Summary of Spencer Ackerman's Reign of Terror

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Spencer Ackerman's Reign of Terror in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Reign of Terror will show how these policies created a foundation for American authoritarianism and, though it is not a book about Donald Trump, it will provide a critical explanation of his rise to power and the sources of his political strength. It will show that Barack Obama squandered an opportunity to dismantle the War on Terror after killing Osama bin Laden. That mistake turns out to have been portentous. By the end of his tenure, the war metastasized into a broader and bitter culture struggle in search of a demagogue like Trump to lead it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Dec 10, 2021
• ISBN: 9781669344162

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Insights on Spencer Ackerman's Reign of Terror

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

In November 2020, Trump ended the Afghanistan war by reducing the number of troops there from 5,000 to 3,500. Trump was undercutting the most laudable part of his disgraceful presidency - an agreement with the Taliban that would cap the U. S. troop presence at 25,000 - by the time Joe Biden took office.

#2

Trump’s supporters saw what they wanted to see, and what they wanted to see was that he was against the wars. But what he was against was the perception of nonwhite invasion, not the wars themselves.

#3

The Forever War created enemies that would never truly die, but instead create new generations of forever-enemies that would outlive America.

#4

The War on Terror has been used by both Republicans and Democrats to justify many actions that would normally be seen as unconstitutional.

#5

The author argues that the War on Terror was a major contributing factor to the Trump presidency. It gave Trump’s worst traits a purpose, and revitalized the most vicious currents in American history.

#6

The War on Terror is not going to end any time soon, and in fact, it is only getting started.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The church of Elohim City, in Oklahoma, was the home of Christian Identity, a religion that believed the white race was being persecuted by Jews.

#2

Christian Identity did not accept the Rapture foretold in the Bible. The Second Coming would instead be brought about by struggle—an armed struggle to racially cleanse the world.

#3

McVeigh's plot was similar to the CSA's 1983 attempt to destroy the Oklahoma City federal building. He planned to bomb the Murrah building in Oklahoma City on April 19. McVeigh considered what happened to him unimportant compared to his ability to inspire the revolution that would follow.

#4

The bombing of the Murrah building in Oklahoma City was used by politicians and media sources to call for increased surveillance of Muslim Americans, as well as for the banning of foreign Muslims from entering the United States.

#5

The alleged involvement of Elohim City in the Oklahoma City bombing caused significant alarm among Muslim communities around the country. It was never proven that the people of the compound