How I read it.
Or. An idiot’s guide to it.
His introduction is quite strident. There is no rhetorical question
“it has become clear that there is a war going on: a war on the West.” (Loc53)
That sort of assertive statement, backed up by his research, the facts and his references is, I think the key note which marches the reader to his conclusions.
Other reviews of this book have said that Douglas Murray “asks the question….”, but I don’t think he does that and the reviewers are for their own reasons being mealy mouthed. Too frightened to quote him less they get tarred with his brush.
“There is an assault going on against everything to do with the Western world – its past, present and future.” (loc 57)
I think I will stride past his brief referral to The strange death of Europe dealing with the massive, un-handleable numbers immigrants to Europe, that his readers will already be familiar with.
No where in the world except western countries are they being told they should fundamentally alter their demographic make up. (loc 77)
Also by passing The Madness of Crowds describing “the attempt to break down western societies along lines of sex, sexuality and race.” (Loc 88) dealing with the virulent and violent attacks both in words and physically on people who, and even apparent members of those groups who, did not tow the line politically.
The double standards that apply to criticisms of the regimes of other countries such as China, the middle east and Russia.
How the effort that we have made and continue to make to get “beyond race” (loc108) has made us better than ever at racial equality is ignored and how “[a] deeply warped picture has now been painted” (Loc 118)
His theme is that it is not good enough to simply give in to this deeply warped picture and so, after examining other areas of attack he sets about building up to and then enumerating the defence which is essentially the Monty Python “What have the Romans ever done for us.”
He says of critics of western culture that:
“They venerate every culture so long as it is not Western” (Loc 176)
And he reasons why this is bad for the whole World. He examines how each of Race, China, History, Religion, Reparation, Gratitude and Culture are used to attack the West to the detriment of it, and the world is made a worse place in due course if not already.
“What do you like about being white?” (Loc 4209)
How do you avoid answering that question from a racist who already has already determined you are a white racist with white racist privilege?
This is the crux of the book.
Do you say “I do not see (skin) colour” (Loc 4225)
Do you say, white culture is just part of a universal culture and is open to all people? Loc 4230
Or do you say both of those things and then go Monty Python and list them.
For Douglas Murray’s list of what is good about White Western Culture you need to buy the book.