too close for comfort

Big Guns by Steve Israel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Big Guns is a political satire recounting the events and resulting political activity that follow up a massive wave of gun violence in Chicago. All the players in our American political establishment are large and in charge, playing their roles to perfection. The author spent 16 years as a member of congress representing New York, and uses his vast insider experience and knowledge to paint a picture of how things really work in American politics. This story is a satire, and if i had read it 2-3 years ago, i would have added the modifier outrageous to the description. And indeed, this story is as outrageous as any i've read. But sadly, it is barely more outrageous that the reality-TV politics we see played out over the last 2 years of the disastrous Trump administration (and it ain't over yet). And because of the political situation in this nation, this satire delivers an equal balance of fun and fear. While the reader laughs at the crazy over-the-top antics of the characters in this story, at the same time, the reader is scared shitless as he or she turns on the TV/radio/social media/etc and finds the same Idiocracy playing out in the U.S. on a daily basis. A worthwhile and fun read, although the tight parallel with our reality is too close for comfort.

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