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Responding to the Right: Brief Replies to 25 Conservative Arguments Paperback – 14 February 2023
by Nathan J Robinson (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (40)
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From other countries
footballfan
5.0 out of 5 stars "KNOW THY ENEMY AND KNOW THYSELF" (Sun Tzu)
Reviewed in the United States on 16 February 2023
Verified Purchase
If you ever wonder how Progressives conjure up their half-baked, child-like, and radical notions about gender, climate, social justice, and revisionist history, then this book is for you!
Penned by Nathan J. Robinson, a milder, more cordial (and better dressed) Leftist version of Ben Shapiro, the book furnishes 25 customary arguments made by Conservatives and delivers a reasonably well-investigated Progressive rejoinder to each one.
The author covers a fairly broad spectrum of topics, encompassing taxation, nationalized healthcare, gender identity, immigration, abortion, and climate change.
One of the book's strong points is the author's knack for presenting intricate issues in a lucid and understandable way. Nathan employs facts and research to buttress his arguments, yet doesn't submerge the reader in obscure technical language or cherry-picked statistics.
A word of caution for Conservatives... you may start to question one or more of your most cherished convictions after finishing this book, particularly with regard to...
- Minimum Wage
- White Privilege
- Inequality
- Labor Unions
"Responding to the Right: Brief Replies to 25 Conservative Arguments" is an eloquent and illuminating book that bestows Progressives with the wherewithal to refute the most routinely used arguments by conservatives.
At the same time, it allows Conservatives the opportunity to peer under the hood of progressive thinking in order to gain greater insight into their perception of conservative issues.
23 people found this helpful
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Alastair Waddington
5.0 out of 5 stars Debunking Propaganda
Reviewed in the United States on 6 June 2023
Verified Purchase
Robinson does a fantastic job debunking conservative propaganda, especially on economics. So much on Fox News is repeated in an endless circle and never critically examined. Robinson supplies needed context and counter-arguments to common rightist refrains. He exposes much of what is commonly believed as "common sense" is merely a self-serving narrative from a long dead profiteer.
One person found this helpful
Report
J. Whalen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Concise, Thoughtful and Well Written Set of Reponses to Tired Argument from the Right
Reviewed in the United States on 20 May 2023
Verified Purchase
Well done, concise, thoughtful and very helpful. I've given a few copies as gifts and everyone seemed to enjoy the book.
2 people found this helpful
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Forrest
5.0 out of 5 stars Bought as a gift & they loved it
Reviewed in the United States on 14 April 2023
Verified Purchase
I will probably get a copy for myself
Report
Jonathan
1.0 out of 5 stars Nice try, Nathan
Reviewed in the United States on 14 February 2023
Verified Purchase
As a conservative, I was truly expecting more. After all, Nathan had the audacity to claim that Thomas Sowell was "completely wrong" on all of his assertions. Clearly, this book HAS to offer some robust, juicy material that will surely help my liberal friends once and for all get the best of me.
To my disappointment, this book had everything you would come to expect from a post modern, neo-Marxist. The book is filled with anecdotes and subjective points. Each chapter is extremely short, making the book feel much more like cliff notes. Nathan tries his best to tackle highly debated topics, such as climate change, socialism immigration and minimum wage laws, yet never goes in depth on any single topic. Each chapter is just filled with fluff or cherry picked examples that "support" his claim. There are no real facts and no sources to support his claims.
Nathan, if you actually read Thomas Sowell's book on Basic Economics, you would have learned that "zero sum" is a fallacy, yet you use it as the driving factor in your chapter on "inequality is fine" and provide no other facts to back up your claim. That was half of your passage. The entire book is littered with this.
To the liberals out there trying to get a leg up on talking points, I highly recommend picking this up and memorizing it. Your conservative friends will thank you.
55 people found this helpful
Report
Bob Dockendorff
2.0 out of 5 stars Ambitious But Not Successful
Reviewed in the United States on 22 March 2023
Verified Purchase
I have been reading Nathan since 2017 and find him to be an incredibly gifted writer, thinker and debater. His knowledge, conviction and wit on a range of topics are, many times, enough to overwhelm an opponent or persuade his audience.
As someone who keeps leaning conservative on issues and wondering "What am I missing here?" I was excited for this book.
The first part of the book, which lays the framework for conservative thought and many of their "tricks", mostly described common low-end argumentative tactics that both sides have and always will employ. No surprise that progressives also engage in quite a bit of "speculative fiction" when describing the intended benefits of their policies (which often don't materialize), or "Dismissal of Expertise" if someone doesn't have Ph.D. but has worked in a field for 30 years. You really could go line by line here and present Robinson with not only progressive examples of all these "tricks", but many times when he himself is guilty of the behavior he denounces from Conservatives. Many of these behaviors are present throughout this very book.
The substantive part of the book was hardly convincing, but more evidence for the fact that smart, well-intentioned and reasonable minds can differ greatly on these very difficult topics. He "steelman" arguments are more wood than steel, and his positive case for the socialist policies aren't exactly the slam dunk he thinks they are. I've actually seen him debate thoughtful conservatives on these points and it didn't go well for him (McWhorter, Loury). He needs a little more humility in his approach in understanding and respecting his own blind spots. There's no doubt he's an ambitious genius and prolific writer, but so was Ted Kaczynski. The core debate is one of action vs. inaction. Proper government intervention has a place within a healthy society, but progressives haven't proven their case or even shown that they understand what they are trying to change.
If this is the best thinking on the left I don't think I'm missing anything.
19 people found this helpful
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From other countries
footballfan
5.0 out of 5 stars "KNOW THY ENEMY AND KNOW THYSELF" (Sun Tzu)
Reviewed in the United States on 16 February 2023
Verified Purchase
If you ever wonder how Progressives conjure up their half-baked, child-like, and radical notions about gender, climate, social justice, and revisionist history, then this book is for you!
Penned by Nathan J. Robinson, a milder, more cordial (and better dressed) Leftist version of Ben Shapiro, the book furnishes 25 customary arguments made by Conservatives and delivers a reasonably well-investigated Progressive rejoinder to each one.
The author covers a fairly broad spectrum of topics, encompassing taxation, nationalized healthcare, gender identity, immigration, abortion, and climate change.
One of the book's strong points is the author's knack for presenting intricate issues in a lucid and understandable way. Nathan employs facts and research to buttress his arguments, yet doesn't submerge the reader in obscure technical language or cherry-picked statistics.
A word of caution for Conservatives... you may start to question one or more of your most cherished convictions after finishing this book, particularly with regard to...
- Minimum Wage
- White Privilege
- Inequality
- Labor Unions
"Responding to the Right: Brief Replies to 25 Conservative Arguments" is an eloquent and illuminating book that bestows Progressives with the wherewithal to refute the most routinely used arguments by conservatives.
At the same time, it allows Conservatives the opportunity to peer under the hood of progressive thinking in order to gain greater insight into their perception of conservative issues.
23 people found this helpful
Report
Alastair Waddington
5.0 out of 5 stars Debunking Propaganda
Reviewed in the United States on 6 June 2023
Verified Purchase
Robinson does a fantastic job debunking conservative propaganda, especially on economics. So much on Fox News is repeated in an endless circle and never critically examined. Robinson supplies needed context and counter-arguments to common rightist refrains. He exposes much of what is commonly believed as "common sense" is merely a self-serving narrative from a long dead profiteer.
One person found this helpful
Report
J. Whalen
5.0 out of 5 stars A Concise, Thoughtful and Well Written Set of Reponses to Tired Argument from the Right
Reviewed in the United States on 20 May 2023
Verified Purchase
Well done, concise, thoughtful and very helpful. I've given a few copies as gifts and everyone seemed to enjoy the book.
2 people found this helpful
Report
Forrest
5.0 out of 5 stars Bought as a gift & they loved it
Reviewed in the United States on 14 April 2023
Verified Purchase
I will probably get a copy for myself
Report
Jonathan
1.0 out of 5 stars Nice try, Nathan
Reviewed in the United States on 14 February 2023
Verified Purchase
As a conservative, I was truly expecting more. After all, Nathan had the audacity to claim that Thomas Sowell was "completely wrong" on all of his assertions. Clearly, this book HAS to offer some robust, juicy material that will surely help my liberal friends once and for all get the best of me.
To my disappointment, this book had everything you would come to expect from a post modern, neo-Marxist. The book is filled with anecdotes and subjective points. Each chapter is extremely short, making the book feel much more like cliff notes. Nathan tries his best to tackle highly debated topics, such as climate change, socialism immigration and minimum wage laws, yet never goes in depth on any single topic. Each chapter is just filled with fluff or cherry picked examples that "support" his claim. There are no real facts and no sources to support his claims.
Nathan, if you actually read Thomas Sowell's book on Basic Economics, you would have learned that "zero sum" is a fallacy, yet you use it as the driving factor in your chapter on "inequality is fine" and provide no other facts to back up your claim. That was half of your passage. The entire book is littered with this.
To the liberals out there trying to get a leg up on talking points, I highly recommend picking this up and memorizing it. Your conservative friends will thank you.
55 people found this helpful
Report
Bob Dockendorff
2.0 out of 5 stars Ambitious But Not Successful
Reviewed in the United States on 22 March 2023
Verified Purchase
I have been reading Nathan since 2017 and find him to be an incredibly gifted writer, thinker and debater. His knowledge, conviction and wit on a range of topics are, many times, enough to overwhelm an opponent or persuade his audience.
As someone who keeps leaning conservative on issues and wondering "What am I missing here?" I was excited for this book.
The first part of the book, which lays the framework for conservative thought and many of their "tricks", mostly described common low-end argumentative tactics that both sides have and always will employ. No surprise that progressives also engage in quite a bit of "speculative fiction" when describing the intended benefits of their policies (which often don't materialize), or "Dismissal of Expertise" if someone doesn't have Ph.D. but has worked in a field for 30 years. You really could go line by line here and present Robinson with not only progressive examples of all these "tricks", but many times when he himself is guilty of the behavior he denounces from Conservatives. Many of these behaviors are present throughout this very book.
The substantive part of the book was hardly convincing, but more evidence for the fact that smart, well-intentioned and reasonable minds can differ greatly on these very difficult topics. He "steelman" arguments are more wood than steel, and his positive case for the socialist policies aren't exactly the slam dunk he thinks they are. I've actually seen him debate thoughtful conservatives on these points and it didn't go well for him (McWhorter, Loury). He needs a little more humility in his approach in understanding and respecting his own blind spots. There's no doubt he's an ambitious genius and prolific writer, but so was Ted Kaczynski. The core debate is one of action vs. inaction. Proper government intervention has a place within a healthy society, but progressives haven't proven their case or even shown that they understand what they are trying to change.
If this is the best thinking on the left I don't think I'm missing anything.
19 people found this helpful
Report
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‹ See all details for Responding to the Right: Brief Replies to 25 Conservative Arguments
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The editor of Current Affairs artfully and efficiently debunks a series of common right-wing arguments.
Are taxes theft? Is abortion murder? Does regulation destroy jobs? Is white privilege a lie? Conservative talking points are everywhere, and through well-funded media like Fox News, Breitbart, and YouTube's "Prager University," the right has an impressive record of packaging its views for a general audience. Clearly, the left needs to do a better job of fighting back.
Luckily, Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson has developed a reputation as a meticulous slayer of irrational and bigoted arguments. He has tangled with the likes of Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, and Charles Murray, exposing their flimsy logic and distorted facts with forensic thoroughness and savage wit. In Responding to the Right, Robinson blasts right-wing nonsense with devastating intellectual weaponry, revealing how everyone from Ann Coulter to the National Review uses fear and lies to manipulate the public. He gives a detailed explanation of how conservative arguments work and why we need to resist them, then goes through twenty-five separate talking points, showing precisely why each one fails.
This essential handbook is a stimulating source of issues to debate and a comprehensive challenge to dozens of dominant orthodoxies. It sets a new standard for leftist critique, and would be an invaluable addition to the arsenals of the millions of progressives fighting the political battles of our age.
Review
"Robinson reads the right so you don't have to (though maybe you should) and tells you what they say, why it wins converts, and how to beat them at their own game." --Cory Doctorow, author of Radicalized and co-author of Chokepoint Capitalism
"Nathan Robinson is that rare and brilliant radical thinker who is unafraid to be witty while he's challenging your preconceptions. Come for the analysis, stay for the rhetoric." --Laurie Penny, author of Bitch Doctrine and Unspeakable Things
"The bulk of the book is a run-through of 25 common points of debate that Robinson dismantles by calling out their rhetorical hyperbole, disingenuous misreadings of history, willful manipulation of data, or outright bigotry...Robinson's approach is snark-free, and though he's confident in his rebuttals, he never postures as superior." --Kirkus
"[An] insightful guide to debunking conservative arguments...Progressives will savor this lucid handbook." --Publishers Weekly
"Responding to the Right is a delightfully readable book from an author who never fails to charm. It deflates the right's more bombastic claims while making a compelling case for a more progressive standpoint." --Aero Magazine
About the Author
Nathan J. Robinson is a leading voice of millennial left politics. He is the editor of Current Affairs. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Nation, Salon, The Guardian, and elsewhere. A graduate of Yale Law School, he is a PhD student in Sociology and Social Policy at Harvard University, where his work focuses on contemporary left social movements. He is the author of Why You Should Be A Socialist.
Product details
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin (14 February 2023)
Language : English
Paperback : 384 pages
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