THE STORM IS UPON US

This should have been an important book on a subject that is tearing apart the United States of America.  Unfortunately, if fails at just about every level.

The first mistake the author makes is that he does not give definitions to the terms that are necessary to follow the book.  To cite but one example, in the preface he uses the term “Q-drops;” this term is constantly referred to throughout the book but is never defined.  This omission only creates confusion in what should be a context of literary precision.  Another example is that, despite having an entire chapter on fascism, he fails to define QAnon as a fascist movement, which it most certainly is.

His research is also deeply flawed; he only superficially discusses the movement’s predecessors, such as the John Birch Society, Satanic Panic and, most importantly, the alt-right, its immediate predecessor. While this would have made the book longer, it would have added greatly to understanding the QAnon cult.

Psychologically, the book is a failure as well.  Rothschild contents himself with dismissing most QAnon adherents as having mental problems (likely true in most cases) but fails to understand why they have chosen to be all-in with QAnon.  In other words, what is it about this cult that causes so many people to believe the nonsense they believe?

Rothschild also barely addresses how this particular cult has managed to ingratiate itself with so many members of the New Fascist Party (NFP, formerly the Republican Party).  The way in which QAnon has managed to align itself with so many of the various seats of power in the United States government is left to the reader to imagine.

The entire book is an uncoordinated mishmash of facts that could have been much better organized and presented.  Given that QAnon has all but taken over one of the two major political parties in this country makes one wonder why more writers haven’t addressed this phenomenon yet.  QAnon needs an excellent researcher, writer and historian to expose the danger this cult presents to all of us.  Unfortunately this book doesn’t even come close.