Summary of Attack from Within by Barbara McQuade: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

By GP Summary

DISCLAIMER
 
This book does not in any capacity mean to replace the original book but to serve as a vast summary of the original book.

Summary of Attack from Within by Barbara McQuade: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

IN THIS SUMMARIZED BOOK, YOU WILL GET:

• Chapter provides an astute outline of the main contents.
• Fast & simple understanding of the content analysis.
• Exceptionally summarized content that you may skip in the original book

Attack from Within by Barbara McQuade, a legal expert, examines how disinformation is influencing democracy and promoting extreme views. It discusses authoritarian tactics, vulnerability to disinformation, and offers practical solutions like criminalizing domestic terrorism, increasing media literacy, and preventing future attacks.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookRix
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9783755470380

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Summary of Attack from Within

A

Summary of Barbara McQuade’s book

How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

GP SUMMARY

Summary of Attack from Within by Barbara McQuade: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America

By GP SUMMARY© 2024, GP SUMMARY.

All rights reserved.

Author: GP SUMMARY

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Editing, proofreading: GP SUMMARY

Other collaborators: GP SUMMARY

NOTE TO READERS

This is an unofficial summary & analysis of Barbara McQuade’s Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America designed to enrich your reading experience.

DISCLAIMER

The contents of the summary are not intended to replace the original book. It is meant as a supplement to enhance the reader's understanding. The contents within can neither be stored electronically, transferred, nor kept in a database. Neither part nor full can the document be copied, scanned, faxed, or retained without the approval from the publisher or creator.

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This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. You agree to accept all risks of using the information presented inside this book.

Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

DISINFORMED TO DEATH

On January 5, 2021, Rosanne Boyland, a Georgia native, joined a mob in Washington, DC, believing that the 2020 election was fraudulent. Despite numerous courts and Trump's Justice Department rejecting claims of fraud, the 2020 election was declared the most secure in US history. Boyland joined the mob and stormed the US Capitol, where she was trampled to death by the crowd. The attack was fueled by false claims that Biden had used fraud to steal the election, known as the Big Lie. Eight others also lost their lives, including Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter and US Air Force veteran, and US Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick. The attack left unseen emotional scars and four officers committed suicide. Over a year later, 68% of Republicans were still deceived by lies that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen.

The threat persists even after Trump was indicted for his efforts to steal the election. Former federal judge J. Michael Luttig warned that 2020 was merely a dry run to steal future elections, and that Trump and his allies were a clear and present danger to US democracy. The question remains whether American democracy is destined for the same fate as Boyland, Babbitt, and Sicknick, or if it is undergoing a slower erosion, invisible in real time but as devastating as a metastasizing cancer.

Disinformation is the deliberate use of lies to manipulate people, either for profit or to advance a political agenda. In America, both forms of falsehood are distorting our perception of reality, and enemies of democracy are using disinformation to attack our sovereign right to truthful information, intellectual integrity, and the exercise of the will of the people. Online disinformation is particularly insidious due to its immediacy, capacity to deceive, and ability to reach its target.

Disinformers deliberately inflame passions and demonize their political opponents to artificially limit options to only two perspectives on an issue. This tactic is known as the either-or fallacy. As technology continues to advance, the threat of disinformation looms even larger.

A significant number of Americans don't seem to care anymore whether a statement is true, but rather whether any given message is consistent with their worldview. This leads to a weakened democracy, diminished national security, and a threat to the rule of law.

The rise of disinformation in America is partly due to recent technological advances. Before the information age, geographic regions in the United States set their own community standards, with immigration patterns and local history shaping the culture of various regions. This has led to varying experiences and viewpoints, shaping our individual vision of America.

The internet has brought various versions of America to our faces, making it difficult for some people to accept or confront truths that make them uncomfortable. This book documents the ways political opportunists and profiteers use disinformation as a weapon, and how this tool can be used by any political party or faction. The far-right members of the Republican Party are the most egregious purveyors of disinformation in US politics.

In 2023, a lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems exposed the duplicity of executives and hosts at Fox News, which pushed election conspiracy theories on air. The false claim of mass fraud was the most brazen disinformation campaign in American history, and Fox paid a $787.5 million settlement for defaming Dominion.

Trump's movement to Make America Great Again (MAGA) lives on, focusing on cultural divides to