a side, but rather they should embrace their status as an individual.
He now feels that the modern left has lost its way by taking political correctness and groupthink to a dangerous level, distracting from the true American dream of the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.
Dave’s background as a stand up comedian, degree in political science, and willingness to listen without fighting has uniquely positioned him to tackle big ideas and uncomfortable truths with thought leaders from both sides of the aisle. His show The Rubin Report aims to create civil discourse with people we both agree and disagree with,
and host a dialogue with others whose ideas are judged before being given the chance to be presented in an honest way.
Dave is currently taping season 5 of his talk show, speaking around the world with Dr.Jordan Peterson on the “12 Rules for Life Tour,” and performing stand up comedy in cities around the U.S.
that no person or idea should be expected to join a side, but rather they should embrace their status as an individual.
He now feels that the modern left has lost its way by taking political correctness and groupthink to a dangerous level, distracting from the true American dream of the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.
Dave’s background as a stand up comedian, degree in political science, and willingness to listen without fighting has uniquely positioned him to tackle big ideas and uncomfortable truths with thought leaders from both sides of the aisle. His show The Rubin Report aims to create civil discourse with people we both agree and disagree with,
and host a dialogue with others whose ideas are judged before being given the chance to be presented in an honest way.
Dave is currently taping season 5 of his talk show, speaking around the world with Dr.Jordan Peterson on the “12 Rules for Life Tour,” and performing stand up comedy in cities around the U.S.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
October 13, 2022
Was curious to see if Rubin in written form is as stupid and vapid as he is on his show, and I wasn't disappointed. Pretty lazy effort, even for someone as notoriously lazy as Dave. At least he's not pretending to be anything but a partisan hack anymore. Hits all the usual rightwing culture war talking points. You've got the standard jokes about the tyrannical pink-haired SJWs, the lame pop-culture references, the weird fixation on pronouns, the fear-mongering about wokeness, the whining about cancel culture, a reference to Mr. Potato Head, pathetic persecution complexes (he actually claims that boycotts against conservative businesses "is just not fair"), and a complete lack of any solutions to the problems they talk about beyond promoting some vague concept of the "individual".
The funniest part of the book was easily when he tries to paint the right as the more tolerant, fun-loving side. To quote Dave directly: "Although neither side is perfect, I find the Right to be exponentially more tolerant, way more respectful toward individuals, way more supportive of individual thought, way more interested in diversity, way more progressive, way more inclusive, and honestly, just a way more fun side. The Right is a toga party with a bunch of people drinking and smoking and sharing different and often competing ideas."
This is especially amusing in light of the conservative reaction to Dave and his husband announcing that they were going to have children through surrogacy. The American Conservative wrote an article titled "No Allies Who Buy Babies". Many conservatives on Twitter called him an abomination for "stealing the children from their mothers". Milo called for his execution. The vitriol got so bad that Dave had to go on Glenn Beck's show to address it, and he blamed the left for his audience's disgusting reactions, and then gave no pushback when Beck compared Dave's sexual orientation to alcoholism. Such tolerance!
Probably even more ridiculous is the claim that the Right shares different and "often competing ideas" on a regular basis. There's virtually no ideological differences among the politicians in the Republican Party. The difference between the left-most wing of the party and the right lies not in any real policy differences but in how publicly they're willing to kiss Trump's ass. Is there a single issue where there's serious disagreement among the Right? Maybe marijuana legalization? I can't think of anything else.
The rest of the book is just your usual bootstraps claptrap that has been regurgitated ad-nauseam on the Right, and Dave doesn't really bring anything new to the table that you couldn't get from anyone else on that side of the political spectrum. Also, that Yeonmi Park story was some of the most obvious "fake news" I've ever read, that whole part was just embarrassing. But I guess it doesn't count as "propaganda" when it's something that confirms your own biases, right Dave?
The funniest part of the book was easily when he tries to paint the right as the more tolerant, fun-loving side. To quote Dave directly: "Although neither side is perfect, I find the Right to be exponentially more tolerant, way more respectful toward individuals, way more supportive of individual thought, way more interested in diversity, way more progressive, way more inclusive, and honestly, just a way more fun side. The Right is a toga party with a bunch of people drinking and smoking and sharing different and often competing ideas."
This is especially amusing in light of the conservative reaction to Dave and his husband announcing that they were going to have children through surrogacy. The American Conservative wrote an article titled "No Allies Who Buy Babies". Many conservatives on Twitter called him an abomination for "stealing the children from their mothers". Milo called for his execution. The vitriol got so bad that Dave had to go on Glenn Beck's show to address it, and he blamed the left for his audience's disgusting reactions, and then gave no pushback when Beck compared Dave's sexual orientation to alcoholism. Such tolerance!
Probably even more ridiculous is the claim that the Right shares different and "often competing ideas" on a regular basis. There's virtually no ideological differences among the politicians in the Republican Party. The difference between the left-most wing of the party and the right lies not in any real policy differences but in how publicly they're willing to kiss Trump's ass. Is there a single issue where there's serious disagreement among the Right? Maybe marijuana legalization? I can't think of anything else.
The rest of the book is just your usual bootstraps claptrap that has been regurgitated ad-nauseam on the Right, and Dave doesn't really bring anything new to the table that you couldn't get from anyone else on that side of the political spectrum. Also, that Yeonmi Park story was some of the most obvious "fake news" I've ever read, that whole part was just embarrassing. But I guess it doesn't count as "propaganda" when it's something that confirms your own biases, right Dave?
May 6, 2022
Five stars. Why? I not only like Dave Rubin, but felt like following the crowd. It seems as if when one downloads the Goodreads app they not only are given a fabulous place to do book reviews and keep up with their personal libraries (I am still working on mine), but the download also comes with a sense of clairvoyance I did not know existed prior to now. At the moment, the fact that this was felt strongly enough by others to review an unreleased book, left me also feeling as if I would leave a “good enough” version of my own. Upon the books release, my review may or may not change.* **
*Please note I do not claim to be an expert in any language, or it’s use of punctuation.
** Finished the book. The five star rating stands. The irony of what I stated earlier and what how he concludes isn’t lost on me either. I couldn’t help but laugh internally thinking back on the initial review. 5/6
*Please note I do not claim to be an expert in any language, or it’s use of punctuation.
** Finished the book. The five star rating stands. The irony of what I stated earlier and what how he concludes isn’t lost on me either. I couldn’t help but laugh internally thinking back on the initial review. 5/6
April 14, 2022
This book may certainly trigger the woke and inspire the based. Scattered with personal stories, shocking statistics, and witty remarks, I found myself encouraged, reassured, and even challenged chapter by chapter. Am I really standing up in my day to day as a self described conservative/libertarian?
Dave Rubin lays out a practical handbook to thrive in these crazy times unfolding today. From the onset of the covid19 pandemic to the 2020 election and current day, Dave explains this new modern conservative movement unfolding to help recapture the American dream and that drive for liberty we've forgotten. Or simply some of us gave up.
I take away from this read: a representation of the new, more enlightened conservative movement. Dave may catch some flack from pockets of old school traditional conservative personalities but his refusal to take the low road shows class and the right kind of tolerance, something the right needs to take back if the US is to right the ship.
Most highly recommended.
Placing this author on 'follow' so I won't miss the next one he writes.
Dave Rubin lays out a practical handbook to thrive in these crazy times unfolding today. From the onset of the covid19 pandemic to the 2020 election and current day, Dave explains this new modern conservative movement unfolding to help recapture the American dream and that drive for liberty we've forgotten. Or simply some of us gave up.
I take away from this read: a representation of the new, more enlightened conservative movement. Dave may catch some flack from pockets of old school traditional conservative personalities but his refusal to take the low road shows class and the right kind of tolerance, something the right needs to take back if the US is to right the ship.
Most highly recommended.
Placing this author on 'follow' so I won't miss the next one he writes.
May 5, 2022
Turns around positive democratic ideas into fake concepts. Restated positive democratic and liberal ideas as Conservative. Felt the book was dishonest, untruthful - trying to mislead good people.
May 15, 2022
Mostly a joke. Very disappointing. All told in a very divisive tone. There are some important topics raised which are real debates in the progressive-conservative political arena, but Rubin quite immaturely casts the entire "progressive left" as one lost body with aims for destroying this country and all that is good. He hardly addresses specifics, regularly makes ad-hominem fallacies, appeals to authority (Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, Rudy Giuliani, and Donald Trump), and then gives fluffy feel-good remarks that are supposed to be calls to action for the left but actually make no sense. Save your money and read a book on this topic by someone who isn't just trying to vent frustration.
April 8, 2022
A phenomenal follow-up to Dave Rubin's first book
June 9, 2022
Warning - may trigger liberals.
Dave Rubin is funny and factual. Just a "few" key takeaways below:
"We know that our country's leaders - including not only our government but also our media - used COVID-19 as an opportunity to test our limits... Just how much oppression will the American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people wear a mask any time they leave their homes? Can we pressure them into taking an unproven and untested vaccine? Will they spy on their neighbors to enforce quarantine rules? Can people be guilted into looting and rioting in the streets for a cause they don't understand? The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned out, were happy to submit while our country burned."
"The same technological overlords who canceled the former president are now canceling us, "experts" warn that COVID is still a risk, and social unrest never sleeps. As of this writing, in December 2021, our totalitarian nightmare is still ramping up. Kids are wearing masks to school while politicians dine freely with lobbyists. We've fired nurses in the name of health. Children as young as five are being indoctrinated with racist ideas. And the mainstream media won't tell us things we can see with our own eyes, like that the leader of the free world has severe cognitive decline. It's almost as if the truth is a time-release capsule."
"If you are willing to defend 'tolerance' above all else, when will you stand up for the truth?"
"...where a true democracy exists there will e individualism, and where individualism exists there will be a true democracy."
"According to a study by the Cato Institute, nearly two thirds of Americans said the current political climate prevents them from 'saying things they believe because others might find them offensive'. These fears cross partisan lines... all agree they have political opinions they are afraid to share."
"You're either woke or you're not, and to merely think out loud is to doom oneself to the collective's loud judgment and ultimately its cancel-culture gulag."
"Although neither side is perfect, I find the Right to be exponentially more tolerant, way more respectful toward individuals, way more supportive of individual thought, way more interested in diversity, way more progressive, way more inclusive, and honestly, just a way more fun side."
"The left is for collectivism and judgment based on group identify; the Right is for individual thought, individual expression, and personal liberty."
"If we diminish the importance of individual thought and expression, we diminish free will."
"...conform or be canceled."
"Trump was the ultimate individualist. He is immensely and profoundly flawed, of course, but will we ever have someone working in the political system who is more human? Who is more authentic? Who is more uncensored, unrestricted, or honest-to-a-fault than Donald J. Trump? He was and always will be an over-the-top renegade. But what happens when a renegade fights the system? The system crushes them. It chokes out every ounce of character; goodness, decency, and humanity. He was no savior - just some cartoonish businessman who made some smart choices and unmasked and exposed the system to show it for what it is... Trump was the first president in modern history to NOT start a war (and in fact started peaceful dialogue with enemies like North Korea). He cut taxes, cut regulations, and created millions of new jobs, bringing unemployment down to 3.9 percent. But, alas, the system doesn't care about peace, prosperity, or equality; the system only cares about control and politicians only care about politics. Imagine that. The fact that he could get anything done while the media made it their sole mission to take him down is impressive in and of itself. But the guy managed to actually expose that bias too. Perhaps best of all, he shook up both political parties, descended into the swamp, and fought the bureaucratic creatures who dwelled there as hard as he could. But as he eventually found out, the swamp always finds a way to drown out any ounce of authenticity... there has to be an inkling of admiration for somebody who gave up his cushy life - and donated his presidential salary to charity - to be willing to do what no one else would."
"The Left's own philosophy renders it incapable of policing its own people and finds itself forced to turn to - and this is where it gets hilarious - the government to make laws. Wait, I thought racism was systemic? I thought the government was a giant patriarchy? The very institution and structure that the Left deems most oppressive and intolerant ironically becomes the structure it is forced to strengthen to promote its agenda. (It's an idea so idiotic that you'd need the next Alien movie to be directed by Michael Bay instead of Ridley Scott.)"
"The media doesn't reflect reality; it filters and shapes it. (And sometimes makes it up altogether!)"
"The type of fake news that I think is most interesting (and most dangerous), however, is the kind that we see constantly on air - and by that I mean DON'T see. Thi sis the type of fake news presented to us when the media refuses to discuss stories that are counter to the narrative they want to tell. Throwing care and integrity to the wind, they're willing to destroy people's lives and careers for one things and save people for the same, carefully selecting the winners and losers of the stories they're telling." Re Joe Biden sexually assaulting staff (story covered up), Hunter Biden (mult stories covered up), drugs, prostitution, illegal guns, use of the "n" word, etc... If this was Don Jr. you can bet your savings the story would have been covered!
"It's not just ignoring negative news around the Left - it's ignoring positive news about the Right." - Story posted about Donald Trump and Georgia elections investigator was FALSE but no outlets retracted the fake story or even bothered to correct the FAKE NEWS THEY put out to the world. "Not only did these media outlets make up what became a massive scandal, but this story was also weaponized as part of Trump's second impeachment (remember that two-day sham?)."
"For years everyone was told to question Trump's legitimacy as president, but the minute the mainstream got what it wanted, to question then became a double standard. To question the November 2020 presidential general election even ever so slightly puts you on a far-right list. When a conservative says something, it's "violence", but when a wokester says the same, it's "courage". It's time for the media to take some responsibility for pushing certain people into conspiratorial corners."
"We are the ones actively silencing ourselves. We are the ones who unfurl the mob on one another, and no matter what you may think, the more you feed that mob, the more likely it is that it'll eventually come for you too."
"Streaming services like Netflix learn what amount of propaganda is just enough to keep you watching and continue their delicate slant leftward."
"In the 2020 election, tech executives were among the top political donors. Who signed the fattest check? None other than Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who donated more than $5 million - the largest chunk going to the Senate Majority PAC, a group backing Democratic candidates in the closest races, like in Maine, Texas, and Iowa... in 2020, Netflix employees have sent 98 percent of their political contributions to Democrats, resulting in millions of dollars flowing to Democrat candidates and party committees."
"Netflix signed a $143 million deal for original programming with the Obamas' newly founded production company, Higher Ground. Surely Barack's plan is to give us nonpoliticized, family-friendly entertainment! I mean, why else would he accept that paltry $143 million?"
"Remember that the people making TV don't merely want to entertain you; they want to influence you. They want you to think like they think. And unless you're aware of what they're trying to do, chances are you will."
"Consume with caution. Be aware of different kinds of fake news, notice hidden agendas in blockbuster entertainment, and minimize distractions so that instead of being passively influenced you can be actively independent."
"If you aren't paying for the product, then you ARE the product."
"In 2020, the Media Research Center's Techwatch unit went through all social media posts by Trump, Biden, and their campaigns from May 2018 through October 2020. While Trump was censored a whopping 65 times, Biden was wholly untouched. During election week, there wasn't a Trump tweet that didn't come with a disclaimer or warning if it had even gone public at all. Yet, less than a month out from November's Election Day, Facebook and Twitter took the unprecedented step of preventing users from sharing a front-page New York Post story about the Biden family's dealings in Ukraine."
"When a group of people who believed Trump was the real victor rioted inside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the media along with every social media platform seized the opportunity to blow the event as far out of proportion as possible. Mainstream media outlets continue to encourage a federal investigation into the identities of those who participated - even though the violence that occurred on that day often pales in comparison to the violence that occurs nightly on the streets of cities like Portland and San Francisco. Two days later, Facebook and Twitter permanently suspended Donald Trump's account, both personal and presidential. Instagram, YouTube, Amazon Web Services, Snapchat, Spotify, and Reddit all followed suit. Even Pinterest gave him the boot... A few days later, Parler, a Twitterlike platform that had hit the number-on efree app on Apple, became Bit Tech's new target... By January 8, 2021, Apple and Google+ removed Parler from their app stores because they said it had not sufficiently policed its users' posts. That same weekend, Amazon Web Services completely shut down the web servers, disconnecting Parler from the internet entirely."
"No matter your political leanings, totally deplatforming the sitting President of the United States and cutting off a company's access to the internet was a pivotal moment, threatening what was formerly considered the universally open internet."
"It should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions - especially when political realities make those decisions easier."
"...stop and think about our basic civil liberties - freedom of THOUGHT, freedom of EXPRESSION, freedom of the PRESS, freedom of ASSEMBLY, freedom of SPEECH, the right to EQUAL TREATMENT under the law, the right to PRIVACY - it's easy to see how every single one of those freedoms is being violated by Big Tech. Thoughts are suppressed. Expressions are edited. Certain press is limited. Facebook groups and full platforms are banned. Speech is censored. Some are affected more by "content policy" than others. And good God almighty, do I really need to say anything about privacy?"
"...by locking everybody in their homes for a year, social media became the primary mode of communication. By knocking people off based on political beliefs, they eventually created an echo chamber of information and opinion during the lead up to the 2020 election."
"Everybody knows money talks. The political donations made directly to campaigns that came from Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook ,Twitter, and Apple soared past $50 million for the 2020 presidential election cycle, and I don't think I need to specify which campaign the bulk of it went to. (Hint: it rhymes with Blow Widen.)...do we really think the regulations that would come from an administration funded by the very thing it's regulating isn't going to be influenced as it creates those regulations? Hmmm...me thinks not."
"In 2020, Amazon and Facebook were in the top ten of leading corporate spenders for DC lobbying services, spending over $38 million combined... these are marketing and legal dollars spent in direct correlation to how much influence they can have on government policy."
"For authoritarian-leaning leaders worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic was the crisis they had been dreaming of. It gave them an opportunity to push oppressive restrictions and laws to repress independent voices in society - all under the guise of asserting that an unprecedented crisis requires unprecedented measures."
"The line between science and propaganda eventually blurred, and restrictions were doled out - for traveling, for celebrating with family, for going to the beach - without any justifications for them."
"I was totally shocked at the way the average American just took orders as time wore on - most people didn't even seem to ask WHY these things were happening or whether the efforts were actually working. Pretty much everyone basically fell in line and fully complied."
"The same people who were calling Trump a tyrant were angry that he had not exercised his federal power by implementing tyrannical safety measures."
"Conservatives guarded their autonomy while everyone else offered up their freedom to Fauci on a silver platter."
"Brave, nonconforming, courageous people don't suddenly become courageous when they need to be - they simply refuse to go over the cliff when the rest of humanity walks off of it. They question the "facts", they ask, "Why?" They remain grounded in the lessons history has taught us time and time and time again. Because we always seem to forget that the road off the cliff is incremental: re the Holocaust: Test for TB, spray the rats with Zyklon B, create a "clean" society."
"You don't have to be superhuman to have courage, you just have to be willing to stand up for what you believe."
"When it came to COVID-19, let's just all come out and say it: the science was always secondary (and a little bit sketchy). Diseases don't have schedules, so why were 9 p.m. curfews enforced? Infections don't have shopping preferences, so why could Target and Walmart stay open while small mom-and-pop shops had to close down? Some data showed that wearing masks helped, while others said it did little, and others said it was actually harmful because you touch your face more when wearing masks. So were the masks protective of our health or protective of our egos, as symbols of collective conformity (or as Rand Paul put it, as just "theater")?"
"I just have to keep standing up for what I believe in consistently. No matter how scary."
"...the atrocities of the Holocaust were not caused by psychopaths but by ordinary people placed under pressure to conform. 'Evil comes from a failure to think. It defies thought for as soon as thought tries to engage itself with evil and examine the premises and principles from which it originates, it is frustrated because it finds nothing there. That is the banality of evil.'"
"Nancy Pelosi, who supported strict COVID-19 lockdowns and advocated for a national mask policy, a few months into lockdowns appeared at her hair salon with no mask. Instead of owning up, she blamed the salon. The salon owner, needless to say, had a very different story... And what about ol' Commander Newsom of California? He broke all the rules he himself set when he met with a crowd of mask-less lobbyists and politicians at the ridiculously expensive French Laundry, dropping a cool $15k on the alcohol bill alone. San Francisco mayor, London Breed, did the same damn thing. Denver mayor Michael Hancock flew to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with family after urging others to stay home. Mayor of Austin, Steve Adler, traveled to Cabo San Lucas, on a private jet. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot yelled mask less into a bullhorn at a celebratory rally for Biden, days later tweeting 'wear a mask. Listen to Science'... LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl was seen eating outdoors at Il Forno Trattoria in Santa Monica just HOURS after she voted to ban outdoor dining in LA. Predictably, the list of lefty politicians not listening to their own rules is long."
"This is a democracy (supposedly), where leaders are meant to represent the people, not act in ways that suggest they're above the people that elected them, enforcing oppressive laws that they fail to follow themselves. We currently have a political class who wants to operate one way - getting haircuts and dining at five-star world-class restaurants - while others have to scrounge for survival. That is not a good recipe for a functioning society."
"The Left's ability to talk about how morally righteous they are without actually doing any of the follow-through, is virtue signaling at its finest."
"We create the world we live in, so remember: every time you vote, you are voting for the things that the government SHOULDN'T do. Keep your intrinsic liberties at the forefront of your mind, and keep any kind of authoritarian powers - whether it comes from the Left or from the Right - in check."
"Prioritize free thought over political obedience."
"The moment you become overly dependent or reliant on anything outside of yourself, it threatens your humanity... when we wholly rely on things outside of ourselves, we give up freedom, opportunity, and personal accountability."
"...although minimum wage SOUNDS good, the facts explain why the most vulnerable workers are the group that is most harmed by progressive minimum-wage laws."
"The Left promotes resentment and oppression and makes loud demands for 'rights' to what other people have earned and produced. One of the most sick, twisted things Bernie Sanders did was make greed a lofty goal - he somehow made the idea of being entitled to what someone has be a worthy, moral pursuit."
"Although the big word on the left is 'compassion,' the big agenda on the left is dependency."
"...the reason some people are poor is not discrimination, exploitation, or corruption on the part of the rich, but rather, people are poor because they don't or WON'T produce (and often the government keeps them from stepping up to the plate to do so)."
"You cannot take any people, of any color, and exempt them from the requirements of civilization - including work, behavioral standards, personal responsibility and all the other basic things that the clever intelligentsia disdain - without ruinous consequences to them and to society at large."
"US taxpayers have spent over $22 trillion on anti-poverty programs. That's nearly 80 percent of our current national debt... it's one thing if these programs would have actually worked and lifted people out of poverty, but the progress toward alleviating poverty has been minimal, if not completely backwards."
Dave Rubin is funny and factual. Just a "few" key takeaways below:
"We know that our country's leaders - including not only our government but also our media - used COVID-19 as an opportunity to test our limits... Just how much oppression will the American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people wear a mask any time they leave their homes? Can we pressure them into taking an unproven and untested vaccine? Will they spy on their neighbors to enforce quarantine rules? Can people be guilted into looting and rioting in the streets for a cause they don't understand? The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned out, were happy to submit while our country burned."
"The same technological overlords who canceled the former president are now canceling us, "experts" warn that COVID is still a risk, and social unrest never sleeps. As of this writing, in December 2021, our totalitarian nightmare is still ramping up. Kids are wearing masks to school while politicians dine freely with lobbyists. We've fired nurses in the name of health. Children as young as five are being indoctrinated with racist ideas. And the mainstream media won't tell us things we can see with our own eyes, like that the leader of the free world has severe cognitive decline. It's almost as if the truth is a time-release capsule."
"If you are willing to defend 'tolerance' above all else, when will you stand up for the truth?"
"...where a true democracy exists there will e individualism, and where individualism exists there will be a true democracy."
"According to a study by the Cato Institute, nearly two thirds of Americans said the current political climate prevents them from 'saying things they believe because others might find them offensive'. These fears cross partisan lines... all agree they have political opinions they are afraid to share."
"You're either woke or you're not, and to merely think out loud is to doom oneself to the collective's loud judgment and ultimately its cancel-culture gulag."
"Although neither side is perfect, I find the Right to be exponentially more tolerant, way more respectful toward individuals, way more supportive of individual thought, way more interested in diversity, way more progressive, way more inclusive, and honestly, just a way more fun side."
"The left is for collectivism and judgment based on group identify; the Right is for individual thought, individual expression, and personal liberty."
"If we diminish the importance of individual thought and expression, we diminish free will."
"...conform or be canceled."
"Trump was the ultimate individualist. He is immensely and profoundly flawed, of course, but will we ever have someone working in the political system who is more human? Who is more authentic? Who is more uncensored, unrestricted, or honest-to-a-fault than Donald J. Trump? He was and always will be an over-the-top renegade. But what happens when a renegade fights the system? The system crushes them. It chokes out every ounce of character; goodness, decency, and humanity. He was no savior - just some cartoonish businessman who made some smart choices and unmasked and exposed the system to show it for what it is... Trump was the first president in modern history to NOT start a war (and in fact started peaceful dialogue with enemies like North Korea). He cut taxes, cut regulations, and created millions of new jobs, bringing unemployment down to 3.9 percent. But, alas, the system doesn't care about peace, prosperity, or equality; the system only cares about control and politicians only care about politics. Imagine that. The fact that he could get anything done while the media made it their sole mission to take him down is impressive in and of itself. But the guy managed to actually expose that bias too. Perhaps best of all, he shook up both political parties, descended into the swamp, and fought the bureaucratic creatures who dwelled there as hard as he could. But as he eventually found out, the swamp always finds a way to drown out any ounce of authenticity... there has to be an inkling of admiration for somebody who gave up his cushy life - and donated his presidential salary to charity - to be willing to do what no one else would."
"The Left's own philosophy renders it incapable of policing its own people and finds itself forced to turn to - and this is where it gets hilarious - the government to make laws. Wait, I thought racism was systemic? I thought the government was a giant patriarchy? The very institution and structure that the Left deems most oppressive and intolerant ironically becomes the structure it is forced to strengthen to promote its agenda. (It's an idea so idiotic that you'd need the next Alien movie to be directed by Michael Bay instead of Ridley Scott.)"
"The media doesn't reflect reality; it filters and shapes it. (And sometimes makes it up altogether!)"
"The type of fake news that I think is most interesting (and most dangerous), however, is the kind that we see constantly on air - and by that I mean DON'T see. Thi sis the type of fake news presented to us when the media refuses to discuss stories that are counter to the narrative they want to tell. Throwing care and integrity to the wind, they're willing to destroy people's lives and careers for one things and save people for the same, carefully selecting the winners and losers of the stories they're telling." Re Joe Biden sexually assaulting staff (story covered up), Hunter Biden (mult stories covered up), drugs, prostitution, illegal guns, use of the "n" word, etc... If this was Don Jr. you can bet your savings the story would have been covered!
"It's not just ignoring negative news around the Left - it's ignoring positive news about the Right." - Story posted about Donald Trump and Georgia elections investigator was FALSE but no outlets retracted the fake story or even bothered to correct the FAKE NEWS THEY put out to the world. "Not only did these media outlets make up what became a massive scandal, but this story was also weaponized as part of Trump's second impeachment (remember that two-day sham?)."
"For years everyone was told to question Trump's legitimacy as president, but the minute the mainstream got what it wanted, to question then became a double standard. To question the November 2020 presidential general election even ever so slightly puts you on a far-right list. When a conservative says something, it's "violence", but when a wokester says the same, it's "courage". It's time for the media to take some responsibility for pushing certain people into conspiratorial corners."
"We are the ones actively silencing ourselves. We are the ones who unfurl the mob on one another, and no matter what you may think, the more you feed that mob, the more likely it is that it'll eventually come for you too."
"Streaming services like Netflix learn what amount of propaganda is just enough to keep you watching and continue their delicate slant leftward."
"In the 2020 election, tech executives were among the top political donors. Who signed the fattest check? None other than Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who donated more than $5 million - the largest chunk going to the Senate Majority PAC, a group backing Democratic candidates in the closest races, like in Maine, Texas, and Iowa... in 2020, Netflix employees have sent 98 percent of their political contributions to Democrats, resulting in millions of dollars flowing to Democrat candidates and party committees."
"Netflix signed a $143 million deal for original programming with the Obamas' newly founded production company, Higher Ground. Surely Barack's plan is to give us nonpoliticized, family-friendly entertainment! I mean, why else would he accept that paltry $143 million?"
"Remember that the people making TV don't merely want to entertain you; they want to influence you. They want you to think like they think. And unless you're aware of what they're trying to do, chances are you will."
"Consume with caution. Be aware of different kinds of fake news, notice hidden agendas in blockbuster entertainment, and minimize distractions so that instead of being passively influenced you can be actively independent."
"If you aren't paying for the product, then you ARE the product."
"In 2020, the Media Research Center's Techwatch unit went through all social media posts by Trump, Biden, and their campaigns from May 2018 through October 2020. While Trump was censored a whopping 65 times, Biden was wholly untouched. During election week, there wasn't a Trump tweet that didn't come with a disclaimer or warning if it had even gone public at all. Yet, less than a month out from November's Election Day, Facebook and Twitter took the unprecedented step of preventing users from sharing a front-page New York Post story about the Biden family's dealings in Ukraine."
"When a group of people who believed Trump was the real victor rioted inside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, the media along with every social media platform seized the opportunity to blow the event as far out of proportion as possible. Mainstream media outlets continue to encourage a federal investigation into the identities of those who participated - even though the violence that occurred on that day often pales in comparison to the violence that occurs nightly on the streets of cities like Portland and San Francisco. Two days later, Facebook and Twitter permanently suspended Donald Trump's account, both personal and presidential. Instagram, YouTube, Amazon Web Services, Snapchat, Spotify, and Reddit all followed suit. Even Pinterest gave him the boot... A few days later, Parler, a Twitterlike platform that had hit the number-on efree app on Apple, became Bit Tech's new target... By January 8, 2021, Apple and Google+ removed Parler from their app stores because they said it had not sufficiently policed its users' posts. That same weekend, Amazon Web Services completely shut down the web servers, disconnecting Parler from the internet entirely."
"No matter your political leanings, totally deplatforming the sitting President of the United States and cutting off a company's access to the internet was a pivotal moment, threatening what was formerly considered the universally open internet."
"It should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions - especially when political realities make those decisions easier."
"...stop and think about our basic civil liberties - freedom of THOUGHT, freedom of EXPRESSION, freedom of the PRESS, freedom of ASSEMBLY, freedom of SPEECH, the right to EQUAL TREATMENT under the law, the right to PRIVACY - it's easy to see how every single one of those freedoms is being violated by Big Tech. Thoughts are suppressed. Expressions are edited. Certain press is limited. Facebook groups and full platforms are banned. Speech is censored. Some are affected more by "content policy" than others. And good God almighty, do I really need to say anything about privacy?"
"...by locking everybody in their homes for a year, social media became the primary mode of communication. By knocking people off based on political beliefs, they eventually created an echo chamber of information and opinion during the lead up to the 2020 election."
"Everybody knows money talks. The political donations made directly to campaigns that came from Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook ,Twitter, and Apple soared past $50 million for the 2020 presidential election cycle, and I don't think I need to specify which campaign the bulk of it went to. (Hint: it rhymes with Blow Widen.)...do we really think the regulations that would come from an administration funded by the very thing it's regulating isn't going to be influenced as it creates those regulations? Hmmm...me thinks not."
"In 2020, Amazon and Facebook were in the top ten of leading corporate spenders for DC lobbying services, spending over $38 million combined... these are marketing and legal dollars spent in direct correlation to how much influence they can have on government policy."
"For authoritarian-leaning leaders worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic was the crisis they had been dreaming of. It gave them an opportunity to push oppressive restrictions and laws to repress independent voices in society - all under the guise of asserting that an unprecedented crisis requires unprecedented measures."
"The line between science and propaganda eventually blurred, and restrictions were doled out - for traveling, for celebrating with family, for going to the beach - without any justifications for them."
"I was totally shocked at the way the average American just took orders as time wore on - most people didn't even seem to ask WHY these things were happening or whether the efforts were actually working. Pretty much everyone basically fell in line and fully complied."
"The same people who were calling Trump a tyrant were angry that he had not exercised his federal power by implementing tyrannical safety measures."
"Conservatives guarded their autonomy while everyone else offered up their freedom to Fauci on a silver platter."
"Brave, nonconforming, courageous people don't suddenly become courageous when they need to be - they simply refuse to go over the cliff when the rest of humanity walks off of it. They question the "facts", they ask, "Why?" They remain grounded in the lessons history has taught us time and time and time again. Because we always seem to forget that the road off the cliff is incremental: re the Holocaust: Test for TB, spray the rats with Zyklon B, create a "clean" society."
"You don't have to be superhuman to have courage, you just have to be willing to stand up for what you believe."
"When it came to COVID-19, let's just all come out and say it: the science was always secondary (and a little bit sketchy). Diseases don't have schedules, so why were 9 p.m. curfews enforced? Infections don't have shopping preferences, so why could Target and Walmart stay open while small mom-and-pop shops had to close down? Some data showed that wearing masks helped, while others said it did little, and others said it was actually harmful because you touch your face more when wearing masks. So were the masks protective of our health or protective of our egos, as symbols of collective conformity (or as Rand Paul put it, as just "theater")?"
"I just have to keep standing up for what I believe in consistently. No matter how scary."
"...the atrocities of the Holocaust were not caused by psychopaths but by ordinary people placed under pressure to conform. 'Evil comes from a failure to think. It defies thought for as soon as thought tries to engage itself with evil and examine the premises and principles from which it originates, it is frustrated because it finds nothing there. That is the banality of evil.'"
"Nancy Pelosi, who supported strict COVID-19 lockdowns and advocated for a national mask policy, a few months into lockdowns appeared at her hair salon with no mask. Instead of owning up, she blamed the salon. The salon owner, needless to say, had a very different story... And what about ol' Commander Newsom of California? He broke all the rules he himself set when he met with a crowd of mask-less lobbyists and politicians at the ridiculously expensive French Laundry, dropping a cool $15k on the alcohol bill alone. San Francisco mayor, London Breed, did the same damn thing. Denver mayor Michael Hancock flew to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with family after urging others to stay home. Mayor of Austin, Steve Adler, traveled to Cabo San Lucas, on a private jet. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot yelled mask less into a bullhorn at a celebratory rally for Biden, days later tweeting 'wear a mask. Listen to Science'... LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl was seen eating outdoors at Il Forno Trattoria in Santa Monica just HOURS after she voted to ban outdoor dining in LA. Predictably, the list of lefty politicians not listening to their own rules is long."
"This is a democracy (supposedly), where leaders are meant to represent the people, not act in ways that suggest they're above the people that elected them, enforcing oppressive laws that they fail to follow themselves. We currently have a political class who wants to operate one way - getting haircuts and dining at five-star world-class restaurants - while others have to scrounge for survival. That is not a good recipe for a functioning society."
"The Left's ability to talk about how morally righteous they are without actually doing any of the follow-through, is virtue signaling at its finest."
"We create the world we live in, so remember: every time you vote, you are voting for the things that the government SHOULDN'T do. Keep your intrinsic liberties at the forefront of your mind, and keep any kind of authoritarian powers - whether it comes from the Left or from the Right - in check."
"Prioritize free thought over political obedience."
"The moment you become overly dependent or reliant on anything outside of yourself, it threatens your humanity... when we wholly rely on things outside of ourselves, we give up freedom, opportunity, and personal accountability."
"...although minimum wage SOUNDS good, the facts explain why the most vulnerable workers are the group that is most harmed by progressive minimum-wage laws."
"The Left promotes resentment and oppression and makes loud demands for 'rights' to what other people have earned and produced. One of the most sick, twisted things Bernie Sanders did was make greed a lofty goal - he somehow made the idea of being entitled to what someone has be a worthy, moral pursuit."
"Although the big word on the left is 'compassion,' the big agenda on the left is dependency."
"...the reason some people are poor is not discrimination, exploitation, or corruption on the part of the rich, but rather, people are poor because they don't or WON'T produce (and often the government keeps them from stepping up to the plate to do so)."
"You cannot take any people, of any color, and exempt them from the requirements of civilization - including work, behavioral standards, personal responsibility and all the other basic things that the clever intelligentsia disdain - without ruinous consequences to them and to society at large."
"US taxpayers have spent over $22 trillion on anti-poverty programs. That's nearly 80 percent of our current national debt... it's one thing if these programs would have actually worked and lifted people out of poverty, but the progress toward alleviating poverty has been minimal, if not completely backwards."
June 30, 2022
all the one star reviews are accurate.
this is an awful defense of conservatism.
ad hominem attacks of trump's enemies and unbalanced support of trump without any reference to the actual god things trump did or mention some of his mistakes.
this is fox news fan catnip
this is an awful defense of conservatism.
ad hominem attacks of trump's enemies and unbalanced support of trump without any reference to the actual god things trump did or mention some of his mistakes.
this is fox news fan catnip
May 13, 2022
One of the best books of the year. Real progress will be achieved when we (the normals, the critical thinkers, the non-collectivists) no longer have to fight against the most childish of ideologies like wokeism (or Marxism, on which it’s based - side note: I’ve been reading Marx and studying his life off and on for 3 years; you don’t get very far before you realize how closely his passions, motivations and logic resemble a 13 year old boy; he never really grew into maturity, which I’m not saying to poke fun of, but simply because it’s tragic).
Anyway, Dave presents a wealth of information here despite the length of the book. And it’s highly entertaining to boot.
At this point, after all the failures of the past two years, I’m unsure why anyone would desire a large state (federal government) and why they wouldn’t prioritize individualism. The data has been in for some time and it continues to show in every scenario that big government and collectivism produces very bad things. It’s really quite simple: healthier, more mature individuals leads to better families leads to better communities leads, and on and on.
The question is how to have healthier individuals.
Well, first you have to change the messaging, then the responsibility. Going with the latter, the government is not your Daddy. Order your life, live wisely and serve those around you.
The messaging on the other hand is more difficult. Government’s aim is to grow bigger and bigger. They can’t do that if individuals are becoming more responsible. And more successful. They have to hook you. Ah, the welfare state. The government backed loans. The federal reserve.
And companies exist to make money. And there’s nothing particularly wrong with that. Because it’s up to us, the consumer, whether or not to buy a product at a specific price. We have to be willing to undergo a little patience, a little sacrifice, for the good of everyone. But today we aren’t. We’re entitled and spoiled and don’t have any interest in giving that up. Companies know that and they’ll take advantage of you being irresponsible and selfish.
Now, you say, some things have become necessary for life and the cost has become absurdly high. Look more closely, do your deep research. My guess is that in those instances, the government is involved at some point more deeply than you know. Either regulation or supply issues. Or maybe the government signed a bunch or irresponsible contracts to buy millions of a product at an absurdly high price, wrecking the market for the average consumer.
I could go on and on, but the point is that our messaging in this country needs to change. You’re not a slave to the government nor the corporation. Your effort and responsibility matters. Play your part in holding the power brokers accountable.
Well, on that last part, that ship may have sailed. Most of the decision makers in our government aren’t elected. There’s a whole bureaucracy that needs dealing with. And if people took the time and effort to really research it, they’d be horrified.
Things need to change. It’s not coming from the left. Their current popular politicians are just more of the same establishment swamp creatures. Save for Bernie. But Bernie’s ideas and model are antiquated. Like trying to install Commodore 64 operating systems on MacBook Pros. Why would anyone want to do that?
From the right then? Well, again they’re mostly establishment, swamp creatures, too. Save for Trump, DeSantis and a handful of others. I don’t suppose Thomas Massie would have the support to win election, but he’d easily be my pick today to lead us into a better space. Or Rand Paul. Trump is the wildcard. Sure, he’s morally repugnant in most ways, but maybe he has the appropriate (and deserved) disdain for the system and will set out to dismantle it piece by piece. Unknown, I guess. But he could do it.
The prospects aren’t bright. But polling of teenagers and young adults does show a trend that wokeism is on its way out. They rightfully see it as a hyper-judgmental scam built around collectivist thinking and political power. They’re becoming more libertarian, conservative, and even anarchist in a lot of ways. What it comes down to most likely is that they see the disgusting nature of adults fighting over politics, and the complete wretchedness on display over the past five years politically, and want the government to have nothing to do with their lives. Maybe this trend will change. But can you imagine? If anything is ever utopia (it will always remain a fantasy, let’s get real) it’s the idea of severely limited government and healthy communities, healthy families.
Dave Rubin is by all means a great advocate for that vision.
Anyway, Dave presents a wealth of information here despite the length of the book. And it’s highly entertaining to boot.
At this point, after all the failures of the past two years, I’m unsure why anyone would desire a large state (federal government) and why they wouldn’t prioritize individualism. The data has been in for some time and it continues to show in every scenario that big government and collectivism produces very bad things. It’s really quite simple: healthier, more mature individuals leads to better families leads to better communities leads, and on and on.
The question is how to have healthier individuals.
Well, first you have to change the messaging, then the responsibility. Going with the latter, the government is not your Daddy. Order your life, live wisely and serve those around you.
The messaging on the other hand is more difficult. Government’s aim is to grow bigger and bigger. They can’t do that if individuals are becoming more responsible. And more successful. They have to hook you. Ah, the welfare state. The government backed loans. The federal reserve.
And companies exist to make money. And there’s nothing particularly wrong with that. Because it’s up to us, the consumer, whether or not to buy a product at a specific price. We have to be willing to undergo a little patience, a little sacrifice, for the good of everyone. But today we aren’t. We’re entitled and spoiled and don’t have any interest in giving that up. Companies know that and they’ll take advantage of you being irresponsible and selfish.
Now, you say, some things have become necessary for life and the cost has become absurdly high. Look more closely, do your deep research. My guess is that in those instances, the government is involved at some point more deeply than you know. Either regulation or supply issues. Or maybe the government signed a bunch or irresponsible contracts to buy millions of a product at an absurdly high price, wrecking the market for the average consumer.
I could go on and on, but the point is that our messaging in this country needs to change. You’re not a slave to the government nor the corporation. Your effort and responsibility matters. Play your part in holding the power brokers accountable.
Well, on that last part, that ship may have sailed. Most of the decision makers in our government aren’t elected. There’s a whole bureaucracy that needs dealing with. And if people took the time and effort to really research it, they’d be horrified.
Things need to change. It’s not coming from the left. Their current popular politicians are just more of the same establishment swamp creatures. Save for Bernie. But Bernie’s ideas and model are antiquated. Like trying to install Commodore 64 operating systems on MacBook Pros. Why would anyone want to do that?
From the right then? Well, again they’re mostly establishment, swamp creatures, too. Save for Trump, DeSantis and a handful of others. I don’t suppose Thomas Massie would have the support to win election, but he’d easily be my pick today to lead us into a better space. Or Rand Paul. Trump is the wildcard. Sure, he’s morally repugnant in most ways, but maybe he has the appropriate (and deserved) disdain for the system and will set out to dismantle it piece by piece. Unknown, I guess. But he could do it.
The prospects aren’t bright. But polling of teenagers and young adults does show a trend that wokeism is on its way out. They rightfully see it as a hyper-judgmental scam built around collectivist thinking and political power. They’re becoming more libertarian, conservative, and even anarchist in a lot of ways. What it comes down to most likely is that they see the disgusting nature of adults fighting over politics, and the complete wretchedness on display over the past five years politically, and want the government to have nothing to do with their lives. Maybe this trend will change. But can you imagine? If anything is ever utopia (it will always remain a fantasy, let’s get real) it’s the idea of severely limited government and healthy communities, healthy families.
Dave Rubin is by all means a great advocate for that vision.
January 19, 2023
I would give this book 3 1/2 stars (and I did the audiobook version).
In some ways, that is a bit harsh - the book is engaging, well written (and the audiobook version is read by the author who does a great job), and informative. The reason for the perhaps mediocre rating is that the book did not really contain any thing "new".
I am a new comer to David Rubin, and have only listened to a few Rubin Reports (his podcast/show) in recent months. But even with that short exposure, he's eloquent, to the point, and the perspective comes across.
I suppose the book is written for those he is trying to convince of his arguments - but as someone who is already shares much of his perspective, there just was not too much new or insightful - and that is the reason the book does not rate higher for me.
So if you do not know David Rubin's perspectives and are curious, this would receive a stronger recommendation from me. If you are at all familiar with his take on recent events, I am not convinced that you will get too much novel information or perspective to make it worthwhile. But it is enjoyable either way.
In some ways, that is a bit harsh - the book is engaging, well written (and the audiobook version is read by the author who does a great job), and informative. The reason for the perhaps mediocre rating is that the book did not really contain any thing "new".
I am a new comer to David Rubin, and have only listened to a few Rubin Reports (his podcast/show) in recent months. But even with that short exposure, he's eloquent, to the point, and the perspective comes across.
I suppose the book is written for those he is trying to convince of his arguments - but as someone who is already shares much of his perspective, there just was not too much new or insightful - and that is the reason the book does not rate higher for me.
So if you do not know David Rubin's perspectives and are curious, this would receive a stronger recommendation from me. If you are at all familiar with his take on recent events, I am not convinced that you will get too much novel information or perspective to make it worthwhile. But it is enjoyable either way.
April 22, 2022
Dave has a way of expressing about everything I feel is really important right now and the best way to deal with it. Solid suggestions. Since I don’t do social media, I’ve been censored on fb as well as right here on good reads (yeah they even censor your opinions on books!) I know what Dave is talking about. It’s a slippery slope and if you are ok with any kind of censorship, no matter who or what, then you are ok with it all, and it will come to you eventually.
I think this is an important book and if you take away one point; it should be that the majority of people just want to LIVE THEIR LIVES free of the goddamn government and their goddamn paid stooges (fb, twitter, etc etc). So start by knowing that they all hate you and you can only look out for yourself and your family. Get self reliant and stop listening to the media, do your own research and invest in your home, neighborhood, local community and local politics. And get away from social media in all forms. It’s a time suck, stressful and mostly bull anyway. And read Dave’s book.
I think this is an important book and if you take away one point; it should be that the majority of people just want to LIVE THEIR LIVES free of the goddamn government and their goddamn paid stooges (fb, twitter, etc etc). So start by knowing that they all hate you and you can only look out for yourself and your family. Get self reliant and stop listening to the media, do your own research and invest in your home, neighborhood, local community and local politics. And get away from social media in all forms. It’s a time suck, stressful and mostly bull anyway. And read Dave’s book.
April 19, 2022
Entertaining and moderately inspirational. I’m a sucker for books like this. It almost perfectly aligns with my world view. There are a lot of books like this. They essentially point out the flaws in progressive ideologies and programs and the positive aspects of capitalism and conservatism. I’m all bought in on both of those concepts. The book provides a small nudge for people, but I think it’s too small a nudge. We need to gear up for a long fight. The left have been relentlessly pursuing their agenda for over a hundred years. We seem to take a shot and then get beaten down. We need to face the fact that this is a forever war. We need to stop ceding ground and start taking ground. Dave’s book is a step forward.we need more.
Want to read
May 24, 2022Introduction: Welcome to Dystopia
Like most Americans, I woke up on March 15, 2020,
wondering if I should wash an unopened box of Ziploc
bags. It was the beginning of a national lockdown.
Restaurants, bars, small mom-and-pop shops were being
shuttered. Aisles in big box stores lay barren—no
cleaning supplies, no toilet paper, no bread, no water.
Last-minute impulse buys at the checkout counter like
packs of gum or tabloid magazines had been replaced
by ransacked cardboard cartons reserved for light-blue
PPE face masks and little bottles of hand sanitizer.
The NBA season announced suspension, schools closed,
ships dropped their anchors, travel bans were enforced,
and curfews were put into place. There was something
viscerally exciting about it all—like when a thunderstorm
causes the electricity to go out or when a nasty blizzard
makes for a snow day. It’ll only be for two weeks, they
say. “Two weeks to flatten the curve.”
Rushing to prepare for two weeks indoors, I planned
to pop into CVS to pick up a few last-minute things and
then head home. As I pulled into the parking lot, I
remembered that just around the corner was a dog
shelter. Only a month before, our beloved dog, Emma,
passed away, but nowhere in the plan was getting
another dog. It was supposed to be a busy year—my
first book tour was on the horizon and my company
Locals had just launched. There was way too much
travel on my agenda to justify getting a new dog.
What’s more, my husband, David, made me promise we
wouldn’t even think about getting another dog before
the fall.
I grabbed my items, checked out, got into my car,
and made my way toward the local shelter, just to see
who the new arrivals were, knowing we weren’t going
to be making an adoption. I figured there’d be no harm
in saying hello to a few dogs and scratching a few
bellies before locking myself in my house for two whole
weeks.
Inside the shelter, it was totally empty besides the
howling dogs and faceless, mask-wearing workers.
Ominous to say the least. They’d rescued five dogs that
morning from a Los Angeles kill shelter, one of which
was a white and honey-colored pit bull mix with a bald
spot on his head. Something about him reminded me of
Emma. He sat there quietly and nervously—his big round
eyes piercing mine, his tail anxiously wagging. A worker
showed me some paperwork from the previous shelter
with a time stamp on it: 3:15 p.m., March 15,
2020—his scheduled euthanasia.
My stomach churned and my phone buzzed. It was
David. I left the shelter and answered my phone.
David and I had been having ongoing conversations
about starting a family (as actual dads, not just dog
dads). He had always wanted kids. I was always on the
fence. No, wait, I take that back. I never wanted kids—I
thought being gay was an easy out. Kids, I had always
thought, wouldn’t be compatible with my career and,
well, doing whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted
to do it. So, while David and I would continue having
conversations and meeting with fertility doctors, we kept
punting the reality further down the road. But there I
was: forty-three years old and the world was ending.
Something shifted in me—I felt like it was now or never.
If the world was really ending, I decided that creating
life was my only chance at saving it.
I rushed home and we called our fertility doctor.
Doc’s response? “We’re closing in two hours. You
better get here, because I’m not sure when we’ll be
opening again. If we’re able to get an egg and a
surrogate but don’t have the sperm, then we’re at an
indefinite standstill.”
We hopped into the car and drove at light speed for
about twenty-five minutes. The tension on the roads was
palpable. People honking and swerving. The 405 freeway
was a parking lot (which, to be fair, was normal). On
the overpass, we saw bird’s-eye views of grocery stores
with lines out the door that seemed to stretch on for
miles.
We arrived at the clinic and got out of the car. Oddly
enough, this street in Brentwood was empty. It was an
unusually windy and blustery day, which made
everything seem even eerier.
Once we finished at the clinic, after finalizing one of
the biggest decisions we’ll ever make, we got back into
the car and headed toward home. What I knew, but
David did not, is that I had no intention of heading
home from the sperm bank. No, I was heading back to
the animal shelter to go and save that nameless mutt
that had not left my mind (except maybe when I was
in that little room at the sperm bank).
“So, uh, I thought maybe we’d just swing by that
animal shelter to see what’s going on?”
“Oh my god, Dave. What have you done?”
“Let’s just foster him for a week!” I suggested. After
that, I figured, things would be nearly normal again. We
walked out of the shelter that day with an unnamed pit
bull-boxer mix. You now know him as Clyde.
You know what happened next: the curve never
flattened, and nothing went back to normal.
My book tour, travel, everything was canceled. People
went months without seeing their families, skipping out
on Christmases and Thanksgivings even when it could
have been their grandparents’ last. Those who did see
their families were condemned as reckless and
irresponsible. (“You’re gonna kill Grandma!”) The US
presidential election came and went, fraught with
skepticism, and America’s biggest (and sketchiest)
pharmaceutical corporations raced to manufacture and
distribute a vaccine before it was ever approved or
even properly tested. Eventually, cities began to slowly
open up and relax mandates again—only to later
reinforce even more severe mandates than before.
These never-ending lockdowns had extreme ripple
effects. Businesses were boarded up. Political protests
erupted in the streets. Sales of firearms reached record
highs—five million Americans bought them for the first
time in 2020 (myself included).
[1]
Finally, people went nuts! Locking themselves indoors
for over a year, some occasionally ventured outside their
homes to walk their dogs or go for Sunday drives, but
never without their trusty mask. Suicide is still on the
rise—one in four young Americans have considered or
attempted it since the beginning of the lockdown.[2]
Following federal vaccine mandates, enforced by large
corporations, many Americans—including former “frontline
workers”—have been forced out of their jobs for
refusing the jab.
Now, two years after the initial pandemic panic, we
know that our country’s leaders—including not only our
government but also our media—used COVID-19 as an
opportunity to test our limits. They appear to have
asked themselves: Just how much oppression will the
American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people
wear a mask any time they leave their homes? Can we
pressure them into taking an unproven and untested
vaccine? Will they spy on their neighbors to enforce
quarantine rules? Can people be guilted into looting and
rioting in the streets for a cause they don’t understand?
The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned
out, were happy to submit while our country burned.
It might surprise you, but this book is not a dystopian
novel. (If it were, I’d totally cast Chris Pratt as yours
truly in the movie adaptation.)
Life these days sure does feel like dystopian fiction,
though it’s not exactly what George Orwell had in mind.
Instead of a colorless society of factory slaves, ours is
one in which our government creates problems, blames
its people, then manufactures a terrible solution. Think
about it. For four years, the Man told us that Trump
was an evil orange monster—putting “kids in cages,”
killing the planet, killing our grandmas—and demonized
over half of the American voting population for electing
him in. Luckily, they told us, a single vote for Trump’s
opponent or an injection can “restore normalcy,” casting
all memory of him away like a spell.
Well, people cast the vote and got the jab, yet
“normalcy” never came. The same technological
overlords who canceled the former president are now
canceling us, “experts” warn that COVID is still a risk,
and social unrest never sleeps. As of this writing, in
December 2021, our totalitarian nightmare is still ramping
up. Kids are wearing masks to school while politicians
dine freely with lobbyists. Dr. Seuss has been banned
from libraries and replaced with Drag Queen Story
hours. We’ve fired nurses in the name of health.
Children as young as five are being indoctrinated with
racist ideas. And the mainstream media won’t tell us
things we can see with our own eyes, like that the
leader of the free world has severe cognitive decline. It’s
almost as if the truth is a time-release capsule.
In 2019, before any of this pandemic chaos, I began
writing Don’t Burn This Book
, defending classically liberal
values—like tolerance and free self-expression—against
the values of today’s liberals, who support just the
opposite: censorship and mass shame. In essence, Don’t
Burn This Book was my last-ditch effort to save liberals
from themselves.
But today, I’m not so sure the original concept of
liberalism is salvageable. The problem is we’ve overdosed
on tolerance and self-expression to such an extent that
we actually don’t stand for anything. Many “classical
liberals” and so-called Republicans even supported
vaccine mandates, claiming that private corporations can
enforce whatever rules they like. If you are willing to
defend “tolerance” above all else, when will you stand
up for the truth?
Over the years, “tolerant” liberals have morphed into a
politically correct mafia, and the only reason we were
happy to let them rule us is that to question them
would’ve designated us the worst and most unacceptable
political affiliation.
No, I’m not talking about Nazis. (Does the word Nazi
even mean anything anymore?) I mean a word so evil,
so nefarious, that it makes hipsters and Hollywood actors
freak out even worse than when Whole Foods is out of
soy milk: a conservative.
Yes, I said it: the c
-word.
The word that implies some ideas are so bad we
cannot tolerate them. The word that suggests that
maybe family is a good thing, and that more people
should focus on their families instead of on impersonal
social causes. The word that demands we not only
defend American values as good but also refuse to back
down when they’re threatened.
For years, I have advocated classically liberal values,
and I always will. But as American civilization deteriorates
around us, I do not believe free speech, tolerance, and
all the rest alone are enough. Right now we must fight
to conserve the values our country was founded on: life
and liberty.
What we need, and what this book will teach you how
to start, is a strong movement dedicated to dismantling
and resisting the oppressive woke machine and corrupt
Washington oligarchy. A movement that advocates loudly
on behalf of individual rights—including the right to
challenge the system, the science, and the stories we
are spoon-fed by our media. The reason, I believe,
many well-meaning people on the cusp of a political
breakthrough do not speak up loudly enough about this
is that they don’t understand just how severe the
threats to our individual freedoms really are.
Well folks, it’s now or never. And I don’t mean that
like when a politician says it every four years and then
nothing ever changes. I mean it literally. This moment
we are in right now is genuinely the last chance to
defend America from tyranny. Wokeism fueled by media
manipulation is the Death Star of our time.
But there’s always a way to blow up a Death Star.
Gibson, Kate. “U.S. Gun Sales Surge to Record High
in 2020.” CBS News, Nov. 3, 2020.
cbsnews.com/news/gun-sales-record-hig....
BACK TO NOTE REFERENCE 1
Wan, William. “For Months, He Helped His Son Keep
Suicidal Thoughts at Bay. Then Came the Pandemic.”
The Washington Post, Nov. 23, 2020.
washingtonpost.com/health/2020/11/23/...-
rise-suicides.
BACK TO NOTE REFERENCE 2
Like most Americans, I woke up on March 15, 2020,
wondering if I should wash an unopened box of Ziploc
bags. It was the beginning of a national lockdown.
Restaurants, bars, small mom-and-pop shops were being
shuttered. Aisles in big box stores lay barren—no
cleaning supplies, no toilet paper, no bread, no water.
Last-minute impulse buys at the checkout counter like
packs of gum or tabloid magazines had been replaced
by ransacked cardboard cartons reserved for light-blue
PPE face masks and little bottles of hand sanitizer.
The NBA season announced suspension, schools closed,
ships dropped their anchors, travel bans were enforced,
and curfews were put into place. There was something
viscerally exciting about it all—like when a thunderstorm
causes the electricity to go out or when a nasty blizzard
makes for a snow day. It’ll only be for two weeks, they
say. “Two weeks to flatten the curve.”
Rushing to prepare for two weeks indoors, I planned
to pop into CVS to pick up a few last-minute things and
then head home. As I pulled into the parking lot, I
remembered that just around the corner was a dog
shelter. Only a month before, our beloved dog, Emma,
passed away, but nowhere in the plan was getting
another dog. It was supposed to be a busy year—my
first book tour was on the horizon and my company
Locals had just launched. There was way too much
travel on my agenda to justify getting a new dog.
What’s more, my husband, David, made me promise we
wouldn’t even think about getting another dog before
the fall.
I grabbed my items, checked out, got into my car,
and made my way toward the local shelter, just to see
who the new arrivals were, knowing we weren’t going
to be making an adoption. I figured there’d be no harm
in saying hello to a few dogs and scratching a few
bellies before locking myself in my house for two whole
weeks.
Inside the shelter, it was totally empty besides the
howling dogs and faceless, mask-wearing workers.
Ominous to say the least. They’d rescued five dogs that
morning from a Los Angeles kill shelter, one of which
was a white and honey-colored pit bull mix with a bald
spot on his head. Something about him reminded me of
Emma. He sat there quietly and nervously—his big round
eyes piercing mine, his tail anxiously wagging. A worker
showed me some paperwork from the previous shelter
with a time stamp on it: 3:15 p.m., March 15,
2020—his scheduled euthanasia.
My stomach churned and my phone buzzed. It was
David. I left the shelter and answered my phone.
David and I had been having ongoing conversations
about starting a family (as actual dads, not just dog
dads). He had always wanted kids. I was always on the
fence. No, wait, I take that back. I never wanted kids—I
thought being gay was an easy out. Kids, I had always
thought, wouldn’t be compatible with my career and,
well, doing whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted
to do it. So, while David and I would continue having
conversations and meeting with fertility doctors, we kept
punting the reality further down the road. But there I
was: forty-three years old and the world was ending.
Something shifted in me—I felt like it was now or never.
If the world was really ending, I decided that creating
life was my only chance at saving it.
I rushed home and we called our fertility doctor.
Doc’s response? “We’re closing in two hours. You
better get here, because I’m not sure when we’ll be
opening again. If we’re able to get an egg and a
surrogate but don’t have the sperm, then we’re at an
indefinite standstill.”
We hopped into the car and drove at light speed for
about twenty-five minutes. The tension on the roads was
palpable. People honking and swerving. The 405 freeway
was a parking lot (which, to be fair, was normal). On
the overpass, we saw bird’s-eye views of grocery stores
with lines out the door that seemed to stretch on for
miles.
We arrived at the clinic and got out of the car. Oddly
enough, this street in Brentwood was empty. It was an
unusually windy and blustery day, which made
everything seem even eerier.
Once we finished at the clinic, after finalizing one of
the biggest decisions we’ll ever make, we got back into
the car and headed toward home. What I knew, but
David did not, is that I had no intention of heading
home from the sperm bank. No, I was heading back to
the animal shelter to go and save that nameless mutt
that had not left my mind (except maybe when I was
in that little room at the sperm bank).
“So, uh, I thought maybe we’d just swing by that
animal shelter to see what’s going on?”
“Oh my god, Dave. What have you done?”
“Let’s just foster him for a week!” I suggested. After
that, I figured, things would be nearly normal again. We
walked out of the shelter that day with an unnamed pit
bull-boxer mix. You now know him as Clyde.
You know what happened next: the curve never
flattened, and nothing went back to normal.
My book tour, travel, everything was canceled. People
went months without seeing their families, skipping out
on Christmases and Thanksgivings even when it could
have been their grandparents’ last. Those who did see
their families were condemned as reckless and
irresponsible. (“You’re gonna kill Grandma!”) The US
presidential election came and went, fraught with
skepticism, and America’s biggest (and sketchiest)
pharmaceutical corporations raced to manufacture and
distribute a vaccine before it was ever approved or
even properly tested. Eventually, cities began to slowly
open up and relax mandates again—only to later
reinforce even more severe mandates than before.
These never-ending lockdowns had extreme ripple
effects. Businesses were boarded up. Political protests
erupted in the streets. Sales of firearms reached record
highs—five million Americans bought them for the first
time in 2020 (myself included).
[1]
Finally, people went nuts! Locking themselves indoors
for over a year, some occasionally ventured outside their
homes to walk their dogs or go for Sunday drives, but
never without their trusty mask. Suicide is still on the
rise—one in four young Americans have considered or
attempted it since the beginning of the lockdown.[2]
Following federal vaccine mandates, enforced by large
corporations, many Americans—including former “frontline
workers”—have been forced out of their jobs for
refusing the jab.
Now, two years after the initial pandemic panic, we
know that our country’s leaders—including not only our
government but also our media—used COVID-19 as an
opportunity to test our limits. They appear to have
asked themselves: Just how much oppression will the
American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people
wear a mask any time they leave their homes? Can we
pressure them into taking an unproven and untested
vaccine? Will they spy on their neighbors to enforce
quarantine rules? Can people be guilted into looting and
rioting in the streets for a cause they don’t understand?
The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned
out, were happy to submit while our country burned.
It might surprise you, but this book is not a dystopian
novel. (If it were, I’d totally cast Chris Pratt as yours
truly in the movie adaptation.)
Life these days sure does feel like dystopian fiction,
though it’s not exactly what George Orwell had in mind.
Instead of a colorless society of factory slaves, ours is
one in which our government creates problems, blames
its people, then manufactures a terrible solution. Think
about it. For four years, the Man told us that Trump
was an evil orange monster—putting “kids in cages,”
killing the planet, killing our grandmas—and demonized
over half of the American voting population for electing
him in. Luckily, they told us, a single vote for Trump’s
opponent or an injection can “restore normalcy,” casting
all memory of him away like a spell.
Well, people cast the vote and got the jab, yet
“normalcy” never came. The same technological
overlords who canceled the former president are now
canceling us, “experts” warn that COVID is still a risk,
and social unrest never sleeps. As of this writing, in
December 2021, our totalitarian nightmare is still ramping
up. Kids are wearing masks to school while politicians
dine freely with lobbyists. Dr. Seuss has been banned
from libraries and replaced with Drag Queen Story
hours. We’ve fired nurses in the name of health.
Children as young as five are being indoctrinated with
racist ideas. And the mainstream media won’t tell us
things we can see with our own eyes, like that the
leader of the free world has severe cognitive decline. It’s
almost as if the truth is a time-release capsule.
In 2019, before any of this pandemic chaos, I began
writing Don’t Burn This Book
, defending classically liberal
values—like tolerance and free self-expression—against
the values of today’s liberals, who support just the
opposite: censorship and mass shame. In essence, Don’t
Burn This Book was my last-ditch effort to save liberals
from themselves.
But today, I’m not so sure the original concept of
liberalism is salvageable. The problem is we’ve overdosed
on tolerance and self-expression to such an extent that
we actually don’t stand for anything. Many “classical
liberals” and so-called Republicans even supported
vaccine mandates, claiming that private corporations can
enforce whatever rules they like. If you are willing to
defend “tolerance” above all else, when will you stand
up for the truth?
Over the years, “tolerant” liberals have morphed into a
politically correct mafia, and the only reason we were
happy to let them rule us is that to question them
would’ve designated us the worst and most unacceptable
political affiliation.
No, I’m not talking about Nazis. (Does the word Nazi
even mean anything anymore?) I mean a word so evil,
so nefarious, that it makes hipsters and Hollywood actors
freak out even worse than when Whole Foods is out of
soy milk: a conservative.
Yes, I said it: the c
-word.
The word that implies some ideas are so bad we
cannot tolerate them. The word that suggests that
maybe family is a good thing, and that more people
should focus on their families instead of on impersonal
social causes. The word that demands we not only
defend American values as good but also refuse to back
down when they’re threatened.
For years, I have advocated classically liberal values,
and I always will. But as American civilization deteriorates
around us, I do not believe free speech, tolerance, and
all the rest alone are enough. Right now we must fight
to conserve the values our country was founded on: life
and liberty.
What we need, and what this book will teach you how
to start, is a strong movement dedicated to dismantling
and resisting the oppressive woke machine and corrupt
Washington oligarchy. A movement that advocates loudly
on behalf of individual rights—including the right to
challenge the system, the science, and the stories we
are spoon-fed by our media. The reason, I believe,
many well-meaning people on the cusp of a political
breakthrough do not speak up loudly enough about this
is that they don’t understand just how severe the
threats to our individual freedoms really are.
Well folks, it’s now or never. And I don’t mean that
like when a politician says it every four years and then
nothing ever changes. I mean it literally. This moment
we are in right now is genuinely the last chance to
defend America from tyranny. Wokeism fueled by media
manipulation is the Death Star of our time.
But there’s always a way to blow up a Death Star.
Gibson, Kate. “U.S. Gun Sales Surge to Record High
in 2020.” CBS News, Nov. 3, 2020.
cbsnews.com/news/gun-sales-record-hig....
BACK TO NOTE REFERENCE 1
Wan, William. “For Months, He Helped His Son Keep
Suicidal Thoughts at Bay. Then Came the Pandemic.”
The Washington Post, Nov. 23, 2020.
washingtonpost.com/health/2020/11/23/...-
rise-suicides.
BACK TO NOTE REFERENCE 2
January 12, 2023
Great book. It’s sad at times to read something like this and just realize how crazy a world we’re living in but it is what it is. The book is at least an entertaining and informative take on the last 5 or so years!
May 10, 2022
I swear on everything holy that I tried so hard to like this book. Much like his previous book, Dave Rubin has this insane ability that I’ve never seen from any other author. This ability is to make a reader like me who dislikes him but wants to understand think, “Alright. He’s saying some good stuff. Maybe he’s not so bad,” and then within paragraphs say something ridiculous, an outright lie, or extremely polarizing. Sometimes, it’s all of the above.
I’ll start with the good. If you scrape away all of the garbage from this book, Dave has some great advice for people. The overarching topics of each chapter is solid, like knowing how social media manipulates us, why you should be skeptical of certain information, and the value of being an independent thinker. If I’m being extremely optimistic, I think/hope that some of his conservative readers will gain something from value from the self-help aspect of the book.
Now, onto the bad.
My primary issue with Dave Rubin is that he’s full of shit. I don’t know if writer Dave Rubin is the bullshitter or the YouTube Dave Rubin is the bullshitter. But, they aren’t the same people. In his books, he comes off far more rational and tolerant (I use the word tolerant very loosely) than he does on YouTube. Both versions do pander to the right, but writer Rubin is a bit more chill and doesn’t spread as much misinformation or omit as much information.
I binged this book in less than a day because of his ability to bait me in and think he’s going to impart some wisdom before saying something extremely silly. To give you an example, at one point he’s discussing the benefits of becoming self-sustaining by starting a garden with his husband and learning some survival skills. Well, that’s cool. I’ll never criticize someone for trying to go outside some more or learn some skills. But then he literally says that doomsday preppers aren’t paranoid, they just like to be prepared. And no, not the rational preppers. He’s referring to the ones who believe the apocalypse has been coming any day now for the last 30 years.
The book obviously panders to the right and talks a lot about the terrors of wokeism. I’m not sure if that’s necessarily worth criticizing anymore because it’s the norm. You’ll rarely find authors who aren’t academics who legitimately try to argue for and against both sides. Even though I don’t like it, it’d be a real “Rubin move” of me to act like it’s only the Right who does this. Throughout the book, he’ll regularly criticize the left and left-wing media while omitting as much information as possible about his side. And in case you’re wondering, yes, he does downplay the January 6th insurrection.
Lastly, just because I think it’s funny/sad, I think it’s important to mention how much name-dropping he does in this book. Every few paragraphs (or less), he can’t help but name drop people he knows or has met like Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, Larry King, and others to signal, “See! I’m popular!”
This is one of the longers reviews I’ve written. I think it’s because Dave Rubin is one of a kind, and that absolutely fascinates me. So, should you read this book? Hell yes. If nothing else, you’ll enjoy trying to understand wtf is going on in this guy’s head.
Oh, I almost forgot that at one point in the book he recommends the reader turn to disgraced lawyer and former mayor Rudy Giuliani as a source for inspiration and find your inner bravery.
I’ll start with the good. If you scrape away all of the garbage from this book, Dave has some great advice for people. The overarching topics of each chapter is solid, like knowing how social media manipulates us, why you should be skeptical of certain information, and the value of being an independent thinker. If I’m being extremely optimistic, I think/hope that some of his conservative readers will gain something from value from the self-help aspect of the book.
Now, onto the bad.
My primary issue with Dave Rubin is that he’s full of shit. I don’t know if writer Dave Rubin is the bullshitter or the YouTube Dave Rubin is the bullshitter. But, they aren’t the same people. In his books, he comes off far more rational and tolerant (I use the word tolerant very loosely) than he does on YouTube. Both versions do pander to the right, but writer Rubin is a bit more chill and doesn’t spread as much misinformation or omit as much information.
I binged this book in less than a day because of his ability to bait me in and think he’s going to impart some wisdom before saying something extremely silly. To give you an example, at one point he’s discussing the benefits of becoming self-sustaining by starting a garden with his husband and learning some survival skills. Well, that’s cool. I’ll never criticize someone for trying to go outside some more or learn some skills. But then he literally says that doomsday preppers aren’t paranoid, they just like to be prepared. And no, not the rational preppers. He’s referring to the ones who believe the apocalypse has been coming any day now for the last 30 years.
The book obviously panders to the right and talks a lot about the terrors of wokeism. I’m not sure if that’s necessarily worth criticizing anymore because it’s the norm. You’ll rarely find authors who aren’t academics who legitimately try to argue for and against both sides. Even though I don’t like it, it’d be a real “Rubin move” of me to act like it’s only the Right who does this. Throughout the book, he’ll regularly criticize the left and left-wing media while omitting as much information as possible about his side. And in case you’re wondering, yes, he does downplay the January 6th insurrection.
Lastly, just because I think it’s funny/sad, I think it’s important to mention how much name-dropping he does in this book. Every few paragraphs (or less), he can’t help but name drop people he knows or has met like Donald Trump, Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, Larry King, and others to signal, “See! I’m popular!”
This is one of the longers reviews I’ve written. I think it’s because Dave Rubin is one of a kind, and that absolutely fascinates me. So, should you read this book? Hell yes. If nothing else, you’ll enjoy trying to understand wtf is going on in this guy’s head.
Oh, I almost forgot that at one point in the book he recommends the reader turn to disgraced lawyer and former mayor Rudy Giuliani as a source for inspiration and find your inner bravery.
April 28, 2022
Four stars for the book, five for Dave Rubin reading it himself. I've been a fan of Dave Rubin for a long time, even though I am one of those people who is supposed to hate him, a Christian Conservative. I found him through Glenn Beck. Dave led me to Jordan Peterson, who changed my life, and Joe Rogan, who changed my thinking. He has led me to rethink many of my long held ideas, to strengthen and revise them. I was an early subscriber to Locals. IOW, I am predisposed to like this book, yet it is well worth the read/listen even if you are not a fan. He presents his ideas with humor, good will, personal experiences and backs them up with quotes from the deep thinkers, from Plato to Mike Rowe. He says what I have been thinking, along with ideas that challenge my thinking and my behavior. If you are a fan of Dave you will enjoy this deeper dive and back stage look into his ideas, his life, and his work. If you are not yet a fan, you should be. Start with this book, then find his show on Rumble and come join us at Locals. If you haven't yet read Jordan Peterson, now is the time. Life is tough. These guys make it easier.
May 23, 2022
"I...agree with that." ~Dave Rubin, probably
May 4, 2022
Dave Rubin always makes me laugh! I appreciate his thoughtful commentary on current events and insistence that we need space for dialogue and understanding even when our beliefs are different.
I also liked the emphasis in this book and improving your own life- being the best spouse/parent/child/colleague you can be to the people around us- and that the world would be so much better off if we cared well for each other on a micro level.
I also liked the emphasis in this book and improving your own life- being the best spouse/parent/child/colleague you can be to the people around us- and that the world would be so much better off if we cared well for each other on a micro level.
May 22, 2022
Very much the continuation of the first book. Good read, not too deep. :)
May 9, 2022
EXCELLENT!
July 4, 2022
Dave Rubin is a gay liberal in LA (now Florida post-Covid) who very gradually and reluctantly left the left and frequently analyzes how it went regressive and illiberal.
He has a show called the Rubin Report, which I started watching in 2017 on YouTube and enjoyed the long-form interview style and Dave's disarming, relaxed charm and mediation prowess. His show exposed me to guests like Jordan Peterson, Bret Weinstein of Evergreen College incident, Lindsay Shepard, Blair White (a trans woman whose pronouns are that/bitch and left the left), Larry Elder, Candace Owens, Scott Adams, James Lindsay, Yeonmi Park, Zuby, Gina Florio, and Gad Saad.
If you google him, he is falsely smeared as the usual scarlet letters and none of those labels characterize him AT ALL. They are meant to dissuade you from pursuing his content. I remember in 2017 when I was watching his show and still felt the specter of self censorship and leftist guilt so I can only imagine how thick the fear has gotten by now to leave the echo chamber. While his books are great and more upbeat than the titles suggest, his show is gold. Watch interviews from 2017 to now and you'll actually understand "the other side" and polarization from the perspective of a someone who (very gradually and reluctantly) left the left.
He has a show called the Rubin Report, which I started watching in 2017 on YouTube and enjoyed the long-form interview style and Dave's disarming, relaxed charm and mediation prowess. His show exposed me to guests like Jordan Peterson, Bret Weinstein of Evergreen College incident, Lindsay Shepard, Blair White (a trans woman whose pronouns are that/bitch and left the left), Larry Elder, Candace Owens, Scott Adams, James Lindsay, Yeonmi Park, Zuby, Gina Florio, and Gad Saad.
If you google him, he is falsely smeared as the usual scarlet letters and none of those labels characterize him AT ALL. They are meant to dissuade you from pursuing his content. I remember in 2017 when I was watching his show and still felt the specter of self censorship and leftist guilt so I can only imagine how thick the fear has gotten by now to leave the echo chamber. While his books are great and more upbeat than the titles suggest, his show is gold. Watch interviews from 2017 to now and you'll actually understand "the other side" and polarization from the perspective of a someone who (very gradually and reluctantly) left the left.
March 26, 2024
Right wing propaganda. Don’t waste your time unless you are already a right wing extremist and want to hear a likeminded author.
March 20, 2024
THE YOUTUBE HOST PROVIDES AN ELABORATION OF HIS IDEAS
YouTube talk show host Dave Rubin explains, “this book is a call to action in a time when the stakes for keeping a principled society have never been higher. This book is not only a survival guide to our scary world but also a manual for saving the country. It is a call for freethinkers, left-wing refugees, and yes, conservatives to resist the liberal ‘woke’ agenda and adopt a forward-looking mindset. Within this book you’ll learn how to: *Dismantle systems of structural stupidity… attempting to find a moral compass to steer by in the face of our culture of wokeism, which employes radical ideologies to destabilize society… *Protect yourself against propaganda… fake news, agenda-touting entertainment, and just plain bad TV… *Declare digital independence… *Embrace your inner black sheep… *Prepare for the worst… what we really need is self-reliance… *Destroy socialists… with facts and logic… *Avoid what I like to call The Eighteenth-Century Lesbian Poetry Trap… People go to college, graduate with a useless degree… *Become a hero, not a comrade… [discover] the differences between the collective and the community.” (Pg. 12-14)
He states in the Introduction, “Now, two years after the initial pandemic panic, we know that our country’s leaders… used COVID-19 as an opportunity to test our limits. They appear to have asked themselves: Just how much oppression will the American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people wear a mask anytime they leave their homes? Can we pressure them into an unproven and untested vaccine? Will they spy on their neighbors to enforce quarantine rules?... The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned out, were happy to submit while our country burned.” (Pg. xiii)
He continues, “Well, people cast the vote and got the jab, yet ‘normalcy’ never came. The same technological overlords who canceled the former president are now canceling us, ‘experts’ warn that COVID is still a risk, and social unrest never sleeps. As of this writing, in December 2021, our totalitarian nightmare is still ramping up… Dr. Seuss has been banned from libraries and replaced with Drag Queen Story hours. We’ve fired nurses in the name of health… And the mainstream media won’t tell us things we can see without own eyes, like that the leader of the free world has severe cognitive decline…” (Pg. xiii-xiv)
He goes on, “I began writing ‘Don’t Burn This Book,’ defending classically liberal values---like tolerance and free self-expression… [that book] was my last-ditch effort to save liberals from themselves. But today, I’m not so sure the original concept of liberalism is salvageable. The problem is we’ve OVERDOSED on tolerance and self-expression… Over the years, ‘tolerant’ liberals have morphed into a politically correct mafia… to question them would’ve designated us the worst and most unacceptable political affiliation--- a CONSERVATIVE… What we need… is a strong movement dedicated to dismantling and resisting the oppressive woke machine and corrupt Washington oligarchy… The movement we are in RIGHT NOW is genuinely the last chance to defend America from tyranny. Wokeism fueled by media manipulation is the Death Star of our time.” (Pg. xiv-xv)
He explains, “To fight for individual rights is to be, in essence, an individualist. It’s to believe that each person is of more value than any single role or function in society… and as long as one person’s freedom doesn’t directly infringe on some else’s, then you’re good to go. In other words, lots of power given to individuals and less power for government, groups, or institutions.” (Pg. 4) He continues, “A centrally ruled society risks devaluing individual freedoms. Eventually this kind of democracy morphs into a creepy little monster… the COLLECTIVE.” (Pg. 5)
He asserts, “although neither side is perfect, I find the Right to be exponentially more tolerant, way more respectful toward individuals, way more supportive of individual thought, way more interested in diversity, way more progressive, way more inclusive, and … a way more fun side. The Right is a toga party with a bunch of people drinking and smoking… The Left THOUGHT it was a party, when in reality it was just a mob of angry, sex-deprived people who … find themselves alone at the end of the night…” (Pg. 7) Later, he adds, “It’s no longer Right versus Left. It’s not red versus blue. It’s woke versus everyone else.” (Pg. 40)
He argues, “No longer is racism defined as a personal belief that does not correspond to the reality of equality… To be anti-racist is to actively tear down institutions and systems via that real-world activism, ‘reified’ phase of postmodernism. This means that everything must fall under the microscope and ultimately be destroyed.” (Pg. 31)
He suggests, “Ask yourself: What more can the government do to save us? Is there even one law I would want passed right now? Now, you might answer, ‘I want free health care for everyone!’ … first of all, that’s not a law. That’s a massive federal governmental program, and do you know of any giant government programs that work?... The assumption that an institution is meant to solve anything is the reason nothing ever gets solved at all.” (Pg. 35)
He contends, “The media doesn’t REFLECT reality; it filters and shapes it… Most of us know that by now. Trust in traditional media is at an all-time low and has been in steady decline for quite some time… I believe that there was a time when journalists tried their best to share information and cover worldwide events with integrity and courage… But throughout the last few years, we have watched journalists in the mainstream media morph into dishonest content curators to construct preapproved narratives.” (Pg. 49) He continues, “What’s so dangerous about mainstream media is that if you don’t fully accept the narrative… you’re called a conspiracy theorist… It’s time for the media to take some responsibility for pushing certain people into conspiratorial corners.” (Pg. 52-53)
He recounts, “This was how I created ‘The Rubin Report.’ When I viewed the world around me, in genuinely saw no other option… I wanted to create an alternative and own it myself… When I created it, it wasn’t to document my journey from progressive to conservative… Instead, I created the Rubin Report to give myself the space to be open to ideas and create that same space for others as well.” (Pg. 63)
Of the January 6th riot, he comments, “When a group of people who believed Trump was the real victor rioted inside the US Capitol … the media along with every social media platform seized the opportunity to blow the event as far out of proportion as possible… even though the violence that occurred on that day often pales in comparison to the violence that occurs nightly on the streets of cities like Portland and San Francisco.” (Pg. 77)
He acknowledges, “I understand the desire for some kind of leash on Big Tech… Having a bunch of tech oligarchs---the same ones that ended the digital life of a sitting president---continue to encroach more and more on those liberties is definitely due for concern. But do we really want to hand power over to the government in a way that it could control every single bit of information we consume and every mode of communication?” (Pg. 86)
He observes, “The Great Recession is exactly what it looks like when there is NO free-market capitalism… The failing companies would be left alone to fail---paying the consequences for their unethical business dealings, while decent, ethical companies would remain to rise to the top… Instead… The government bailed out large institutions that should have been allowed to tank.” (Pg. 143)
He suggests, “We’ve OUTGROWN higher education. When everybody has a degree, nobody needs a degree. When everyone is being taught the same thing, no one is thinking differently. There are definitely careers that warrant going to school (I mean, I do not want an untrained … heart surgeon) but… our entire career trajectories need a bit of overhaul.” (Pg. 163)
He says of Black Lives Matter, “[the] ORGANIZATION… was founded by [3 women]… all of whom have roots in Marxism… the Black Lives Matter organization had a ‘What We Believe’ page on its website, but … [after] people flocked to the website… the page had been removed.” (Pg. 176-177) But he adds, “If the government started cracking down on you because you’re a black-trans-male-lesbian, I will be out there by your side every day… But most of the time this isn’t about real oppression. It’s people choosing to be victims and sub-characters rather than the protagonists in their own life-stories.” (Pg. 180)
This book is rather heavy on slogans and rhetoric, and short on actual arguments. But fans of his YouTube show will probably like it. (And hopefully, his friends on the Right in states like Florida will not decide to attack him, given his identity as a married Gay man and a father.)
YouTube talk show host Dave Rubin explains, “this book is a call to action in a time when the stakes for keeping a principled society have never been higher. This book is not only a survival guide to our scary world but also a manual for saving the country. It is a call for freethinkers, left-wing refugees, and yes, conservatives to resist the liberal ‘woke’ agenda and adopt a forward-looking mindset. Within this book you’ll learn how to: *Dismantle systems of structural stupidity… attempting to find a moral compass to steer by in the face of our culture of wokeism, which employes radical ideologies to destabilize society… *Protect yourself against propaganda… fake news, agenda-touting entertainment, and just plain bad TV… *Declare digital independence… *Embrace your inner black sheep… *Prepare for the worst… what we really need is self-reliance… *Destroy socialists… with facts and logic… *Avoid what I like to call The Eighteenth-Century Lesbian Poetry Trap… People go to college, graduate with a useless degree… *Become a hero, not a comrade… [discover] the differences between the collective and the community.” (Pg. 12-14)
He states in the Introduction, “Now, two years after the initial pandemic panic, we know that our country’s leaders… used COVID-19 as an opportunity to test our limits. They appear to have asked themselves: Just how much oppression will the American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people wear a mask anytime they leave their homes? Can we pressure them into an unproven and untested vaccine? Will they spy on their neighbors to enforce quarantine rules?... The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned out, were happy to submit while our country burned.” (Pg. xiii)
He continues, “Well, people cast the vote and got the jab, yet ‘normalcy’ never came. The same technological overlords who canceled the former president are now canceling us, ‘experts’ warn that COVID is still a risk, and social unrest never sleeps. As of this writing, in December 2021, our totalitarian nightmare is still ramping up… Dr. Seuss has been banned from libraries and replaced with Drag Queen Story hours. We’ve fired nurses in the name of health… And the mainstream media won’t tell us things we can see without own eyes, like that the leader of the free world has severe cognitive decline…” (Pg. xiii-xiv)
He goes on, “I began writing ‘Don’t Burn This Book,’ defending classically liberal values---like tolerance and free self-expression… [that book] was my last-ditch effort to save liberals from themselves. But today, I’m not so sure the original concept of liberalism is salvageable. The problem is we’ve OVERDOSED on tolerance and self-expression… Over the years, ‘tolerant’ liberals have morphed into a politically correct mafia… to question them would’ve designated us the worst and most unacceptable political affiliation--- a CONSERVATIVE… What we need… is a strong movement dedicated to dismantling and resisting the oppressive woke machine and corrupt Washington oligarchy… The movement we are in RIGHT NOW is genuinely the last chance to defend America from tyranny. Wokeism fueled by media manipulation is the Death Star of our time.” (Pg. xiv-xv)
He explains, “To fight for individual rights is to be, in essence, an individualist. It’s to believe that each person is of more value than any single role or function in society… and as long as one person’s freedom doesn’t directly infringe on some else’s, then you’re good to go. In other words, lots of power given to individuals and less power for government, groups, or institutions.” (Pg. 4) He continues, “A centrally ruled society risks devaluing individual freedoms. Eventually this kind of democracy morphs into a creepy little monster… the COLLECTIVE.” (Pg. 5)
He asserts, “although neither side is perfect, I find the Right to be exponentially more tolerant, way more respectful toward individuals, way more supportive of individual thought, way more interested in diversity, way more progressive, way more inclusive, and … a way more fun side. The Right is a toga party with a bunch of people drinking and smoking… The Left THOUGHT it was a party, when in reality it was just a mob of angry, sex-deprived people who … find themselves alone at the end of the night…” (Pg. 7) Later, he adds, “It’s no longer Right versus Left. It’s not red versus blue. It’s woke versus everyone else.” (Pg. 40)
He argues, “No longer is racism defined as a personal belief that does not correspond to the reality of equality… To be anti-racist is to actively tear down institutions and systems via that real-world activism, ‘reified’ phase of postmodernism. This means that everything must fall under the microscope and ultimately be destroyed.” (Pg. 31)
He suggests, “Ask yourself: What more can the government do to save us? Is there even one law I would want passed right now? Now, you might answer, ‘I want free health care for everyone!’ … first of all, that’s not a law. That’s a massive federal governmental program, and do you know of any giant government programs that work?... The assumption that an institution is meant to solve anything is the reason nothing ever gets solved at all.” (Pg. 35)
He contends, “The media doesn’t REFLECT reality; it filters and shapes it… Most of us know that by now. Trust in traditional media is at an all-time low and has been in steady decline for quite some time… I believe that there was a time when journalists tried their best to share information and cover worldwide events with integrity and courage… But throughout the last few years, we have watched journalists in the mainstream media morph into dishonest content curators to construct preapproved narratives.” (Pg. 49) He continues, “What’s so dangerous about mainstream media is that if you don’t fully accept the narrative… you’re called a conspiracy theorist… It’s time for the media to take some responsibility for pushing certain people into conspiratorial corners.” (Pg. 52-53)
He recounts, “This was how I created ‘The Rubin Report.’ When I viewed the world around me, in genuinely saw no other option… I wanted to create an alternative and own it myself… When I created it, it wasn’t to document my journey from progressive to conservative… Instead, I created the Rubin Report to give myself the space to be open to ideas and create that same space for others as well.” (Pg. 63)
Of the January 6th riot, he comments, “When a group of people who believed Trump was the real victor rioted inside the US Capitol … the media along with every social media platform seized the opportunity to blow the event as far out of proportion as possible… even though the violence that occurred on that day often pales in comparison to the violence that occurs nightly on the streets of cities like Portland and San Francisco.” (Pg. 77)
He acknowledges, “I understand the desire for some kind of leash on Big Tech… Having a bunch of tech oligarchs---the same ones that ended the digital life of a sitting president---continue to encroach more and more on those liberties is definitely due for concern. But do we really want to hand power over to the government in a way that it could control every single bit of information we consume and every mode of communication?” (Pg. 86)
He observes, “The Great Recession is exactly what it looks like when there is NO free-market capitalism… The failing companies would be left alone to fail---paying the consequences for their unethical business dealings, while decent, ethical companies would remain to rise to the top… Instead… The government bailed out large institutions that should have been allowed to tank.” (Pg. 143)
He suggests, “We’ve OUTGROWN higher education. When everybody has a degree, nobody needs a degree. When everyone is being taught the same thing, no one is thinking differently. There are definitely careers that warrant going to school (I mean, I do not want an untrained … heart surgeon) but… our entire career trajectories need a bit of overhaul.” (Pg. 163)
He says of Black Lives Matter, “[the] ORGANIZATION… was founded by [3 women]… all of whom have roots in Marxism… the Black Lives Matter organization had a ‘What We Believe’ page on its website, but … [after] people flocked to the website… the page had been removed.” (Pg. 176-177) But he adds, “If the government started cracking down on you because you’re a black-trans-male-lesbian, I will be out there by your side every day… But most of the time this isn’t about real oppression. It’s people choosing to be victims and sub-characters rather than the protagonists in their own life-stories.” (Pg. 180)
This book is rather heavy on slogans and rhetoric, and short on actual arguments. But fans of his YouTube show will probably like it. (And hopefully, his friends on the Right in states like Florida will not decide to attack him, given his identity as a married Gay man and a father.)
June 1, 2022
Favorites quotes from this book:
"Alas, higher learning is not about learning-it's about brainwashing, conformity, money and scaring young minds into thinking that there is only one way to move through the world. I promise you, the history books are not filled with those who took the oft traveled, obligatory roads. It's filled with innovators, nonconformists, and free-thinking individuals."
"When individuals feel empowered and free, they become more conscious of the life they lead-both in their personal and professional lives."
Now, two years after the initial pandemic panic, we know that our country's leaders-including not only our government but also our media-used COVID-19 as an opportunity to test our limits. They appear to have asked themselves: Just how much oppression will the American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people wear a mask any time they leave their homes? Can we pressure them into taking an unproven and untested vaccine? The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned out, were happy to submit while our country burned."
"American was founded on the principal that the government's sole purpose was to protect the rights of the individual, not the collective. It was not to protect certain groups of Americans, whether identified by race, gender, age, or any other identifiers. And yet, here we are, being pressured to identify ourselves by our sexuality, gender, or the color of our skin. Pretty sure that is the reverse of what that Martin Luther King Jr. guy would have wanted, but who cares about him anymore, right?"
"Alas, higher learning is not about learning-it's about brainwashing, conformity, money and scaring young minds into thinking that there is only one way to move through the world. I promise you, the history books are not filled with those who took the oft traveled, obligatory roads. It's filled with innovators, nonconformists, and free-thinking individuals."
"When individuals feel empowered and free, they become more conscious of the life they lead-both in their personal and professional lives."
Now, two years after the initial pandemic panic, we know that our country's leaders-including not only our government but also our media-used COVID-19 as an opportunity to test our limits. They appear to have asked themselves: Just how much oppression will the American people tolerate? Will otherwise healthy people wear a mask any time they leave their homes? Can we pressure them into taking an unproven and untested vaccine? The unfortunate truth is that most Americans, it turned out, were happy to submit while our country burned."
"American was founded on the principal that the government's sole purpose was to protect the rights of the individual, not the collective. It was not to protect certain groups of Americans, whether identified by race, gender, age, or any other identifiers. And yet, here we are, being pressured to identify ourselves by our sexuality, gender, or the color of our skin. Pretty sure that is the reverse of what that Martin Luther King Jr. guy would have wanted, but who cares about him anymore, right?"
April 28, 2022
Full disclosure: I don't agree with all of Dave Rubins politics (he has gone to conservative for my taste). Now that I've said that, let's move on to the review.
This book works as a sequel to "don't burn this book". The first book was a guide to Dave's thinking on the hot button issues of the day; this book is a guide on how to survive the weird word we are living in.
Dave makes a case for why individualism, self-reliance, and capitalism are the best ways to thrive and survive in this word. And here is where I am in broad agreement with him.
My biggest complaint is the length of the book (it's slightly short), and it's tone (it's written in a conversational style, and may seem quite "light" to some readers).
Some may also object that his understanding of Marxism and socialism are kind of simplistic, but again, the tone of this book doesn't allow Dave to go that indepth into every topic.
It's better to take this book as a "big ideas" book, and not as a detailed blueprint or defense for conservatism or libertarianism. And in that respect, the book is a success.
If you are a fan of Dave, you have probably read this book already, if you are not, then you might want to start with his first book and then read this one. That way you can also see his political evolution.
Highly recommended to all but the most die-hard lefties.
This book works as a sequel to "don't burn this book". The first book was a guide to Dave's thinking on the hot button issues of the day; this book is a guide on how to survive the weird word we are living in.
Dave makes a case for why individualism, self-reliance, and capitalism are the best ways to thrive and survive in this word. And here is where I am in broad agreement with him.
My biggest complaint is the length of the book (it's slightly short), and it's tone (it's written in a conversational style, and may seem quite "light" to some readers).
Some may also object that his understanding of Marxism and socialism are kind of simplistic, but again, the tone of this book doesn't allow Dave to go that indepth into every topic.
It's better to take this book as a "big ideas" book, and not as a detailed blueprint or defense for conservatism or libertarianism. And in that respect, the book is a success.
If you are a fan of Dave, you have probably read this book already, if you are not, then you might want to start with his first book and then read this one. That way you can also see his political evolution.
Highly recommended to all but the most die-hard lefties.
May 22, 2022
We are manifestly living in dystopian times. The collective is everything - individuals are nothing. That is - in a nutshell - what mainstream media wants to make everyone believe. Dave Rubin has taken on this narrative head-on. He has been consistent on this issue, which can be seen on his show, The Rubin Report.
Now, most of the contents of this book will be no surprise for regular followers of his work. His core beliefs are free-market capitalism, individualism and free choice, the God-given right to pursue one's happiness. All of these aspects shine through in this great book. And, of course, a harsh criticism on the very negation of all of the above, which is wokeism.
What I liked most about this book was the alternatives offered in opposition to the reigning woke zeitgeist. So there is not only the (more than necessary) condemnation of current phenomena, but a great deal of alternative ways to survive and thrive in a woke dystopia.
Now, most of the contents of this book will be no surprise for regular followers of his work. His core beliefs are free-market capitalism, individualism and free choice, the God-given right to pursue one's happiness. All of these aspects shine through in this great book. And, of course, a harsh criticism on the very negation of all of the above, which is wokeism.
What I liked most about this book was the alternatives offered in opposition to the reigning woke zeitgeist. So there is not only the (more than necessary) condemnation of current phenomena, but a great deal of alternative ways to survive and thrive in a woke dystopia.
June 13, 2023
I was given this book as a “gift”.
The good: I appreciated a few of the points, mostly about the importance of being able to disagree, even with folks you usually agree with. And the privacy and other issues stemming from Big Tech.
The meh: There were some other points (self-reliance, making the most of one’s circumstances, etc) that I thought made good personal advice but not good politics.
The bad: I disliked and disagreed with most of this book. Despite discussing the importance of disagreeing with peers, Rubin shies away from challenging any right-wing beliefs. He frequently takes cheap shots at the left via flat jokes. He also oversimplifies several issues and contradicts himself by both saying that the left’s platform is better in theory (but ineffective) and also that the left is actively trying to destroy America.
Overall, I’m glad I challenged myself to read this book. And will take away a few nuggets of perspective. But would perhaps recommend to others to challenge themselves with a different, more thought-out, book.
The good: I appreciated a few of the points, mostly about the importance of being able to disagree, even with folks you usually agree with. And the privacy and other issues stemming from Big Tech.
The meh: There were some other points (self-reliance, making the most of one’s circumstances, etc) that I thought made good personal advice but not good politics.
The bad: I disliked and disagreed with most of this book. Despite discussing the importance of disagreeing with peers, Rubin shies away from challenging any right-wing beliefs. He frequently takes cheap shots at the left via flat jokes. He also oversimplifies several issues and contradicts himself by both saying that the left’s platform is better in theory (but ineffective) and also that the left is actively trying to destroy America.
Overall, I’m glad I challenged myself to read this book. And will take away a few nuggets of perspective. But would perhaps recommend to others to challenge themselves with a different, more thought-out, book.
May 25, 2022
Excellent!
Dave is a voice of reason in an age of unreason.
I highly recommend this book to all those who are logical, sensible, objective, reasonable, and anti-miserable; as well as to those who reject glib, postmodern gnostic drivel.
Dave is a voice of reason in an age of unreason.
I highly recommend this book to all those who are logical, sensible, objective, reasonable, and anti-miserable; as well as to those who reject glib, postmodern gnostic drivel.
May 9, 2022
I am really enjoyed Dave Rubin’s book: "Don’t burn this Country” especially the quotes:
Thomas Sowell:
“Although the big word on the left is ‘compassion’ the big agenda on the left is dependency.
The more people are dependent on government handouts, the more votes the left can depend on for an ever-expanding welfare state.”
And another one…
“It doesn’t matter how smart you are unless you think”
Mark Twain:
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Peter Thiel:
“A college diploma is dunce cap in disguise”.
Thomas Sowell:
“Although the big word on the left is ‘compassion’ the big agenda on the left is dependency.
The more people are dependent on government handouts, the more votes the left can depend on for an ever-expanding welfare state.”
And another one…
“It doesn’t matter how smart you are unless you think”
Mark Twain:
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Peter Thiel:
“A college diploma is dunce cap in disguise”.
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