Reviews – The New American State

Jailyn: A book that everyone should look into reading

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 14:02:50 +0000

The New American State tackles different topics about the American government and society while using other Western and non-Western governments and cultures to compare. Having been published in October of this year, this political work extends its commentary to Donald Trump’s presidency and their handling of COVID-19 as well as the presidential election of 2020. Reading this at the start of election week, might have been the best possible time, as Dimitar Avramov discusses historically what a leader should embody but also voices the worries of this current election. This is a piece that everyone should read, if not the whole thing then definitely a few chapters. The following chapters are the one that stood out to me most.

One of the beginning chapters, titled “Is it Important Who Rules?” focuses on the perception of who should lead a country and Avramov cites Plato’s, The Republic, to discuss the image of an “honest politician” as a leader. The author does cite an issue with creating an “image of a ruler concerned with the good of society,” stating that “justice” is not an ethical category but a political concept. Avramov claims that in order to do the best for the maximum of our population we cannot concern ourselves with the images of “honest politicians” or “charismatic leaders.”

Chapter VIII titled “America Back to the Old World,” takes an honest approach at discussing President Trump. The author cites Trump’s lack of answering political questions as a result of his politics being based on “reality television.” The last chapter also discusses Trump’s leadership but with the pandemic, citing the government’s “downplay” of the virus but also the different approach that our country took when compared to most European and non-Western cultures. The author argues that those cultures believe in the phrase, “the economy can be recovered, human life cannot.” And as an American living through this pandemic, it has definitely felt like this country has worried more about preserving the economy instead of helping each other–not just our government but the public as well has failed at caring about the lives that this virus can destroy.

I would recommend The New American State to anybody that has a slight interest in our politics. I found my own worries voiced in this piece–specifically those regarding future leaders of this country and the current presidential election. The topic of either Trump or Biden winning the election raises an issue that a lot of younger votes have brought up, and that is the age of the presidential candidates. How do we move forward when the possible leaders are that much older?

Review by Jailyn: “A book that everyone should look into reading” left in Amazon.

Ivan K: Very timely and a good read

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 13:48:33 +0000

“The New American State” is a book about tomorrow. It is very timely and relevant. It describes the changes in the political process in the American and other Western democracies and warns against the threat posed by the right-wing and left-wing populism. The author stresses that “The corporatization of the American economy is so advanced that it would be hard or even impossible for the government to stop it.”

There are three “essential political missions” for the U.S. society clearly outlined in the book: “The first is to preserve Western society in terms of culture. The second is to strengthen capitalism and avoid corporatism. The third is to reproduce the Western form of government, i.e., a political system based on freedom, pluralism, and the separation and balance of powers.”

Review by Ivan K, “Very timely and a good read!” left in Amazon.

Lilia K: A book for everyone who is interested in politics as a process

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 13:32:24 +0000

The New American State describes that “America is moving from broad-based party politics to identity politics”. The author explains how the “color of the skin, religion, ethnicity, social choice, gender, and even sexual and gender identity have turned into collective political statuses that are increasingly important in nominating political candidates.”

Here is one of the memorable quotes: “In the American democracy, participation in politics and the process of delegating power have traditionally been based on personal effort and tied to certain views, values, and ability to gain public support. Since the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, however, American politics has become increasingly dependent on political-action groups that apply identity politics as a principle of selection in the election process. Identity politics creates political divisions based on natural differences, which themselves become collective political statuses. In the 3rd decade of the century they will continue developing and are going to replace traditional broad-based party politics. A new form of political cleavage is emerging. It is based on race, ethnicity, religion, and social choice. These will dominate the traditional ideological political divisions. A new socio-political segregation is emerging in the American society! It is unnatural to capitalism, liberal democracy, and the Western form of government as we know them. Belonging to any race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation and our self-identity are no longer limited to our personal worlds. They have already begun influencing the political process, pushing aside political values and ideas, and changing the political foundations of the American state. Identity politics matters now in determining the electability of political candidates. In the coming decades, it will affect the eligibility of political candidates.”

Review by Liliya Kalinova, “A book for everyone who is interested in politics as a process” left in Amazon.

A. Sheikh: Explains Political Process And What Is Ahead!

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 13:23:40 +0000

The book explains how the political process in America and other Western democracies change in the digital economy. The New American State is a state of identity politics, damaged capitalism, less personal freedoms. A very interesting book that describes negative trends in American form of government.

Some quotes from The American New State:

“In times of significant economic, social, and political upheavals, it is very likely for the role of the identity politics to increase. This will have a destructive effect on the political process and the freedom of political choice. Identity politics creates new political statuses and reproduces a medieval form of social division, in which various groups have as few shared values, ideas, and worldviews as possible. If the political statuses resulting from identity politics become a mainstream political identity, this will put an end to the Western form of government as we know it in the modern era.”

“In reality, elected politicians, with the help of the professional bureaucracy, are capable of readjusting institutions in such a way as to reduce the effect of legal restrictions, expand their power, and often even avoid the legislated penalties for such abuses.”

“Corruption is first and foremost a perversion of power, and after that, an economic problem.”

It is worth reading, it resonates with the world we live in; explains political process and what is ahead!

Review by A. Sheikh, “Resonates with the world we live in; explains political process and what is ahead!” left in Amazon.