Hate Unleashed: America's Cataclysmic Change

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This book investigates the psychological factors that led to the election of Donald Trump and the accompanying escalation of hate violence and intolerance in the United States. It also spells out the challenge for Americans living in a time of political conservatism and unbridled hostility towards minorities, immigrants, and socially progressive individualsand what democratic-minded people can do to take action. After the U.S. presidential election in November of 2016, it became clear that hostility, intolerance, and violence targeting minorities, immigrants, and socially progressive individuals was more prevalent in the United States than many thoughtand that these hateful sentiments had played a significant role in the election of Donald Trump. What are the reasons for this cataclysmic shift in the U.S. Have these feelings been entrenched and rampant but under the surface for decades We are now witnessing the consequences of a different kind of "freedom of expression" one that is challenging our notions of living in a multicultural and internationally-focused society. Hate Unleashed: America's Cataclysmic Change looks at the process by which America moved away from a progressive democratic model of governance in response to themes of economic and cultural vulnerability. Drawing on the notions of authoritarianism and ultranationalismas well as insights from polling research and the advent of fake newsHate Unleashed portrays how American politics became a battleground about culture and diversity. Author Edward Dunbar exposes how xenophobia, the synthesis of hate speech into political rhetoric, and appeals to a nationalism of nostalgia are linked to the escalation in hate activity after the November 2016 election. In his examination of election results, hate crime activity, and the history of black lynching, Dunbar places the Trump victory as the latest battle in the unending civil war of the United States.

Reviews

[The book's] analysis of the violent trend that both culminated in the election of Donald Trump and that was amplified by it is thought-provoking and insightful, but the inclusion of a section on how to deal with the psychological ramifications of the increase in hate crimes is particularly valuable. * Washington Press *

Author Bio

Edward Dunbar, EdD, is clinical professor in the Department of Psychology at University of California, Los Angeles.