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The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear
A dark comedy set at a contested Republican convention, written by a veteran political insider—the funniest and most prescient novel about politics in years.
“[Stevens] brings a full arsenal of gifts to this humor, tactile prose and an insider’s knowledge of the hardball tactics employed on the campaign trail…. By far the most interesting parts of this novel are the behind-the-scenes accounts of the tactical and strategic maneuvering of political operatives …Stevens is a terrific raconteur — funny, observant and highly entertaining.” –Michiko Kakutani The New York Times
New Orleans in it's hot and sticky and squalid. J. D. Callahan is in the middle of the political race of his life and displeased to be back in his hometown. His candidate, the sitting vice president, is neck and neck with an anti-immigrant, right-wing populist as the Republicans head into their first brokered convention in decades on the heels of a staggering global economic crisis. Soon after a series of dye bombs set off a mass panic and tilt the convention toward the vice president’s law-and-order opponent, J. D.’s estranged brother shows up and asks for an inconvenient favor at a most inconvenient time, threatening to reveal a family secret that would ruin the legacy of their civil rights journalist father and destroy J. D.’s own reputation if he doesn’t follow through.
As J. D. scrambles to contain the damage on all sides, he finds himself contending with a sexy, gun-toting gossip columnist, an FBI agent convinced that J. D. is devious enough to set the bombs himself, and an old corrupt political friend of his late father with a not-so-hidden agenda. For the first time ever, J. D. is forced to reconcile the political career he’s always put first with the past he’s tried to leave behind as they careen toward each other on a disastrous collision course he may not be able to stop.
Hilarious and remarkably sharp, Stuart Stevens’s The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear is an endlessly enterTaining whodunit and a brilliant satire of our political culture.
“[Stevens] brings a full arsenal of gifts to this humor, tactile prose and an insider’s knowledge of the hardball tactics employed on the campaign trail…. By far the most interesting parts of this novel are the behind-the-scenes accounts of the tactical and strategic maneuvering of political operatives …Stevens is a terrific raconteur — funny, observant and highly entertaining.” –Michiko Kakutani The New York Times
New Orleans in it's hot and sticky and squalid. J. D. Callahan is in the middle of the political race of his life and displeased to be back in his hometown. His candidate, the sitting vice president, is neck and neck with an anti-immigrant, right-wing populist as the Republicans head into their first brokered convention in decades on the heels of a staggering global economic crisis. Soon after a series of dye bombs set off a mass panic and tilt the convention toward the vice president’s law-and-order opponent, J. D.’s estranged brother shows up and asks for an inconvenient favor at a most inconvenient time, threatening to reveal a family secret that would ruin the legacy of their civil rights journalist father and destroy J. D.’s own reputation if he doesn’t follow through.
As J. D. scrambles to contain the damage on all sides, he finds himself contending with a sexy, gun-toting gossip columnist, an FBI agent convinced that J. D. is devious enough to set the bombs himself, and an old corrupt political friend of his late father with a not-so-hidden agenda. For the first time ever, J. D. is forced to reconcile the political career he’s always put first with the past he’s tried to leave behind as they careen toward each other on a disastrous collision course he may not be able to stop.
Hilarious and remarkably sharp, Stuart Stevens’s The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear is an endlessly enterTaining whodunit and a brilliant satire of our political culture.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2016
About the author
Stuart Stevens
14 books84 followersAn American travel writer, political consultant and Daily Beast columnist. He is the cofounder of Washington, DC-based political media consultancy Stevens & Schriefer Group. He served as a top strategist for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
July 8, 2016
The problem, as usual, is Donald Trump.
What satirist can keep pace with his exponentially rising outrageousness? The mocking of a disabled reporter, the demonization of religious minorities, the boasting about his genitals, the bragging about his wealth: A literary form based on exaggerating a subject’s foibles for comic effect must finally collapse in exhausted awe at The Donald’s (very large) feet.
This, alas, is where we find ourselves in Stuart Stevens’s new novel, “The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear.” A longtime political consultant — he was a strategist for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign — Stevens sets his story in the middle of a contested Republican convention in sweltering New Orleans. The GOP delegates must choose between a fire breather named Armstrong George, who wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, and Vice President Hilda Smith, “a squeaky-clean Republican of the old school.” But with the economy in free-fall, xenophobia soaring and the voters terrified, nobody’s in the mood for the vice president’s. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
What satirist can keep pace with his exponentially rising outrageousness? The mocking of a disabled reporter, the demonization of religious minorities, the boasting about his genitals, the bragging about his wealth: A literary form based on exaggerating a subject’s foibles for comic effect must finally collapse in exhausted awe at The Donald’s (very large) feet.
This, alas, is where we find ourselves in Stuart Stevens’s new novel, “The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear.” A longtime political consultant — he was a strategist for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign — Stevens sets his story in the middle of a contested Republican convention in sweltering New Orleans. The GOP delegates must choose between a fire breather named Armstrong George, who wants to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, and Vice President Hilda Smith, “a squeaky-clean Republican of the old school.” But with the economy in free-fall, xenophobia soaring and the voters terrified, nobody’s in the mood for the vice president’s. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
July 5, 2016
I loved his last book and I think he is the King of Twitter, but maybe heightened expectations took the edge off for me. At one point, the main character thinks 'It was all so desperate it might just work.' It is such lazy cliched writing that I started wondering that the improbability of how predictive this novel is of current political realities caused the publisher to push it out prematurely. I really liked the family resolution but the main resolution was much too pat to be plausible. It is a slight somewhat entertaining summer read, but this one had the possibility of being so much more.
January 18, 2023
The Innocent Have Nothing to Fear is funniest (and more informative) at the beginning. And it had some clever lines as well:
"partied like death-row inmates paroled for one night."
"it was like accusing a supermodel of being thin. That was the point."
"We cannot sacrifice American values to protect American values"
The utter cynicism of campaigning was not a revelation, but I liked reading about some of its practical applications. Unfortunately, Stuart Stevens had to rely on his imagination for the rest of the book, and it ranged too far afield - kind of having Martians appear to stuff the ballot boxes. I’d recommend the book to readers intrigued by behind the scenes politicking and willing to filter out a fair amount of nonsense.
The only reason I bothered to review this book was so I could inform amazed readers that the Piggly Wiggly name for a chain of supermarkets was not something ridiculous Stevens made up. It was made up by a guy named Clarence Saunders who invented it as a name for a self-service grocery store he invented. Used to be Piggly Wiggly supermarkets all over the U.S. and some still exist - by that name - in the American South.
"partied like death-row inmates paroled for one night."
"it was like accusing a supermodel of being thin. That was the point."
"We cannot sacrifice American values to protect American values"
The utter cynicism of campaigning was not a revelation, but I liked reading about some of its practical applications. Unfortunately, Stuart Stevens had to rely on his imagination for the rest of the book, and it ranged too far afield - kind of having Martians appear to stuff the ballot boxes. I’d recommend the book to readers intrigued by behind the scenes politicking and willing to filter out a fair amount of nonsense.
The only reason I bothered to review this book was so I could inform amazed readers that the Piggly Wiggly name for a chain of supermarkets was not something ridiculous Stevens made up. It was made up by a guy named Clarence Saunders who invented it as a name for a self-service grocery store he invented. Used to be Piggly Wiggly supermarkets all over the U.S. and some still exist - by that name - in the American South.
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July 12, 2016For more reviews, check out www.ebooksandcooks.com
Written by a top strategist from Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, this book is a look into the craziness of a contested Republican convention where neither candidate has enough delegate votes to win on a first ballot. Stevens said he began writing this book about a traditional GOP female Vice President running against a bombastic Trump-like Colorado Governor while on the trail with Romney. The novel follows the VP’s campaign manager through the contested convention in his hometown, New Orleans.
At the beginning of this book, the campaign manager introduces a lot of the country’s problems, and it’s much worse in this hypothetical future than it is now. Foreign currency markets have collapsed, unemployment is up at 24%, and those who are working are often on strike. You get it. Things are bad. The current (Republican) president in the book isn’t even running for a second term. His original Vice President resigned in disgrace, and he appointed Vermont Governor Hilda Smith as VP. J.D. Callahan is her campaign manager, and he is less than pleased to be back in his hometown. If J.D. can make it through this campaign and come out on top, he has been promised his own streaming news show with creative control, which is his dream job. He’s been running campaigns for years and is tired and ready to retire.
J.D. is a rebel in his family for going Republican. His father, Powell Callahan, was a white civil rights leader and a staunch Democrat. When J.D. rolls into town, he’s got to contend with family. His brother, Paul, is a convicted and pardoned felon now running for local office. He wants money for his campaign. J.D. also has a secret half brother, Tyler, that he’s trying to hide. Tyler is running a strip club/protection racket and is a supporter of Armstrong George (the Trump-like character), Smith and J.D.’s competition.
Within his own campaign, he’s constantly arguing with Smith’s chief-of-staff, Lisa. Smith had made her friend and confidant, Lisa, her campaign manager. After placing third in Iowa, J.D. was poised to swoop in and promise her a win in New Hampshire. When J.D. delivered, he got the job, much to Lisa’s chagrin. J.D. is also sleeping with the media strategist, Ginny, who he can count on as an ally. There’s an entire cast of a major political campaign that I won’t introduce completely here. The only major character on Armstrong George’s side is his son Somerfield, a consummate yes man.
The book starts out with a dye bombing. Only one person is injured, a minor staffer for the Smith campaign, but it has all the delegates scared. It’s not good for Smith’s image as a voice of reconciliation. It is good for George, who is trying to pass a new Bill of Rights through Congress that aims to be tougher on terrorism, calls for universal gun ownership, and wants to keep brown people (non-Europeans) out of the country.
One major complaint I have about this book is that there are too many characters. This is already one of my longest reviews, and I haven’t scratched the surface of major players. If you’ve never noticed the 25/85 rule, I’ll fill you in. When you read on Kindle, you notice that most novels have their major characters and storylines set up by about 25% in and the author starts wrapping things up around 85% in. Stevens was still introducing major characters and plot points at over 40% in. That was frustrating. There were just too many people and too many agendas to keep up with.
However, if you can keep the characters straight, it is an enjoyable book. It is just over 250 pages, and I suggest reading it in no more than two or three sessions, so you don’t get confused. I do recommend this book.
Written by a top strategist from Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, this book is a look into the craziness of a contested Republican convention where neither candidate has enough delegate votes to win on a first ballot. Stevens said he began writing this book about a traditional GOP female Vice President running against a bombastic Trump-like Colorado Governor while on the trail with Romney. The novel follows the VP’s campaign manager through the contested convention in his hometown, New Orleans.
At the beginning of this book, the campaign manager introduces a lot of the country’s problems, and it’s much worse in this hypothetical future than it is now. Foreign currency markets have collapsed, unemployment is up at 24%, and those who are working are often on strike. You get it. Things are bad. The current (Republican) president in the book isn’t even running for a second term. His original Vice President resigned in disgrace, and he appointed Vermont Governor Hilda Smith as VP. J.D. Callahan is her campaign manager, and he is less than pleased to be back in his hometown. If J.D. can make it through this campaign and come out on top, he has been promised his own streaming news show with creative control, which is his dream job. He’s been running campaigns for years and is tired and ready to retire.
J.D. is a rebel in his family for going Republican. His father, Powell Callahan, was a white civil rights leader and a staunch Democrat. When J.D. rolls into town, he’s got to contend with family. His brother, Paul, is a convicted and pardoned felon now running for local office. He wants money for his campaign. J.D. also has a secret half brother, Tyler, that he’s trying to hide. Tyler is running a strip club/protection racket and is a supporter of Armstrong George (the Trump-like character), Smith and J.D.’s competition.
Within his own campaign, he’s constantly arguing with Smith’s chief-of-staff, Lisa. Smith had made her friend and confidant, Lisa, her campaign manager. After placing third in Iowa, J.D. was poised to swoop in and promise her a win in New Hampshire. When J.D. delivered, he got the job, much to Lisa’s chagrin. J.D. is also sleeping with the media strategist, Ginny, who he can count on as an ally. There’s an entire cast of a major political campaign that I won’t introduce completely here. The only major character on Armstrong George’s side is his son Somerfield, a consummate yes man.
The book starts out with a dye bombing. Only one person is injured, a minor staffer for the Smith campaign, but it has all the delegates scared. It’s not good for Smith’s image as a voice of reconciliation. It is good for George, who is trying to pass a new Bill of Rights through Congress that aims to be tougher on terrorism, calls for universal gun ownership, and wants to keep brown people (non-Europeans) out of the country.
One major complaint I have about this book is that there are too many characters. This is already one of my longest reviews, and I haven’t scratched the surface of major players. If you’ve never noticed the 25/85 rule, I’ll fill you in. When you read on Kindle, you notice that most novels have their major characters and storylines set up by about 25% in and the author starts wrapping things up around 85% in. Stevens was still introducing major characters and plot points at over 40% in. That was frustrating. There were just too many people and too many agendas to keep up with.
However, if you can keep the characters straight, it is an enjoyable book. It is just over 250 pages, and I suggest reading it in no more than two or three sessions, so you don’t get confused. I do recommend this book.
June 24, 2016
pointless. i'd rather read Wolf Blitzer's script for a week's worth of campaign coverage. about as much depth here as to be found in that sad, puffed cockatoo.
seriously, in this campaign season: why read this? the protagonist wants to win big on a losing politician so he can make this his "last campaign and get famous as a pundit". not the kind of person worth spending time with in real life, and certainly not worth reading about. run, don't walk away.
he hopes to woo a CNN journalist in the spin room after a debate (that's Stevens' inside baseball, 'spin room', 'field operatives' of the political class): "Don't you think Florida would benefit from having a Cuban American female as governor?" at least the journo has some class, smiling nicely before ripping it: "So the best case you can make for your candidate is what she achieved before she was born?"
no need to make a political argument here. the writing is academic, banal; the story a script from this season's news.
seriously, in this campaign season: why read this? the protagonist wants to win big on a losing politician so he can make this his "last campaign and get famous as a pundit". not the kind of person worth spending time with in real life, and certainly not worth reading about. run, don't walk away.
he hopes to woo a CNN journalist in the spin room after a debate (that's Stevens' inside baseball, 'spin room', 'field operatives' of the political class): "Don't you think Florida would benefit from having a Cuban American female as governor?" at least the journo has some class, smiling nicely before ripping it: "So the best case you can make for your candidate is what she achieved before she was born?"
no need to make a political argument here. the writing is academic, banal; the story a script from this season's news.
July 22, 2016
Terrible. Interesting concept, especially in light of current political circumstances, however, this novel reads like a cheap third-rate film and is poorly constructed from beginning to end. It's to "Advise and Consent" what "Sharknado" is to "Jaws."
Even worse than the AWFUL writing is the hastily developed plot, which takes the story of a disputed convention and infantilizes it by including elements that make it utterly unbelievable.
If you were hoping to read this for a "behind-the-scenes" account of a presidential convention, move on, because this book isn't worth the paper it's written on.
Even worse than the AWFUL writing is the hastily developed plot, which takes the story of a disputed convention and infantilizes it by including elements that make it utterly unbelievable.
If you were hoping to read this for a "behind-the-scenes" account of a presidential convention, move on, because this book isn't worth the paper it's written on.
June 17, 2016
Unfortunately, almost nothing about this book is any good. The characters are flat and often incoherent. The dialogue is a bad imitation of witty banter. The sentences and paragraphs are choppy and mangled. The plot is tepid. The ending is a total cheat. It's just not good.
The cover design, on the other hand, is great. Kudos to the designer. But if the cover is the best part of your book, you're in trouble.
The cover design, on the other hand, is great. Kudos to the designer. But if the cover is the best part of your book, you're in trouble.
August 17, 2016
4 stars i f you are into politics and can stand thinking about the current presidential race.
this is a book set at the beginning of the Republican convention with many echoes to our current situation. Lots of humor and a nice diversion if the cynicism can be thought of as a diversion
this is a book set at the beginning of the Republican convention with many echoes to our current situation. Lots of humor and a nice diversion if the cynicism can be thought of as a diversion
October 11, 2016
JD is the campaign manager for one of the candidates in the race to be the Republican candidate. As the country is sliding into complete disaster under a Republican president, the choice is between JD's candidate, the Vice President who was appointed after the previous VP had to resign, and a demagogue who comes across as a more violent version of Trump.
Things are coming to a head as the RNC convention opens in New Orleans, JD's home town, which he would have liked to have avoided at all costs. And now he's dealing with bombs that are chasing away delegates for the VP, his brother Paul -- a former football star running for local office and looking for money -- and his half-brother Tyler -- former soldier, scarred, neo-Nazi, owner of a strip bar.
And despite all this, in the end, the book doesn't hold a candle to what is happening in the real presidential race of 2016. Still, the characters were engaging, and the story was interesting.
Now, if you want to read an election story that will make you laugh yourself silly, I would suggest The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis.
Things are coming to a head as the RNC convention opens in New Orleans, JD's home town, which he would have liked to have avoided at all costs. And now he's dealing with bombs that are chasing away delegates for the VP, his brother Paul -- a former football star running for local office and looking for money -- and his half-brother Tyler -- former soldier, scarred, neo-Nazi, owner of a strip bar.
And despite all this, in the end, the book doesn't hold a candle to what is happening in the real presidential race of 2016. Still, the characters were engaging, and the story was interesting.
Now, if you want to read an election story that will make you laugh yourself silly, I would suggest The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis.
October 17, 2016
This isn't the kind of thing I usually pick up - a political satire - but I found myself enjoying it, probably because it so accurately depicts the current state of American politics. I don't know how Stevens got this out so fast or got the politics so dead-on, but it's a good, quick read.
And it's alarmingly close to reality, especially considering the recent bombing of a Republican office in North Carolina. I'm beginning to wonder if Stevens has some kind of psychic window into the future of politics.
The book follows JD Callahan, campaign manager to Republican vice president Hilda Smith, who is taking a run at the presidency. Dirty tricks abound in the political arena, but JD manages to be likable even when he's doing dirty work on his candidate's behalf. A series of bombings at the Republican convention threaten to stir things up, especially when JD starts to suspect they might be connected to a family secret -- but the plot doesn't unfold in quite the way I'd expect, which was a nice surprise.
It briefly filled the West Wing-shaped hole in my heart, too, which was a nice feeling.
And it's alarmingly close to reality, especially considering the recent bombing of a Republican office in North Carolina. I'm beginning to wonder if Stevens has some kind of psychic window into the future of politics.
The book follows JD Callahan, campaign manager to Republican vice president Hilda Smith, who is taking a run at the presidency. Dirty tricks abound in the political arena, but JD manages to be likable even when he's doing dirty work on his candidate's behalf. A series of bombings at the Republican convention threaten to stir things up, especially when JD starts to suspect they might be connected to a family secret -- but the plot doesn't unfold in quite the way I'd expect, which was a nice surprise.
It briefly filled the West Wing-shaped hole in my heart, too, which was a nice feeling.
June 24, 2018
I would have preferred reading about an actual campaign to the one Stevens creates here, even as it somewhat mirrored, eerily so, the 2016 Republican primary and the general election- pitting the moderate establishment against a contender with extreme views who wants to "blow things up." The problem with Stevens' fictional account has less to do with the plot, which was reasonably compelling, and everything to do with the development of the characters. Stevens created truly unlikeable one-dimensional characters. I found myself not caring what happened to any of them. If that was his aim, I'll raise my review to 3.5. I did enjoy that the novel was set in New Orleans - obviously Stevens has been there, perhaps lived there at one point in his life. He even referred to Igantius, a hat tip to the classic New Orleans set novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, but Stevens is no John Kennedy Toole.
August 3, 2018
This political satire was a timely read, especially since it was released amid the spectacle that was the 2016 presidential election. When you turn American politics into a circus, there's a good chance that the dancing bear will win. And it did. Anyway, this entertaining yarn is a about a campaign manager who becomes embroiled in a heated race for the presidential nomination of the GOP at the Republican National Convention in New Orleans, the most colorful city in America. I really liked the inside details of the backroom deals involved in the dirty business of politics. The plot kinda meanders, just like Trump's drivel at campaign rallies. Nevertheless, if you're a political monster who enjoys watching endless news cycles, then this novel might be just for you. Don't forget to vote. That is all.
July 6, 2016
A surprisingly good political thriller-comedy. As steamy as a Southern summer night, this book has some twists and turns and a satisfying ending. Though I had a bit of an issue with the language, I could see this plot playing well as a TV movie. It's not high art, but it's a fun diversion of a page-turner.
January 22, 2018
I listened to about a quarter of this. Dan John Miller's voice is fantastic, but that was the only thing keeping me in the book. The prologue was mostly a series of insults towards fat people, and from there it went nowhere. I couldn't tell the difference between the ex girlfriend and the potential girlfriend, and the male characters had even less personality.
September 19, 2016
Perfect timing to read this book about a presidential election and what goes on behind the scenes. Just HAPPENS to be about a non-politician running for elected office for the first time and the first woman presidential candidate.
September 14, 2016
Very short, political intrigue book. I thought it was fine, but nothing extraordinary. Take it to the beach or the pool.
October 17, 2016
Good not great. Felt like the ending left me wanting.
August 21, 2017
An interesting idea for a book that isn't fully realized. A quick read and enjoyable nonetheless.
January 2, 2018
3.5 stars, really. Entertaining and humorous how it kind of predicted recent political events. Quick and kinda fun.
January 15, 2018
3.5 stars...
January 28, 2019
Was hard to get through. Very dry. Only finished cause your girl ain’t no quitter 💪
February 2, 2019
The first 200 pages are fantastic and a wonderful behind the scenes look in to politics. The last 50 pages spiral in to something completely different....and not in a good way
February 8, 2026
*** Possible Spoilers ***
This was pretty good but I think it was written at least a few months and possibly several years before it should have been. True, to some extent it satirizes Donald Trump, but it was written before the first presidential election in 2016 and had the author waited, he'd have had quite a bit more to work with. Mainly it satirized the electoral process, specifically the primaries but it seems he had an inkling for how they would turn out based on how he sets up his characters. Armstrong George is a far right presidential candidate. These being primaries, he is running against another Republican; however, the candidate in question is quite liberal and Hilda is remarkably similar to Hillary Clinton. In case the reader doesn't get the similarity, Hilda is currently in office as a vice president. The satire is biting but the humour is limited and I didn't like the ending very much Still, overall it was an enjoyable red.
This was pretty good but I think it was written at least a few months and possibly several years before it should have been. True, to some extent it satirizes Donald Trump, but it was written before the first presidential election in 2016 and had the author waited, he'd have had quite a bit more to work with. Mainly it satirized the electoral process, specifically the primaries but it seems he had an inkling for how they would turn out based on how he sets up his characters. Armstrong George is a far right presidential candidate. These being primaries, he is running against another Republican; however, the candidate in question is quite liberal and Hilda is remarkably similar to Hillary Clinton. In case the reader doesn't get the similarity, Hilda is currently in office as a vice president. The satire is biting but the humour is limited and I didn't like the ending very much Still, overall it was an enjoyable red.
December 4, 2020
About a Presidential Campaign manager who goes to the national convention to what may e a brokered convention, turns out it is his hometown. His never-do-well brothers show up and things implode/explode.
Initially a tightly-written political drama, then the author brings in the most easy/lame villain. Swearing.
Initially a tightly-written political drama, then the author brings in the most easy/lame villain. Swearing.
June 15, 2018
An awesome book about political Shenanigans to win nomination as presidential candidate. Very timely for our current political situation.
It's a very good book and would be a good discussion Book for a book club.
It's a very good book and would be a good discussion Book for a book club.
March 20, 2017
Talk about topical! This author is obviously savvy about US politics & sets up a page-turner with characters who are realistically complex. Funny, fast read.
February 1, 2023
Decent quick read.if you like the show Veep and casually follow politics I would give this a try.
January 6, 2025
"ok, not horrible, not great"
July 14, 2025
Pretty good, but affirms any cycicism you've got inside you...
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