Red, White and Blown: Is the United States of America a Cult?

Red, White and Blown is a book by Guy Rundle that examines the United States' failure to confront its divisions and blind spots, leading to its potential becoming a cult. The book explores the cultural and historical backdrop of political events in the 2022 midterm elections and questions why Australia is slavishly attaching itself to a potential cult when it has successfully avoided the same things that have made the US so.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 24 August 2023
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books

Red, White and Blown is a thought-provoking exploration by renowned journalist Guy Rundle into the United States' stubborn refusal to confront its internal divisions and blind spots. Delving into the political events of the 2022 midterm elections and their cultural and historical context, this latest book in the Crikey Reads series challenges readers to openly consider the possibility that the US has transformed into a cult.

Since the 1970s, the United States has been a fertile ground for cults, with a wide range of groups flourishing, from the Orange People in Oregon to the Moonies with their extravagant stadium weddings. However, the origins of these cults may extend further back in time. Could the US itself be likened to a cult, one that has gained immense power and imposed its vision on millions, but is now experiencing its own internal collapse, leading it to resort to magical thinking and seek out enemies?

Through his insightful analysis, Rundle provides a fresh perspective that helps to explain the enigmatic nature of the US. Red, White and Blown offers an insightful tour of the embattled republic, raising the question of why Australia, which has successfully avoided many of the factors that have contributed to the US' problems, continues to hold onto the potential of becoming a cult itself.

The Crikey Read series, published by Crikey and Hardie Grant Books, is renowned for its unwavering and independent approach to examining the pressing issues of the day in Australia and around the world.

Weight: 156g
Dimension: 210 x 135 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781743799581