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How We See It: The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump
224 pages, Paperback
Published June 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 31, 2026
Up and down, as was expected.
Some friends have started to hint that I could stand a return to the optimism of a slightly younger me. I counter that I never abandoned a generally positive outlook, just clothed it with a lackadaisical cantankerousness, but in deference to their wishes I'll comment on three essays I liked, two that left me thinking, and only one of the disappointments.
---
The Good
Palestine - "The Question of America" is batted at by all of these essays, but none grasp it so well as al-Zaqzouq, for whom the country has loomed overhead literally and figuratively. Plus, some of the best writing in the collection is here.
Canada - I've poked fun at Canadians and their lack of a cultural identity outside of ice hockey and not being America. I did not know there had been an intellectual and political movement to build and enshrine that very identity (well not the hockey part but the non-Americanness). Still not sure it's a great pillar to lean on in the long run, but it's serving them alright at the moment.
Italy - The opening gelato scene with the "glacial" American tourists was a bit silly. In two trips to the north of their country, I have never encountered an Italian in a rush to accomplish anything. But the author was having fun, and his writing stands out above the rest here. The second and third parts, with their use of cold-brew and a hodge-podge tourist trap, summed to a good reflection on the relentless march of commercialism.
...I imagine a scene in Londinium of 50 A.D.: Two locals, future veterans under Boudica, perhaps, watch as Roman merchants thrash about in the mud, struggling to keep their pack animals in motion. The roads will be here soon. Baths to follow. "They have arrived."
---
The Interesting
Ahmed Naji's piece from Egypt (by way of Las Vegas) mentions in passing the shocking power of the American media machine, as illustrated by how many Americans seem to think Saddam Hussein had something, anything to do with 9/11, even years after the invasion of Iraq had gone south. That set off alarm bells for me. I can buy that plenty of my fellow countrymen have merged Iraq and Afghanistan into one "forever-war" - thus blurring the justifications provided for each. But that the media writ-large played some intentional role in this on behalf of the Bush administration seemed a stretch.
Yes and no. Bush and co. certainly were doing their damndest to tie Iraq to terror, and thus to 9/11. The "Axis of Evil" speech was a deliberate obfuscation of dynamics in the Middle East. And while there were mainstream outlets pointing this out as early as 2003, it doesn't seem the pushback got nearly as much traction as the initial claims.... A humbling lesson for my reactionary contrarianism. For ignorance of this all in 2004 I can plead being six years old. I cannot plead anything in 2026, not with my job and my supposed interests.
The Taiwan essay is a hard one to sit with. I do not know the answer to the Taiwan problem. A fight in China's backyard would be warfare unlike anything we Americans have known for the past 80 years. And we may well lose. Leaving the island high and dry will likely result in a brutal war, the final death rattle of our project of globalized democracy.
---
The Bad
India: The whole collection is opened with a bunch of vague hand-waiving tied-off with a final line of brazen journalistic cowardice.
Some friends have started to hint that I could stand a return to the optimism of a slightly younger me. I counter that I never abandoned a generally positive outlook, just clothed it with a lackadaisical cantankerousness, but in deference to their wishes I'll comment on three essays I liked, two that left me thinking, and only one of the disappointments.
---
The Good
Palestine - "The Question of America" is batted at by all of these essays, but none grasp it so well as al-Zaqzouq, for whom the country has loomed overhead literally and figuratively. Plus, some of the best writing in the collection is here.
Canada - I've poked fun at Canadians and their lack of a cultural identity outside of ice hockey and not being America. I did not know there had been an intellectual and political movement to build and enshrine that very identity (well not the hockey part but the non-Americanness). Still not sure it's a great pillar to lean on in the long run, but it's serving them alright at the moment.
Italy - The opening gelato scene with the "glacial" American tourists was a bit silly. In two trips to the north of their country, I have never encountered an Italian in a rush to accomplish anything. But the author was having fun, and his writing stands out above the rest here. The second and third parts, with their use of cold-brew and a hodge-podge tourist trap, summed to a good reflection on the relentless march of commercialism.
...I imagine a scene in Londinium of 50 A.D.: Two locals, future veterans under Boudica, perhaps, watch as Roman merchants thrash about in the mud, struggling to keep their pack animals in motion. The roads will be here soon. Baths to follow. "They have arrived."
---
The Interesting
Ahmed Naji's piece from Egypt (by way of Las Vegas) mentions in passing the shocking power of the American media machine, as illustrated by how many Americans seem to think Saddam Hussein had something, anything to do with 9/11, even years after the invasion of Iraq had gone south. That set off alarm bells for me. I can buy that plenty of my fellow countrymen have merged Iraq and Afghanistan into one "forever-war" - thus blurring the justifications provided for each. But that the media writ-large played some intentional role in this on behalf of the Bush administration seemed a stretch.
Yes and no. Bush and co. certainly were doing their damndest to tie Iraq to terror, and thus to 9/11. The "Axis of Evil" speech was a deliberate obfuscation of dynamics in the Middle East. And while there were mainstream outlets pointing this out as early as 2003, it doesn't seem the pushback got nearly as much traction as the initial claims.... A humbling lesson for my reactionary contrarianism. For ignorance of this all in 2004 I can plead being six years old. I cannot plead anything in 2026, not with my job and my supposed interests.
The Taiwan essay is a hard one to sit with. I do not know the answer to the Taiwan problem. A fight in China's backyard would be warfare unlike anything we Americans have known for the past 80 years. And we may well lose. Leaving the island high and dry will likely result in a brutal war, the final death rattle of our project of globalized democracy.
---
The Bad
India: The whole collection is opened with a bunch of vague hand-waiving tied-off with a final line of brazen journalistic cowardice.
July 14, 2026
How We See It: The World Looks at America in the Age of Trump offers a fascinating and much needed shift in perspective by asking readers to step outside the United States and view America through the eyes of observers around the world.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its international scope. Rather than presenting another internal debate about American politics, this collection gathers voices that examine how the country's political developments, democratic institutions, global influence, and cultural identity are perceived beyond its borders. That outside perspective makes familiar issues feel fresh and often surprisingly revealing.
The essays are thoughtful, balanced, and intellectually engaging. Contributors explore not only the political consequences of the Trump era but also broader questions about democracy, leadership, media, diplomacy, and America's evolving role in international affairs. Together, they demonstrate how events within one nation can reverberate across the globe.
What I particularly appreciated is the diversity of viewpoints represented throughout the collection. Rather than promoting a single narrative, the essays encourage readers to engage with different cultural, historical, and geopolitical perspectives. This richness makes the book valuable not only as political commentary but also as an exploration of how nations understand one another.
The writing is accessible without sacrificing analytical depth, making complex international issues approachable for general readers while still offering meaningful insights for those already interested in politics and global affairs.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its international scope. Rather than presenting another internal debate about American politics, this collection gathers voices that examine how the country's political developments, democratic institutions, global influence, and cultural identity are perceived beyond its borders. That outside perspective makes familiar issues feel fresh and often surprisingly revealing.
The essays are thoughtful, balanced, and intellectually engaging. Contributors explore not only the political consequences of the Trump era but also broader questions about democracy, leadership, media, diplomacy, and America's evolving role in international affairs. Together, they demonstrate how events within one nation can reverberate across the globe.
What I particularly appreciated is the diversity of viewpoints represented throughout the collection. Rather than promoting a single narrative, the essays encourage readers to engage with different cultural, historical, and geopolitical perspectives. This richness makes the book valuable not only as political commentary but also as an exploration of how nations understand one another.
The writing is accessible without sacrificing analytical depth, making complex international issues approachable for general readers while still offering meaningful insights for those already interested in politics and global affairs.
July 2, 2026
3.5, rounded up. A few of these pieces felt, to me, like they had already been written but the author inserted a paragraph about trumpf, thus making the piece qualify for the collection. BUT... several were excellent, especially Nataliya Gumenyuk's essay (Ukraine). Her essay really made me think. Another favorite was Kaya Genc's (Turkey). Definitely a worthwhile and important read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews