Defeating Big Government Socialism: Saving America's Future (2022)

by Newt Gingrich

In Defeating Big Government Socialism, Gingrich alternates between depictions of what he sees as the hell we’re in and the heaven that could be.

The “hell” chapters focus primarily on the conservative enemies du jour: wokeism, inflation, atheism, Biden, Pelosi. “Heaven” features extensive quotations from Washington/Hamilton/Lincoln/Reagan while still dwelling a fair bit on “hell” for contrast. Gingrich’s juxtaposition of the sorry state of Biden’s America with optimistic, idealistic excerpts from founding fathers and foundational political theorists is carefully formulated to spur feelings of civic responsibility in the lead-up to the next election.

As you might have guessed from its name, Defeating Big Government Socialism is filled with content that will resonate with people who are already in alignment and be repugnant to those who are not. I use the word “content” here intentionally—content, as in, material to be consumed—as that’s what this book is. There’s no subtlety, thoughtful analysis, or honest attempts to reach voters on the other side of the political gulf. It’s simply a piece of elephant-flavored fodder for your next altercation with your purple-haired niece at Thanksgiving.

Was it worth the $31 I paid for it at JAX? No, but I had a lot of time to kill and the other books available for purchase airside were, well…