What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather
Part of my holiday reading pile.
Quick Summary: this book thrives as a contrast to some of the societal themes being accelerated by D Trump and it makes you feel good to read it. It touches on a handful of ‘mom and apple pie’ topics ranging from patriotism to the press to the environment, and I think in the long run it will be less of a transformative cultural influence than a snapshot of D Rather’s upbringing and core values in response to the US in 2017.
The book earned its keep in the first chapter with the wonderfully succinct observation of how some confuse patriotism with nationalism. He asserts that “nationalism is a monologue in which you place your country in a position of moral and cultural supremacy over others. Patriotism, while deeply personal, is a dialogue with your fellow citizens, and a larger world, about not only what you love about your country but also how it can be improved.”
You can pretty much predict the main points of each chapter before you read them, and Dan bookends each with some variant on “when I was a boy” or “with all the people I’ve met in this great country”. There are very few mind-stirring insights (which somewhat rates this book a disappointment, because that was the theme of this holiday’s book list). You could just as easily have titled this book “But it could be” after Will McAvoy’s episode one soliloquy against the question of “what makes the US the best country in world?”. The Newsroom was better at the setup than ‘What Unites Us’, but more preachy and condescending in the response. Both touch on the great ideals that make the US the nation we want it to be, and ‘What Unites Us’ adds an extra invigorating layer of hope that The Newsroom lacked.
This is the book to read on lazy day in the sun when you need a little shot in the arm to wash away the Donald Trump blues.