Book Review: "How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps" by Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro’s introduction to his new book “How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps” begins with capturing the very depths of the free-thinking mind of the new generation of political libertarians, liberals and conservatives alike. He ignites conversation, question and rethinking with his incredible argument that America moves towards disengagement and misinformation. Shapiro proves to be back on top form with his book “The Right Side of History” being a massive success and, from a readers point of view whether you like him or not, you have to admit that he knows what he’s talking about. As America tries to uphold herself in her 250 year civil rights’ history since the war, Shapiro lets us all in on a secret: that we are the problem and yet, we are also the solution. His writing style is clear, concise and consistent with a man who proves that ethics and morals, standards and cultural traditions seem to arise over conflict, mass mob culture, labelling and chaos. As both the right and the left of the American Political slip into chaos, Ben Shapiro is there explaining why they are both completely wrong.

Ben Shapiro’s argument that both political sides have tainted the term ‘rights’ is something that is continuously underlying the book. As Shapiro quotes men like Tocqueville, Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. he proves that he is not cherry-picking facts but rather exploring the very depths and times of American History to search for the answer to ‘what is our right and what is our responsibility?’ He states that the conservatives have tainted ‘rights’ through their failure to recognise their leader’s faults and that the liberals have tainted rights due to their constant push against freedom of speech and the very rights that first made America what it is in the Declaration of Independence.

Another argument Shapiro puts forward is the fight against organisation that is tearing the fabric of American Culture apart. The first being the fight against the church and its organisation - seeing as it is a place that is considered to be of worship, it is rightfully not allowed in American Public Schools but Shapiro argues that now, it has gotten further than that and that institutions such as these are being described as ‘backward’ and non-progressive even though the Pope himself has just issued six women into the top jobs in the Vatican. It is something that has never been seen before on the face of human history. But the American church in particular is important because it is not only a place of worship, Shapiro argues that it is also a place of social gathering, like minds coming together to feel at peace. Once these institutions are broken down and fought against, the social gatherings of like minds moves online and turns from happy and in-person, to hateful and behind a screen. It is the personal vs. the impersonal that turns love to hatred and again, whether you like him or not, you do have to admit that in this respect he is totally right.

All in all as someone who has to this day, read every single book written by Ben Shapiro, I follow his arguments very closely and no, he is not a perfect debater but he is very careful in what he says and the way he says it. He points out the failures of the right and the left in ways that America possibly never knew was even happening. But as he describes in his book, you may not like golf clubs women can’t go to, and you may not like drag queens reading stories to toddlers in the library but you have no right or liberty to stop any of those things happening. The people have the right to be there at that time. The problem, he points out, are both sides are corrupt with the way in which they deal with rights and how the term ‘rights’ is perceived. It is a shaky definition at best and Shapiro hopes that one day, America can return to its declaration and define it properly again.