Book Review: Ain’t My America
Hello there again readers and welcome back to Coffee Break Liberty, a blog where we tackle books, news and many other things under the sun where liberty is a guiding principle. If this is your first time here we would like to extend a special warm welcome to you and hope you enjoy yourself while here.
It has been a while since a book review has been done here at CBL but buckle up because this book I’m gonna discuss couldn’t be anymore important right now. Bill Kauffman’s “Ain’t My America, the long, noble history of antiwar conservatism and middle-American anti-imperialism” isn’t just a mouthful to say but a book that was recommended to me by Tom Woods himself, among others. During this writing for the blog here we are seeing the tensions between the US government and the Iranian government heat up again all while the American Empire is being challenged in the middle east some more. By unfortunate accident it seems I was reading this book during all this, but how important and relevant it is.
Mr. Kauffman’s book runs through, as the title suggests, the history of those conservatives that have opposed war in the past beginning with the war of 1812 to the War on Terror today, keeping in mind that the book was written in 2008. Very quote and historical figure heavy the readers attention is under bombardment of the opinions of great men and women in American history that are never mentioned in the history books today. Kauffman doesn’t sell any of these freedom loving Americans short though. Rather many of them are brought to life in only a few short sentences. The shared passion that these figures held is easily recognized and respected upon reading their quoted words alongside Kauffman’s added commentary.
What I didn’t expect was the focus on the family unit in this book and how the American Empire is nothing but a direct assault on the American family dream. Many of the antiwar conservatives come from rural areas in this great nation, this fact is highlighted in the book. Thus finding another element that connects many of these figures is there love for small local community be it their town, their church and their family. The empire though, as it is pointed out in the book, rips these families apart all in the name of some patriotism that sends these young men and women to kill for the state half a world away from home. This focus on the home and how it’s structure is under assault from the empire brought light to an issue I had never really noticed. Which is sad as I was part of it.
Kauffman’s book right now couldn’t have been picked up at a better time it seems. The recent attacks on Iranian generals and US bases in Iraq from Iran speak to the validity of the antiwar… rather pro-peace movement of today. It brings some comfort as well, to know that we are not alone and have many forefathers in the peace movements in American history. Though we may not be as loud as those that want war and an empire, we know what we are fighting for, the American dream and family, is far more important than some damned wasteland 7000 miles from our homes. If there was only more that we could do here than simply recognize this book and recommend that you pick it up… oh wait we are… we are sparking the embers of a new pro-peace movement. Books like this help in that manner.
Thank you for reading and please don’t forget to like and share!
Keep that coffee warm for us
LWS
