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At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage
AN INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Award-winning author and broadcast journalist Carol Off digs deep into six words whose meanings have been distorted and weaponized in recent years—including democracy, freedom and truth—and asks whether we can reclaim their value.
As co-host of CBC Radio's As It Happens, Carol Off spent a decade and a half talking to people in the news five nights a week. On top of her stellar writing and reporting career, those 25,000 interviews have given her a unique vantage point on the crucial subject at the heart of her new book—how, in these polarizing years, words that used to define civil society and social justice are being put to work for a completely different political agenda. Or they are being bleached of their meaning as the values they represent are mocked and distorted. As Off writes, “If our language doesn’t have a means to express an idea, then the idea itself is gone—even the range of thought is diminished.” And, as she argues, that’s a dangerous loss.
In six, wide-ranging chapters, Off explores the mutating meanings and the changing political impact of her six chosen words—freedom, democracy, truth, woke, choice and taxes—unpacking the forces, from right and left, that have altered them beyond recognition. She also shows what happens when we lose our shared political we stop being able to hear each other, let alone speak with each other in meaningful ways. This means we stop being able to reckon with the complexity of the crises we face, leaving us prey to conspiracy theories, autocrats and the machinations of greed. At a Loss for Words is both an elegy and a call to arms.
Award-winning author and broadcast journalist Carol Off digs deep into six words whose meanings have been distorted and weaponized in recent years—including democracy, freedom and truth—and asks whether we can reclaim their value.
As co-host of CBC Radio's As It Happens, Carol Off spent a decade and a half talking to people in the news five nights a week. On top of her stellar writing and reporting career, those 25,000 interviews have given her a unique vantage point on the crucial subject at the heart of her new book—how, in these polarizing years, words that used to define civil society and social justice are being put to work for a completely different political agenda. Or they are being bleached of their meaning as the values they represent are mocked and distorted. As Off writes, “If our language doesn’t have a means to express an idea, then the idea itself is gone—even the range of thought is diminished.” And, as she argues, that’s a dangerous loss.
In six, wide-ranging chapters, Off explores the mutating meanings and the changing political impact of her six chosen words—freedom, democracy, truth, woke, choice and taxes—unpacking the forces, from right and left, that have altered them beyond recognition. She also shows what happens when we lose our shared political we stop being able to hear each other, let alone speak with each other in meaningful ways. This means we stop being able to reckon with the complexity of the crises we face, leaving us prey to conspiracy theories, autocrats and the machinations of greed. At a Loss for Words is both an elegy and a call to arms.
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Published September 3, 2024
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About the author
Carol Off
7 books66 followersCarol Off is a Canadian television and radio journalist, associated with CBC Television and CBC Radio. She has been a host of CBC Radio's As It Happens since 2006. Previously a documentary reporter for The National, Off also hosted the political debate series counterSpin on CBC Newsworld.
She is the vice-president of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. She was awarded ACTRA's John Drainie Award, for distinguished contributions to Canadian broadcasting, in 2008.
Off has also written several books on the Canadian military, including 'The Lion, the Fox, and the Eagle' (2000) and 'The Ghosts of Medak Pocket: the Story of Canada's Secret War' (2005, ISBN 0-679-31294-3). In 2006, she released a book, 'Bitter Chocolate,' about the corruption and human rights abuses associated with the cocoa industry. She claimed that French-Canadian journalist Guy-André Kieffer, who was kidnapped in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire in 2004, had been murdered for exposing Ivorian government corruption in connection with cocoa.
Off got her start in journalism as a staff writer for The Gazette, the student newspaper at The University of Western Ontario.
She lives in Toronto with her husband, broadcaster and novelist Linden MacIntyre.
She is the vice-president of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. She was awarded ACTRA's John Drainie Award, for distinguished contributions to Canadian broadcasting, in 2008.
Off has also written several books on the Canadian military, including 'The Lion, the Fox, and the Eagle' (2000) and 'The Ghosts of Medak Pocket: the Story of Canada's Secret War' (2005, ISBN 0-679-31294-3). In 2006, she released a book, 'Bitter Chocolate,' about the corruption and human rights abuses associated with the cocoa industry. She claimed that French-Canadian journalist Guy-André Kieffer, who was kidnapped in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire in 2004, had been murdered for exposing Ivorian government corruption in connection with cocoa.
Off got her start in journalism as a staff writer for The Gazette, the student newspaper at The University of Western Ontario.
She lives in Toronto with her husband, broadcaster and novelist Linden MacIntyre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
June 13, 2024
On January 22, 2017, White House staff member Kellyanne Conway used the phrase “alternative facts” to defend false statements being made about the turnout for the then-President’s inauguration. Many of us were horrified by someone in such an elevated position of office blatantly justifying the dissemination of mistruth. The significance of such key moments underly Carol Off’s new book, At a Loss for Words: Conversations in an Age of Rage. In a compelling and succinct introduction, Off argues that in the current context, we are witness to no less than the devolution of democracy in favour of the rise of popularism and demagoguery, and sets out to prove that the deliberate weaponization of language is contributing to a blurred understanding of civil society. Off identifies six key words as being pivotal to an awareness of such dangerous shifts in political rhetoric, with a chapter dedicated to each -- freedom, democracy, truth, woke, choice, and taxes. For those of us who were schooled at a time when Marshall McLuhan’s “the medium is the message” phrase seemed prescient, Off’s book is likewise a bellwether for this moment in our history. She writes with passion about the widespread breakdown in trust, the erosion of democracy, and the imperative to pay attention. If you read only one non-fiction book this year, let it be Off’s eloquent warning regarding the way that six key words have been co-opted by those who would choose to exert authoritarian power. And while the words themselves are laden with significance and representative of a civil and democratic society, their subtle shifts in meaning cannot be ignored. Highly recommended.
March 18, 2025
Off makes same mistake she accuses others of. She laments deterioration of words in our divided societies. But her book leans overwhelmingly against only one side of the political divide. Shes a CBC journalist known for its liberal views. She doesn't recognize how both sides have become equally enveloped in their own bubbles. In my review of Bob Woodward's recent book(published only 3 weeks before US election), I said how could he have so misread US voters? The media also got it wrong. In Hillary Clinton's book she admits Bill warned they were in danger of losing once base of the Demos: the working class in pivotal border states. Harris made the same mistake. Why? Because they, like Off, fell victim to their own assumptions.
September 7, 2024
In At A Loss for Words—conversation in an age of rage, Carol Off contributes heartily to the division in our society that she claims to be concerned about. So don’t bother with the book if you are truly interested in promoting conversation, civility or empathy. If you are looking for a deep dive into the subject matter suggested by the book, don’t bother with this book either. It is wholly unsatisfying .
Despite her claims to stay in “the mode of ‘disinterested reporter’” except “to offer my insights or a glimmer of hope” her book is loaded with charged language that erases objectivity and hinders a meeting ground for civil conversation. In her book, anything that she labels as on the right politically is always wrong and often “evil”; therefore to suit her dichotomy, her political left is pure virtue.
Starting from the introduction there are contradictory statements, back to back. I was interested in the connection between language and thought, and happily noted her reference to Orwell, but then she’d move around, never giving more than a surface commentary on various subjects and not successfully guiding the reader logically through her disparate pieces of argument. The loose organization gave me pause, but the first section was worse, still.
When she starts her section on the word freedom, she inexplicably starts with a commentary on wealthy Bloor street shoppers’ routines. She then contrasts those people planning for warm vacations and shopping at prohibitively expensive places for most Canadians with the “so-called Freedom convoy”. Really? That is what they called themselves—The Freedom Convoy. Have we not learned in this age that we should respect people enough to call them by the labels they call themselves? Or does she imply that these are not people, not as fully equal as other people? She stresses that this rich area of shops is a place that “the authorities permit demonstrations.” That is why these unworthy people can be here ruining the ambience? Demonstrations are a working part of a democracy, but Off makes sure the government is seen as the giver of this permission. Off continues to show herself to be oblivious to, incurious about (as a reporter?) the story of this group of human beings when she says these demonstrations continued “even as the memory of that troubled time had faded.” Apparently it had not faded for those whose lives were affected negatively by government mandates. In the face of that overreach this disparate group wanted to have their voice heard , but the government refused to hear them, refused to meet with them. The government “othered” a whole group of people-citizens- taking away their voice. It has more recently come to light that there were in fact injuries from vaccines that were not publicized. There were individuals who suffered in other ways too, treated as social pariahs. So, how does a competent journalist dismiss, mock and misrepresent them all, so easily?
I am disappointed in this book. It is unreadable. I am disappointed in the author. I loved All We Leave Behind and have enjoyed listening to Off do many interesting interviews over the years. I looked forward to reading this book, to delving into the subject matter in a way that invited everybody in. This was not worthy of the reporter I admired and thought I knew something about. 1 star from me, because at 0 stars it would not register on Goodreads.
Despite her claims to stay in “the mode of ‘disinterested reporter’” except “to offer my insights or a glimmer of hope” her book is loaded with charged language that erases objectivity and hinders a meeting ground for civil conversation. In her book, anything that she labels as on the right politically is always wrong and often “evil”; therefore to suit her dichotomy, her political left is pure virtue.
Starting from the introduction there are contradictory statements, back to back. I was interested in the connection between language and thought, and happily noted her reference to Orwell, but then she’d move around, never giving more than a surface commentary on various subjects and not successfully guiding the reader logically through her disparate pieces of argument. The loose organization gave me pause, but the first section was worse, still.
When she starts her section on the word freedom, she inexplicably starts with a commentary on wealthy Bloor street shoppers’ routines. She then contrasts those people planning for warm vacations and shopping at prohibitively expensive places for most Canadians with the “so-called Freedom convoy”. Really? That is what they called themselves—The Freedom Convoy. Have we not learned in this age that we should respect people enough to call them by the labels they call themselves? Or does she imply that these are not people, not as fully equal as other people? She stresses that this rich area of shops is a place that “the authorities permit demonstrations.” That is why these unworthy people can be here ruining the ambience? Demonstrations are a working part of a democracy, but Off makes sure the government is seen as the giver of this permission. Off continues to show herself to be oblivious to, incurious about (as a reporter?) the story of this group of human beings when she says these demonstrations continued “even as the memory of that troubled time had faded.” Apparently it had not faded for those whose lives were affected negatively by government mandates. In the face of that overreach this disparate group wanted to have their voice heard , but the government refused to hear them, refused to meet with them. The government “othered” a whole group of people-citizens- taking away their voice. It has more recently come to light that there were in fact injuries from vaccines that were not publicized. There were individuals who suffered in other ways too, treated as social pariahs. So, how does a competent journalist dismiss, mock and misrepresent them all, so easily?
I am disappointed in this book. It is unreadable. I am disappointed in the author. I loved All We Leave Behind and have enjoyed listening to Off do many interesting interviews over the years. I looked forward to reading this book, to delving into the subject matter in a way that invited everybody in. This was not worthy of the reporter I admired and thought I knew something about. 1 star from me, because at 0 stars it would not register on Goodreads.
September 29, 2024
At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage is an eye opening and cautionary tale of what is happening in Canada, the US and across the world. It is an echo of what has happened in the past, what veterans fought for and a warning to voters to critically think about the words, goals and rhetoric being spewed by potential autocrats and dictators.
The book is based on the weaponizing of 6 words: Freedom, Democracy, Truth, Woke, Choice and Taxes. These words have had their meanings changed for political agendas which are terrifying and supported by powerful conspiracy theorists, autocrats and a focus on greed and self.
The book intertwines history, the author's own experience growing up in Canada, current state and a malignant undertow of misinformation, greed and hate which has led us to our current political climate.
This is a book to read, to talk about and an important reminder to "speak with each other in meaningful ways"... and of course, to exercise our right to vote!!
a side note, I was privileged to hear Carol Off speak about her book at the Grimsby Author Series and miss hearing her voice on CBC!!
The book is based on the weaponizing of 6 words: Freedom, Democracy, Truth, Woke, Choice and Taxes. These words have had their meanings changed for political agendas which are terrifying and supported by powerful conspiracy theorists, autocrats and a focus on greed and self.
The book intertwines history, the author's own experience growing up in Canada, current state and a malignant undertow of misinformation, greed and hate which has led us to our current political climate.
This is a book to read, to talk about and an important reminder to "speak with each other in meaningful ways"... and of course, to exercise our right to vote!!
a side note, I was privileged to hear Carol Off speak about her book at the Grimsby Author Series and miss hearing her voice on CBC!!
May 21, 2025
Please read this book! (With drink in hand)
It helps you to understand how we got onto the path with the ultra right showing their new world order (although an old order we have seen raise it’s ugly head many times). I now understand that the MAGA hat wearing voters are just a very small part of the crumbling democracy we have taken for granted. The vision the MAGA movement has is short sighted with no real sustainable plans (climate change is real and will affect them also) but they plan to have most of the population suffer for their gain.
This read will keep you from being blindsided. Hopefully critical thinking will emerge before it’s too late.
To quote Winifred Banks (movie: Mary Poppins 1964)
“POSTS EVERYONE!!!”
It helps you to understand how we got onto the path with the ultra right showing their new world order (although an old order we have seen raise it’s ugly head many times). I now understand that the MAGA hat wearing voters are just a very small part of the crumbling democracy we have taken for granted. The vision the MAGA movement has is short sighted with no real sustainable plans (climate change is real and will affect them also) but they plan to have most of the population suffer for their gain.
This read will keep you from being blindsided. Hopefully critical thinking will emerge before it’s too late.
To quote Winifred Banks (movie: Mary Poppins 1964)
“POSTS EVERYONE!!!”
March 6, 2025
🇨🇦Read in preparation for attending the Carol Off event at the Kingston Writersfest. A terrifying look at the roots of the current political state in the US and its implications and fall out for an equally rocky political situation in Canada by a well trusted Canadian journalist.
March 21, 2025
The author is Carol Off Canadian journalist and commentator for CBC TV.
In the very first chapter "Freedom" the author has done nothing but mock and ridicule her fellow Canadians who took part in the Freedom Convoy protesting the draconian Covid protocols which the Trudeau Government imposed on all Canadians, disregarding the freedom of choice if some wanted to take the vaccine or not.
The tone she chooses to describe Canadians who felt that the Government had misused its powers, goes in the vein below throughout that chapter:
"most of the gripes were familiar to anyone who paid any attention to the so-called Freedom Convoy"
She lies about the Freedom Convoy staying on in Ottawa long after the mask mandates were lifted. The convoy was in Ottawa from mid Jan to mid or late Feb 2022, the mask mandates were lifted only on March 21, 2022, almost a month after the convoy left Ottawa.
She says there was a "self-styled monarch, a Queen Romana something and raves about QAnon devotees. There was no such thing and any mad-hatter can go latch on to a protest and declare it their own, but the author grabs onto that clown's diatribe and uses it as fodder for more mockery of those Canadians who protested against the Government's overreach on peoples' liberties and freedom.
Further on, her mockery of her fellow Canadians continues unabated with: "Canadian news agencies agonized over how much exposure we should provide to a movement that was characterized by disinformation. But we didn't have to work too hard to avoid giving the convoyistas a soapbox. They didn't want to talk to us" The letters of the made-up word "convoyistas" is emphasized by slanted text.
She downplays the Emergencies Act which provided the Canadian banks with the powers to freeze the bank accounts of 100s of Canadians who joined the convoy or donated to it. This would appall any democracy loving person, but not "democracy lover" Carol Off.
Surprisingly, she does not see her hypocrisy fully on display in another chapter in the book. If you read chapter "Freedom" side by side with the chapter "Choice" you will know what I mean. She drools with praise for the women's march of 1970 which dealt with a woman's right to abortion. That convoy was known as The Abortion Caravan.
If only hypocrites like Carol Off could see events and movements that arise from both the Right and the Left of the political spectrum from the point of view of the people in those movements and learn to not be partisan every single time and opt to be fair and just to the other side, the present day Right and Left deep divide would not generate the kind of anger and hate we experience today.
The rest of the book deals with her ranting against Trump, she has a severe case of TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) but can be forgiven for it as many of us have the same ailment more often than not, moi included, Viktor Orban gets a big mouthful of her bile too as does Putin and many other Right wing political figures. Prominently missing is Netanyahu. Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians got perhaps a line or two. Did I mention she's a liar and a hypocrite? Let me do it again, she's a liar and a hypocrite.
Although I agreed with plenty of her notions, more so with those mentioned in the Choice and Taxes chapters, those became invisible in my opinion when compared to her antagonistic attitude towards Canadians she holds not being fully in step with her own mind-set.
Wish there was a half star or none for rating of books. This book would have got that from me.
In the very first chapter "Freedom" the author has done nothing but mock and ridicule her fellow Canadians who took part in the Freedom Convoy protesting the draconian Covid protocols which the Trudeau Government imposed on all Canadians, disregarding the freedom of choice if some wanted to take the vaccine or not.
The tone she chooses to describe Canadians who felt that the Government had misused its powers, goes in the vein below throughout that chapter:
"most of the gripes were familiar to anyone who paid any attention to the so-called Freedom Convoy"
She lies about the Freedom Convoy staying on in Ottawa long after the mask mandates were lifted. The convoy was in Ottawa from mid Jan to mid or late Feb 2022, the mask mandates were lifted only on March 21, 2022, almost a month after the convoy left Ottawa.
She says there was a "self-styled monarch, a Queen Romana something and raves about QAnon devotees. There was no such thing and any mad-hatter can go latch on to a protest and declare it their own, but the author grabs onto that clown's diatribe and uses it as fodder for more mockery of those Canadians who protested against the Government's overreach on peoples' liberties and freedom.
Further on, her mockery of her fellow Canadians continues unabated with: "Canadian news agencies agonized over how much exposure we should provide to a movement that was characterized by disinformation. But we didn't have to work too hard to avoid giving the convoyistas a soapbox. They didn't want to talk to us" The letters of the made-up word "convoyistas" is emphasized by slanted text.
She downplays the Emergencies Act which provided the Canadian banks with the powers to freeze the bank accounts of 100s of Canadians who joined the convoy or donated to it. This would appall any democracy loving person, but not "democracy lover" Carol Off.
Surprisingly, she does not see her hypocrisy fully on display in another chapter in the book. If you read chapter "Freedom" side by side with the chapter "Choice" you will know what I mean. She drools with praise for the women's march of 1970 which dealt with a woman's right to abortion. That convoy was known as The Abortion Caravan.
If only hypocrites like Carol Off could see events and movements that arise from both the Right and the Left of the political spectrum from the point of view of the people in those movements and learn to not be partisan every single time and opt to be fair and just to the other side, the present day Right and Left deep divide would not generate the kind of anger and hate we experience today.
The rest of the book deals with her ranting against Trump, she has a severe case of TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) but can be forgiven for it as many of us have the same ailment more often than not, moi included, Viktor Orban gets a big mouthful of her bile too as does Putin and many other Right wing political figures. Prominently missing is Netanyahu. Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians got perhaps a line or two. Did I mention she's a liar and a hypocrite? Let me do it again, she's a liar and a hypocrite.
Although I agreed with plenty of her notions, more so with those mentioned in the Choice and Taxes chapters, those became invisible in my opinion when compared to her antagonistic attitude towards Canadians she holds not being fully in step with her own mind-set.
Wish there was a half star or none for rating of books. This book would have got that from me.
March 17, 2025
4.5 stars
At first, I found the book’s occasional tendency to hector a bit off putting. For example, in the “woke” section, Carol Off reports on the book bans launched by people on the right in Florida, but doesn’t acknowledge how the left has banned or culled books from Canadian libraries: https://apple.news/AtU47T1tzTg20PgUog...
However, I appreciated Off’s delineation between two definitions of freedom and it is important to keep these in mind as you read this book:
”By the end of the nineteenth century, as more and more people demanded a seat at the table, two competing groups seeking freedom bumped heads: one that demanded equality with those who enjoyed wealth, and another that tried to keep the government out of their lives so their privilege remained intact” (38).
In fact, Off looks at recent Canadian history, in particular the “convoyistas” who occupied the area around parliament, to see how the definition of freedom has been “hijacked by those who seek liberation from their responsibilities to others” (5).
The last section concerning the meaning of “Taxes” is absolutely horrifying and it makes me wonder who is really pulling the strings especially in light of events over the past few days.
At first, I found the book’s occasional tendency to hector a bit off putting. For example, in the “woke” section, Carol Off reports on the book bans launched by people on the right in Florida, but doesn’t acknowledge how the left has banned or culled books from Canadian libraries: https://apple.news/AtU47T1tzTg20PgUog...
However, I appreciated Off’s delineation between two definitions of freedom and it is important to keep these in mind as you read this book:
”By the end of the nineteenth century, as more and more people demanded a seat at the table, two competing groups seeking freedom bumped heads: one that demanded equality with those who enjoyed wealth, and another that tried to keep the government out of their lives so their privilege remained intact” (38).
In fact, Off looks at recent Canadian history, in particular the “convoyistas” who occupied the area around parliament, to see how the definition of freedom has been “hijacked by those who seek liberation from their responsibilities to others” (5).
The last section concerning the meaning of “Taxes” is absolutely horrifying and it makes me wonder who is really pulling the strings especially in light of events over the past few days.
September 14, 2024
Carol Off pulls the curtain back and with an easy-to-digest narrative, explores the history, politics, racism, money, and influence that are completely changing how language is used. She shines a bright light on dark corners and reveals some uncomfortable truths.
This book is required reading for critical thinkers, regardless of your ideology. Does she expose a spotlight on the right? Yes. She also clearly points out the failings of the left. In a time when democracy is at great risk and the right has amassed more money and power than ever before, it’s more important than ever to understand how your understanding of the world around you is being manipulated, massaged, and redefined by people and agencies that may not be aligned to your values.
If you read this book and are feeling especially triggered, it may be worth it to ask yourself why. Why can certain groups have the right to demonstrate and others are immediately shut down? Why is taking care of one another such a terrible idea?
Articulate, well-researched and guaranteed to make you feel uncomfortable, this book is worth your time. The sources are cited for you to pursue further. For me, there was so much history I did not know. It has inspired me to learn more.
This book is required reading for critical thinkers, regardless of your ideology. Does she expose a spotlight on the right? Yes. She also clearly points out the failings of the left. In a time when democracy is at great risk and the right has amassed more money and power than ever before, it’s more important than ever to understand how your understanding of the world around you is being manipulated, massaged, and redefined by people and agencies that may not be aligned to your values.
If you read this book and are feeling especially triggered, it may be worth it to ask yourself why. Why can certain groups have the right to demonstrate and others are immediately shut down? Why is taking care of one another such a terrible idea?
Articulate, well-researched and guaranteed to make you feel uncomfortable, this book is worth your time. The sources are cited for you to pursue further. For me, there was so much history I did not know. It has inspired me to learn more.
February 8, 2025
3.5 stars. I really enjoy Carol Off, and on the whole I liked this book. As someone who has been paying attention to the political events of the past several years, I would have appreciated less recounting of events and more analysis. The chapter on Choice was my favourite.
April 25, 2025
Carol Off, long time host of CBC’s As It Happens uses the structure of key words that are being redefined to explore the current trend of populism. Freedom, Democracy, Truth, Woke, Choice, and Taxes are explored as the foundational shifts in our society and as the US and perhaps Canada moves from a liberal democracy to an environment that supports oligarchs. Timely and prescient- this book was released just prior to Donald Trump’s election.
The book explores the side-lining and destruction of journalism, government social support and regulation, education, women’s control over their bodies and ultimately where the money flows through taxes. I would highly encourage voters in Canada to consider this rationale and to contemplate the future consequences of our choice.
I am somewhat resistant to the information in the chapter on taxes which seems too grounded in back room intentions but I am also at a loss to understand the dismantling of liberal democracy in the US.
Off-“what I hope for is that we find ways to renew our commitment to being citizens who contribute, and not serfs who labor and customers who bargain. It’s about reconstructing a government that takes care of its people and a political system that’s transparent; it’s about choosing, collectively, who runs the country; and it’s about universal access to all of the above.”
The book explores the side-lining and destruction of journalism, government social support and regulation, education, women’s control over their bodies and ultimately where the money flows through taxes. I would highly encourage voters in Canada to consider this rationale and to contemplate the future consequences of our choice.
I am somewhat resistant to the information in the chapter on taxes which seems too grounded in back room intentions but I am also at a loss to understand the dismantling of liberal democracy in the US.
Off-“what I hope for is that we find ways to renew our commitment to being citizens who contribute, and not serfs who labor and customers who bargain. It’s about reconstructing a government that takes care of its people and a political system that’s transparent; it’s about choosing, collectively, who runs the country; and it’s about universal access to all of the above.”
December 31, 2025
This is such an important book. When we look at the divide between the left and right in the US it's tempting to think the basis of the problem is a difference in defensible ideologies. Off suggests that what is really going on in the extreme right is an attempt to concentrate wealth and power around a small number of men. Everything else the modern right stands for whether it concerns taxation, freedom or abortion is really about this attempt to entrench and exaggerate current power and wealth disparities. It would be reassuring to think her ideas are just more propaganda from the left, but I'm afraid she is right. It is difficult to argue with the logic of her arguments.
February 6, 2025
One of the best books I’ve read in some time.
February 18, 2025
I’m glad this book was a best seller. It should be. It’s an important read and a succinct platform for our recent histories in Canada and the USA. Particularly with the issues of feminism (abortion) and taxes; Two subject matters that stood out to me. I’m grateful for this Canadian product which I’ll use as a scope for the direction we might be headed into.
September 5, 2025
How did the United States get to this point (and the current Alberta government doing everything possible to follow)? This book was a real eye opener for me, particularly a lot of the history. Its challenging, horrifying, and hopefully motivating. Should be on the must-read list.
October 3, 2025
"Words matter. It's foundational for our lives as social beings because without it, we can't trust each other."
"...working out a balance between personal liberty and social responsibility in full recognition of the complexity of our societies..."
"...working out a balance between personal liberty and social responsibility in full recognition of the complexity of our societies..."
December 26, 2024
It’ll never cease to amaze me some of the wackadoodle theories the fringe/far right come up with, but now they carry so much weight I need to stop being surprised. Good book, easy to read, scary future coming our way!
September 16, 2025
I listened to the audiobook, and it was wonderful to hear Carol's voice. It's an important read---a seriously researched account of our challenging times, explained with reason. Some sections are hard to listen to because of the obvious. That said, the writing is excellent and the wide range of examples, historic and relatively current make it a 'go to' reference for the begging question of "how did we get here".
October 31, 2025
For a book that is supposed to help us talk to each other, it sure spent a lot of time making me angry at the other side of the political spectrum. Lots to learn, but heavily biased towards the left. So am I, but I don't advertise otherwise...
February 27, 2025
Read this book for a bookclub. I'm not familiar with Carol Off but heard great things about her as a journalist.l I found the book was decent, I really enjoyed the weaving of modern day politics with history, and learned a lot about Canadian politics/history that I didn't know before. There were some points I didn't fully agree on, also some of her points I feel could've been worded better. Additionally, there were some points in the chapter where the history lesson felt like it trailed off from the word being discussed in the chapter. That being said this was still a good book I especially liked the last 2 chapters about choice and taxes which discussed a lot of ideas and historical tidbits I was unaware of.
May 23, 2025
I was enjoying this book until 65% in, late in chapter 4, the author first seems to just accept that “From the River to the sea” is antisemitic (I disagree, and she didn’t provide any kind of citation or reference for this controversial statement), and then she accepted whole cloth the BS about campus speaker cancelations and agreeing to student requests to be protected from microaggressions. The first half of this was interesting so it’s disappointing that it’s veered into Douthat/Paul/etc reactionary centrism.
Read
January 8, 2026May 27,2025
Yes. Read it. Understand. Be vigilant. Be compassionate. Be aware.
January 2026
OMG again! Reread with only faint glimpses I’d already read it. But, despite the scary pre-dementia vibes, it’s worth a second, third and fourth look. Danielle Smith and Pierre Polievre are a real threat we need to watch and act and speak out against.
Yes. Read it. Understand. Be vigilant. Be compassionate. Be aware.
January 2026
OMG again! Reread with only faint glimpses I’d already read it. But, despite the scary pre-dementia vibes, it’s worth a second, third and fourth look. Danielle Smith and Pierre Polievre are a real threat we need to watch and act and speak out against.
July 29, 2025
Carol Off is a journalist, author and former long-time host of CBC’s radio program As It Happens. She has spent years following and reporting on significant world events, with particular attention to the Canadian landscape. In the past few years, she has noticed a marked change in the communication taking place in our public spaces, a worrisome rise in the strident language used by politicians and presidents or those speaking for them, including insults, rude criticisms, lies and misleading statements. In particular, she calls out Canada’s southern neighbor, whose leader routinely spouts lies he calls facts, incorrect data he has changed to suit his needs and communicating so many falsehoods, many have stop tracking them. He has disparaged traditional news media for issuing what he calls “fake news”, using it as a justification for criticizing their work, placing limits on the ability of their reporters to do their work and placing them in harm’s way by encouraging violence against them or the agencies they represent. Instead, he and his supporters avoid mainstream journalism and rely on social media such as GOOGLE, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to communicate directly with their audience. They prefer these highly unregulated spaces where it is easy to disseminate misinformation, create false narratives, intentionally misleading commentary, or disseminate the wacky musings of QAnon, while the social media moguls who own the sites, allow it to happen under the guise of free speech. It makes it difficult for consumers to know what is true and what is not, as there is no one there to challenge or question.
In this book Off describes how much has changed in world politics, how hard right activists financed with money from the ultra-rich have hijacked conservative politics and are helping to organize the framework for a new order to take hold. The democracy so many fought so hard for, has spiraled downward in favor of a rise in egotistical leadership, populism and autocracy.
Off believes the way we understand words and use them in our political discourse is fanning the flames of this political movement. Their traditional meanings have become blurred or gutted and their values mocked and distorted. Although we all speak the same words, the ideas they formerly represented have been lost. Without an agreement on their meaning, rational discourse becomes impossible. To illustrate her ideas, she has chosen six words currently used in political discussions and dedicated a chapter to each, explaining why she chose each one, giving not just the dictionary definition, but what those words have meant in the past and what they have come to mean in the present. The six words are: freedom, democracy, truth, woke, choice, and taxes.
In each chapter she uses history as well as cotemporary events to make her point, always supporting her thinking with clear cut examples which come from Canada, the United States and European countries, especially Hungary and Brazil. In those last two countries, far right thinking now has a firm footing although still referred to as democracies, and some see it as a model for what they want in America.
This book serves as a valuable primer for those trying to understand the present-day political chaos. It answers many questions people may including: why anti-democratic ideology moved from the fringe to the mainstream; why some are claiming democracy is the enemy of freedom; why so many Americans supported the January 6th 2021 insurrection in Washington or the freedom convoy by truckers in Ottawa in January of 2022; why immigrants, minority groups or anyone outside the tribe of native born, English speaking white Christians are continually the focus of negative criticisms; why overt racism often stands unchallenged and why taxes, used to meet our societal obligation to others, are now criticized for contributing to what some refer to as a “nanny state”.
She explores what is fueling the quickly growing shift towards authoritarianism and why rude threats and insults are now considered acceptable among our highest government officials and leaders, why what we once considered a civil society appears to be quickly disappearing, longstanding guardrails of democracy are failing and few seem to care or be concerned.
This book is excellent. It is clearly written, meticulously researched, carefully annotated and demands an attentive reader. It is also frightening to see what the future holds, as more world democracies slide toward authoritarianism and we realize we are on the same path unless something dramatic happens to turn the tide of present-day events. The pace of change continues to leave many feeling threatened, looking for relief and finding it in a return to the “old ways” and a world they more clearly understood even if it is led by a self-absorbed charismatic leader. They hate the sounds of disagreement and seek the comfort of belonging to a crowd, a place where they do not need to think or decide anything for themselves because the tribe does it all for them. But it is a place that does not tolerate dissent. If you challenge them, they will turn on you.
This book is critical reading for anyone who cares about where things are headed, and Off issues a clear warning, that there is little time left to make the shift down a different path.
In this book Off describes how much has changed in world politics, how hard right activists financed with money from the ultra-rich have hijacked conservative politics and are helping to organize the framework for a new order to take hold. The democracy so many fought so hard for, has spiraled downward in favor of a rise in egotistical leadership, populism and autocracy.
Off believes the way we understand words and use them in our political discourse is fanning the flames of this political movement. Their traditional meanings have become blurred or gutted and their values mocked and distorted. Although we all speak the same words, the ideas they formerly represented have been lost. Without an agreement on their meaning, rational discourse becomes impossible. To illustrate her ideas, she has chosen six words currently used in political discussions and dedicated a chapter to each, explaining why she chose each one, giving not just the dictionary definition, but what those words have meant in the past and what they have come to mean in the present. The six words are: freedom, democracy, truth, woke, choice, and taxes.
In each chapter she uses history as well as cotemporary events to make her point, always supporting her thinking with clear cut examples which come from Canada, the United States and European countries, especially Hungary and Brazil. In those last two countries, far right thinking now has a firm footing although still referred to as democracies, and some see it as a model for what they want in America.
This book serves as a valuable primer for those trying to understand the present-day political chaos. It answers many questions people may including: why anti-democratic ideology moved from the fringe to the mainstream; why some are claiming democracy is the enemy of freedom; why so many Americans supported the January 6th 2021 insurrection in Washington or the freedom convoy by truckers in Ottawa in January of 2022; why immigrants, minority groups or anyone outside the tribe of native born, English speaking white Christians are continually the focus of negative criticisms; why overt racism often stands unchallenged and why taxes, used to meet our societal obligation to others, are now criticized for contributing to what some refer to as a “nanny state”.
She explores what is fueling the quickly growing shift towards authoritarianism and why rude threats and insults are now considered acceptable among our highest government officials and leaders, why what we once considered a civil society appears to be quickly disappearing, longstanding guardrails of democracy are failing and few seem to care or be concerned.
This book is excellent. It is clearly written, meticulously researched, carefully annotated and demands an attentive reader. It is also frightening to see what the future holds, as more world democracies slide toward authoritarianism and we realize we are on the same path unless something dramatic happens to turn the tide of present-day events. The pace of change continues to leave many feeling threatened, looking for relief and finding it in a return to the “old ways” and a world they more clearly understood even if it is led by a self-absorbed charismatic leader. They hate the sounds of disagreement and seek the comfort of belonging to a crowd, a place where they do not need to think or decide anything for themselves because the tribe does it all for them. But it is a place that does not tolerate dissent. If you challenge them, they will turn on you.
This book is critical reading for anyone who cares about where things are headed, and Off issues a clear warning, that there is little time left to make the shift down a different path.
April 7, 2025
Carol Off, with her extensive journalistic experience, her years of investigations, and her superb research and ability to connect the dots, has brought us a stunningly clear and comprehensive account of the dangers the world and Canada face through the decline of liberal democracy. At A Loss for Words strikes me as the best of the current rush of books about tyranny, authoritarianism, autocacy, and fascism. It is a must-read to understand the present and to protect and retain what we value as citizens.
Off penetrates the distortion and hijacking of keywords in our political conversation.
Freedom - we in Canada saw this in technicolour with the Freedom Convoy. The concept of freedom can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome - but that won't suffice - those civilizations lacked inclusion. What is needed is to bring everyone "into the tent and working out a balance between personal liberty and social responsibility in full recognition of the complexity of our societies ...[p. 51]
Democracy - we think we know what this means and that we have it. No - authoritarianism has crept in, and the "illiberal" democracy usurped the liberal. It's a long chapter. "Collectivism narcissism" is one of the forces at work. [p. 97] But here's the thing - "As with freedom, the word democracy can only be restored and respected if most people can see themselves within it, benefiting from and sharing in its common humanity." [p.100]
Truth - powerful leaders lie shamelessly, and many influencers have no regard for science and evidence. "Words matter. It's foundational for our lives as social beings because without it, we can't trust each other. How does the news media regain the attention and trust of the public?" [p. 150].
Woke - that has come to suffer the same ruin as "politically correct" - said by people resenting those they think have "liberal" or "progressive" views that impinge on their "rights". Was to mean being "attentive to important societal facts and issues - racial and social justice." It came to be used disapprovingly of liberal or progressive. [p. 153] Newt Gingrich, political activitst, compiled the list of words for verbal attacks. The anti-woke attacked universities and education, eviscerating both in the last few months. As Fox News unleashed right-wing tropes "White supremacy and antisemitism were now acceptable features of US politics." [ p 193] Off has examples from Hungary - Viktor Orban, Florida - Ron De Santis, Canada - Pierre Poilievre.
Choice - reproductive choice, women's choice comes to mind. Women gained the right to choose slowly and painfully through the 1970s, now to see those rights being stripped away in the 2020s. As Off concludes, "Most of us did not see these recent changes coming. As Orwell and Atwood oth told us: we were warned." [p. 260]
Taxes - how did the idea that we - who enjoy the roads, parks, social services, sanitary systems, health care systems and so much else - should get all those at no cost to ourselves - or alternatively will pay but resent anyone else benefitting? The chapter works through the growth and empowerment of the current views represented in Project 2025 in the United States, an account that includes Heritage Foundation, the Reagan years, the Koch brothers, Radical Right. In a word - terrifying. As citizens we have responsbilities. Off ended with a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr - "taxes are the price we pay for civilizationj." [p. 307]
Off penetrates the distortion and hijacking of keywords in our political conversation.
Freedom - we in Canada saw this in technicolour with the Freedom Convoy. The concept of freedom can be traced back to ancient Greece and Rome - but that won't suffice - those civilizations lacked inclusion. What is needed is to bring everyone "into the tent and working out a balance between personal liberty and social responsibility in full recognition of the complexity of our societies ...[p. 51]
Democracy - we think we know what this means and that we have it. No - authoritarianism has crept in, and the "illiberal" democracy usurped the liberal. It's a long chapter. "Collectivism narcissism" is one of the forces at work. [p. 97] But here's the thing - "As with freedom, the word democracy can only be restored and respected if most people can see themselves within it, benefiting from and sharing in its common humanity." [p.100]
Truth - powerful leaders lie shamelessly, and many influencers have no regard for science and evidence. "Words matter. It's foundational for our lives as social beings because without it, we can't trust each other. How does the news media regain the attention and trust of the public?" [p. 150].
Woke - that has come to suffer the same ruin as "politically correct" - said by people resenting those they think have "liberal" or "progressive" views that impinge on their "rights". Was to mean being "attentive to important societal facts and issues - racial and social justice." It came to be used disapprovingly of liberal or progressive. [p. 153] Newt Gingrich, political activitst, compiled the list of words for verbal attacks. The anti-woke attacked universities and education, eviscerating both in the last few months. As Fox News unleashed right-wing tropes "White supremacy and antisemitism were now acceptable features of US politics." [ p 193] Off has examples from Hungary - Viktor Orban, Florida - Ron De Santis, Canada - Pierre Poilievre.
Choice - reproductive choice, women's choice comes to mind. Women gained the right to choose slowly and painfully through the 1970s, now to see those rights being stripped away in the 2020s. As Off concludes, "Most of us did not see these recent changes coming. As Orwell and Atwood oth told us: we were warned." [p. 260]
Taxes - how did the idea that we - who enjoy the roads, parks, social services, sanitary systems, health care systems and so much else - should get all those at no cost to ourselves - or alternatively will pay but resent anyone else benefitting? The chapter works through the growth and empowerment of the current views represented in Project 2025 in the United States, an account that includes Heritage Foundation, the Reagan years, the Koch brothers, Radical Right. In a word - terrifying. As citizens we have responsbilities. Off ended with a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr - "taxes are the price we pay for civilizationj." [p. 307]
January 31, 2025
Perfectly timed and prescient! Carol Off started writing this book a couple of years ago and as I read it today, I am watching her insightful observations unfold south of the border in the US, a week after Trumpian rules are being announced, coming out of the Project 2025 playbook.
The author's in-depth research, analyses and easy-to-read-and-understand writing style explains how populist leaders are using libertarianism to overhaul democratic processes. In the process, the ever-increasing gap between the rich and the lower income groups continues to grow rapidly.
Some notable excerpts that have lingered in my thoughts:
- Democracy: Socrates maintained that rule by a tyrant was better than being governed by a bad democracy, since the tyranny of the poor was more abhorrent than the whims of the worst despot. Plato’s view was that direct democracy could allow individuals to become intoxicated by their independence, which would result in the breakdown of important hierarchies.
- Both Greek and Roman democracy crashed, at least in part, because not enough citizens were granted suffrage.
- John Locke, Russeau, Jefferson, all supported slavery while espousing equality.
- We’re not born equal. Equality is acquired. To have equal access to political power, to legal representation and to opportunity is something that liberal democracies are supposed to provide to everyone. The word democracy is not failed by those who dismiss it or distort its meaning. It’s failed by those of us who lack the imagination to see it as applying to more than just ourselves.
- Liberals are people who want things to go better and conservatives are people who don’t want things to get worse
- People who are able to pay their taxes without the slightest impact on their lifestyles will go to extraordinary lengths to make sure that no one else benefits from their money, whether that wealth is earned through work, the reward of dividends or received as inheritance. Yes, they will donate to charity, for some people because it makes them look good and they enjoy the gratitude of the recipient. In most cases, I suspect they see the charities as worthy causes. But many (although not all) people of substantial means feel little obligation to the community or the country where they make their money, educate their children, get their health care, breathe clean air, drive on safe roads and rely on the help of uncorrupted police services if someone threatens them. Or they insist that their contribution comes from creating wealth in the marketplace, no matter that the raw resources their companies are licensed to extract, or the land they build on, are not really their property, or that the infrastructure they rely on and the talent they employ is subsidized by taxpayers, or that the effluence and emissions from their enterprises affects us all. Nor when they simply make money off money does it seem to alter their view; many uber-rich folks regard themselves as major contributors to society and consider those who benefit from the redistribution of wealth that is the essence of taxation as mostly freeloaders. Why should they pay for other people’s clean water? The rich can buy their own.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said it best: taxes are the price we pay for civilization.
A MUST READ for all Canadians.
The author's in-depth research, analyses and easy-to-read-and-understand writing style explains how populist leaders are using libertarianism to overhaul democratic processes. In the process, the ever-increasing gap between the rich and the lower income groups continues to grow rapidly.
Some notable excerpts that have lingered in my thoughts:
- Democracy: Socrates maintained that rule by a tyrant was better than being governed by a bad democracy, since the tyranny of the poor was more abhorrent than the whims of the worst despot. Plato’s view was that direct democracy could allow individuals to become intoxicated by their independence, which would result in the breakdown of important hierarchies.
- Both Greek and Roman democracy crashed, at least in part, because not enough citizens were granted suffrage.
- John Locke, Russeau, Jefferson, all supported slavery while espousing equality.
- We’re not born equal. Equality is acquired. To have equal access to political power, to legal representation and to opportunity is something that liberal democracies are supposed to provide to everyone. The word democracy is not failed by those who dismiss it or distort its meaning. It’s failed by those of us who lack the imagination to see it as applying to more than just ourselves.
- Liberals are people who want things to go better and conservatives are people who don’t want things to get worse
- People who are able to pay their taxes without the slightest impact on their lifestyles will go to extraordinary lengths to make sure that no one else benefits from their money, whether that wealth is earned through work, the reward of dividends or received as inheritance. Yes, they will donate to charity, for some people because it makes them look good and they enjoy the gratitude of the recipient. In most cases, I suspect they see the charities as worthy causes. But many (although not all) people of substantial means feel little obligation to the community or the country where they make their money, educate their children, get their health care, breathe clean air, drive on safe roads and rely on the help of uncorrupted police services if someone threatens them. Or they insist that their contribution comes from creating wealth in the marketplace, no matter that the raw resources their companies are licensed to extract, or the land they build on, are not really their property, or that the infrastructure they rely on and the talent they employ is subsidized by taxpayers, or that the effluence and emissions from their enterprises affects us all. Nor when they simply make money off money does it seem to alter their view; many uber-rich folks regard themselves as major contributors to society and consider those who benefit from the redistribution of wealth that is the essence of taxation as mostly freeloaders. Why should they pay for other people’s clean water? The rich can buy their own.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said it best: taxes are the price we pay for civilization.
A MUST READ for all Canadians.
December 31, 2024
This overview of the current state of politics in Canada, America and Europe—including a brief study of how we got here—is so phenomenally written and well-argued that I couldn't rate it anything less than a full 5 stars.
But reading At a Loss for Words was a grueling, miserable experience. I am not someone who needed to be convinced of anything, I'm as leftie as they come and already horrified by the world on a daily basis. Reading AaLfW was essentially being reminded repeatedly for 300+ pages of just how fucked we are, who exactly is to blame, and how those people will never face any kind of justice or retribution.
I can't see any of the six essay chapters in this book winning over new converts to the side of Good. Carol Off writes as if she and her readers are starting off from the same starting assumption that all people are equal and deserve equal status and treatment. In this timeline, that assumption is one that the other side literally does not believe in, so you can't even have a discussion with them about these topics, let alone convince them of any points.
My appreciation for Carol Off is most probably parasocial. I do feel as if I've come to love her over the years of hearing her voice daily, and reading all she's published.
But this book was emotionally torturous to read in many sections. I recognize that these are important issues, and there are few books out there that have covered them as well as this one. But for the sake of my own mental health, I should not have steeped myself in this kind of in-depth dissection of the evil that surrounds me on a daily basis. I already know about these problems, I already lose sleep over them more nights than I can count.
There is simply no bright side here. Even Carol Off can barely muster a two-page attempt at pseudo-optimism at the very end of the epilogue, when she concludes that hey, we still have ongoing dialogue with the other side at this point, and that has to count for something. Does it, though?
I do love Carol so. Her strength and erudition has provided many joys during my life. But not here.
This is the best book I've read that I would never recommend to anybody.
But reading At a Loss for Words was a grueling, miserable experience. I am not someone who needed to be convinced of anything, I'm as leftie as they come and already horrified by the world on a daily basis. Reading AaLfW was essentially being reminded repeatedly for 300+ pages of just how fucked we are, who exactly is to blame, and how those people will never face any kind of justice or retribution.
I can't see any of the six essay chapters in this book winning over new converts to the side of Good. Carol Off writes as if she and her readers are starting off from the same starting assumption that all people are equal and deserve equal status and treatment. In this timeline, that assumption is one that the other side literally does not believe in, so you can't even have a discussion with them about these topics, let alone convince them of any points.
My appreciation for Carol Off is most probably parasocial. I do feel as if I've come to love her over the years of hearing her voice daily, and reading all she's published.
But this book was emotionally torturous to read in many sections. I recognize that these are important issues, and there are few books out there that have covered them as well as this one. But for the sake of my own mental health, I should not have steeped myself in this kind of in-depth dissection of the evil that surrounds me on a daily basis. I already know about these problems, I already lose sleep over them more nights than I can count.
There is simply no bright side here. Even Carol Off can barely muster a two-page attempt at pseudo-optimism at the very end of the epilogue, when she concludes that hey, we still have ongoing dialogue with the other side at this point, and that has to count for something. Does it, though?
I do love Carol so. Her strength and erudition has provided many joys during my life. But not here.
This is the best book I've read that I would never recommend to anybody.
October 28, 2024
No Loss for Words
I picked up my copy of Carol Off’s, At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage, after attending the author signing event hosted at Winnipeg’s McNally Robinson. Listening to her position in an interview, I clearly agreed with her on some principles, but not on others. I felt compelled to read this book because I felt it had the opportunity to provide insight into the political views of the majority of my fellow Canadians—and I believe I was right.
Off explores current forces and examines historical contexts with true journalist vigor. The first chapter on freedom set the tone for the conflict I would feel throughout, my perceptions so radically different from hers. The chapter on democracy went on so many divergent tangents, that I got lost. When she wrote, “We’re not born equal. Equality is acquired,” I wanted to stop reading. But I persevered. The chapter on truth presented a black-and-white view that truth has a universal definition, while my experiences living abroad have shown me our perceptions of truth are highly individual. The chapter that resonated most with me was the one on choice, and how the gains women made since the 1970s for equality are now unraveling.
The use of phrases like, “the world is burning” to describe climate change and “your freedom ends where mine begins,” about the choice to be vaccinated or not, unsettled me. Off’s attacks against Republicans and Conservatives felt just as emotionally volatile and biased as Trump’s tweets about Democrats. Instead of feeling hopeful for the future, when I finished reading this book I felt overwhelmed by the clear divide that is widening between people on our planet in politics, religion, ethnicity, gender; almost everything. I can only hope these polar narratives are not our truth, that an awakening is rising, and will prevail. In the meantime, I choose to agree to disagree, to live and let live, to be respectful and not aggress against others.
I picked up my copy of Carol Off’s, At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage, after attending the author signing event hosted at Winnipeg’s McNally Robinson. Listening to her position in an interview, I clearly agreed with her on some principles, but not on others. I felt compelled to read this book because I felt it had the opportunity to provide insight into the political views of the majority of my fellow Canadians—and I believe I was right.
Off explores current forces and examines historical contexts with true journalist vigor. The first chapter on freedom set the tone for the conflict I would feel throughout, my perceptions so radically different from hers. The chapter on democracy went on so many divergent tangents, that I got lost. When she wrote, “We’re not born equal. Equality is acquired,” I wanted to stop reading. But I persevered. The chapter on truth presented a black-and-white view that truth has a universal definition, while my experiences living abroad have shown me our perceptions of truth are highly individual. The chapter that resonated most with me was the one on choice, and how the gains women made since the 1970s for equality are now unraveling.
The use of phrases like, “the world is burning” to describe climate change and “your freedom ends where mine begins,” about the choice to be vaccinated or not, unsettled me. Off’s attacks against Republicans and Conservatives felt just as emotionally volatile and biased as Trump’s tweets about Democrats. Instead of feeling hopeful for the future, when I finished reading this book I felt overwhelmed by the clear divide that is widening between people on our planet in politics, religion, ethnicity, gender; almost everything. I can only hope these polar narratives are not our truth, that an awakening is rising, and will prevail. In the meantime, I choose to agree to disagree, to live and let live, to be respectful and not aggress against others.
April 10, 2025
I have a clearer understanding of what is happening in Trump's USA and in our current Canadian election after reading and considering Carol Off's book. By investigating six powerful words (Freedom, Democracy, Truth, Woke, Choice and Taxes) she reaches deeply into how the wealthy libertarian right is funding groups and candidates and using language to manipulate our general anxious malaise to achieve its ends of an unfettered capitalist world.
Off takes us through movements like the Freedom Convoy in Canada, Roe vs Wade and Dr Henry Morgentaler (Canada), Victor Orban in Hungary and those who worship him (Stephen Harper, Jordan Petersen, members of Trump's team), wealthy and hidden anarcho-capitalists working to remove publicly funded social supports like education, Medicaid, and lift rules on the fossil fuel industry amongst others. The goal - an unregulated world with a great poor left to fend for itself and a pocket of extreme wealth with no responsibility to the care of others - just the ability to accumulate and accumulate.
The book opened my thoughts to evidence I had ignored or not seen fully. For example - My once Prime Minister Stephen Harper suppressing the press and restricting our climate change scientists from funding or from speaking. Or current PM candidate Pierre Poilievre controlling the media following his campaign in an effort to control the message. These may seen small but suppressing journalism is a tactic of autocrats like Orban and Putin.
This well researched and written book is sending me to read some of Off's sources. And her conclusion offers a glimmer of hope if we can continue to make compassionate decisions as a nation.
Off takes us through movements like the Freedom Convoy in Canada, Roe vs Wade and Dr Henry Morgentaler (Canada), Victor Orban in Hungary and those who worship him (Stephen Harper, Jordan Petersen, members of Trump's team), wealthy and hidden anarcho-capitalists working to remove publicly funded social supports like education, Medicaid, and lift rules on the fossil fuel industry amongst others. The goal - an unregulated world with a great poor left to fend for itself and a pocket of extreme wealth with no responsibility to the care of others - just the ability to accumulate and accumulate.
The book opened my thoughts to evidence I had ignored or not seen fully. For example - My once Prime Minister Stephen Harper suppressing the press and restricting our climate change scientists from funding or from speaking. Or current PM candidate Pierre Poilievre controlling the media following his campaign in an effort to control the message. These may seen small but suppressing journalism is a tactic of autocrats like Orban and Putin.
This well researched and written book is sending me to read some of Off's sources. And her conclusion offers a glimmer of hope if we can continue to make compassionate decisions as a nation.
December 29, 2024
It took me some time to warm up to this audiobook. Off speaks so succinctly and articulately that she's almost irritating. There's no doubt which side of the political fence she is on; I even found myself a wee bit offended by the condescending manner in which she bellowed 'Free-dumb' when referencing the 2022 out-of-control trucker debacle, a movement I remain opposed to. Off has not retained any level of objectivity that might be anticipated from a journalist of such high calibre. Perhaps she intended it that way.
That said, there is a wealth of information that, upon doing a little of my own fact checking, I have no reason to doubt the vast bulk of Off's assertions, particularly when it comes to the redefining of commonly used and understood words such as 'truth,' 'choice' and 'democracy'. If you are looking for a deep dive into the roots of our current political situation, not only in the US and Canada but on the World stage, this might be for you. It's scary, damn scary, when you think of the 'alternative facts' being bandied about by individuals in such elevated political positions throughout the World.
If you read nothing else, take time for Off's epilogue. This is a cautionary tale but not without hope. Fingers crossed Canada's leadership takes stock of itself, ends the mudslinging and starts building a united front to the World. 4/5*
That said, there is a wealth of information that, upon doing a little of my own fact checking, I have no reason to doubt the vast bulk of Off's assertions, particularly when it comes to the redefining of commonly used and understood words such as 'truth,' 'choice' and 'democracy'. If you are looking for a deep dive into the roots of our current political situation, not only in the US and Canada but on the World stage, this might be for you. It's scary, damn scary, when you think of the 'alternative facts' being bandied about by individuals in such elevated political positions throughout the World.
If you read nothing else, take time for Off's epilogue. This is a cautionary tale but not without hope. Fingers crossed Canada's leadership takes stock of itself, ends the mudslinging and starts building a united front to the World. 4/5*
December 2, 2024
An informative and worth-while read for anyone concerned about the shifting meaning of words. She explores the history and importance behind the following words:
Freedom, Democracy, Truth, Woke, Choice, Taxes
Here are two quotes that I feel are poignant, I've marked them as spoilers... but they probably aren't as this is a non-fiction book and they won't ruin the ending. ;-)
Reading this book caused me to pull away from the Meta-universe with a switch to Bluesky. I already switched from Chrome and Google to Ecosia. However, this book makes a clear case for considering how we engage in online.
Freedom, Democracy, Truth, Woke, Choice, Taxes
Here are two quotes that I feel are poignant, I've marked them as spoilers... but they probably aren't as this is a non-fiction book and they won't ruin the ending. ;-)
Reading this book caused me to pull away from the Meta-universe with a switch to Bluesky. I already switched from Chrome and Google to Ecosia. However, this book makes a clear case for considering how we engage in online.
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