(Reviewed by JD Jung)
It’s bad enough that many Republicans still refuse to accept the validity of the legitimate 2020 U.S. Presidential election. Now congressmen such as Ralph Norman (R-SC), Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and others even refuse to acknowledge the violent insurrection of January 6, where Trump supporters demanded the overturn of the election as well as the execution of Vice President Mike Pence and House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
They all saw what we saw, and it’s only been four months since the incident. So, to those who believe these liars, I suggest they read Operation Chaos to refresh their memories.
Actually, I recommend everyone read this comprehensive study of the events that led to the riot, the day itself and the aftermath. Shay approached this as an actual crime scene, as he studied public FBI and police records, news articles, actual video, broadcasts, and social media. He even saw clues to this uprising a year earlier.
Since I am familiar with the events of Jan. 6, I especially appreciate the historical context that he provides. Shay describes multiple instances in our past where white rioters were not held accountable for their violent coup attempts. He shows the similarities to how police cracked down on protesters in the Summer of 2020 to the treatment of protesters in Belarus. He presents a history of how the government has infiltrated peaceful protests for over a century to try and destroy them from within.
He provides key chronology of Trump’s rise to the presidency—as well as Putin’s rise to power— and how Trump depends on chaos for control.
Shay compares Trump to Nixon and though I agree with some of it, the important fact to remember is that Nixon was eventually stopped by his own party. He didn’t have all the enablers that Trump had and continues to possess. Authoritarianism will persist, but it takes brave individuals to stop it.
Though I’m including my own political commentary, Shay does a commendable job of remaining objective throughout the book.
I’m looking forward to discovering who knew what before the violent attack and the nefarious intentions of those who refused to act in advance to protect our Capitol. However, Operation Chaos is a book that will be a great addition to any library for factual accounts of January 6, 2021 and its historical context.
