Review by Kirkus Book Review
Shrill denunciation of the cozy relationship America's technological, financial, and political "elites" enjoy with China. Name a prominent newsmaker, and Schweizer--who joined forces with Steve Bannon in 2012 to create the Government Accountability Institute, with financing by hedge fund manager Robert Mercer, of Cambridge Analytica infamy--finds a money trail leading to China. Recognizing that many of these wealthy and powerful individuals subscribed to the view that China would liberalize with the relaxation of government controls over the market, Schweizer counters that instead, Beijing "has become more aggressive and repressive." China has always courted wealth-seekers from the West, who act as agents of technology transfer, lobbyists, and influencers. Not only is the Chinese government brutal, writes the author, but it has also committed to overtaking the U.S. economically by 2050. He adds, "American elites featured in this book are in various ways feeding the beast that would make this nightmare a reality." Bill Gates, Nancy Pelosi, Hunter and Joe Biden, Tony Blinken, and Mitch McConnell are among the figures Schweizer indignantly calls to account as agents of America's demise. The author clearly comes from the right--the first person he thanks in his acknowledgments is Parler/Breitbart News funder Rebekah Mercer--but that doesn't keep him from including a few Trump administration officials in his rogues' gallery, including ambassador to China Terry Branstad and former transportation secretary Elaine Chao. Still, it's telling that much of his fire is aimed at the Bush family, from both Georges to Neil and Jeb, all anathema to the Trump set, and that Trump himself gets a pass--despite all his wheeling and dealing with and admiration for totalitarian regimes up and down the Silk Road. "Whether the reader likes [Trump] or not," writes the author, "there can be little doubt that he saw the challenge posed by China clearly and moved America in a positive direction to confront it." A tiresome recitation but just the thing for the Sinophobes in the audience. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
