Left to Their Own Devices
Noah Rothman's book 'Blood & Progress' examines a century of left-wing political violence in the United States, arguing that such violence is part of a recurring pattern enabled by a permissive activist culture. The book highlights numerous recent incidents, including high-profile assassinations and attacks, to challenge the notion that political violence is solely a right-wing phenomenon. The reviewer, writing amid ongoing political violence, underscores how frequent such events have become and how desensitized society has grown.
- ▪The book 'Blood & Progress' by Noah Rothman documents a century of left-wing political violence in America, including assassinations, riots, and terrorism.
- ▪The reviewer notes the assassination of Charlie Kirk in 2025 and multiple assassination attempts on President Donald Trump as pivotal examples of left-wing violence.
- ▪Prominent Democratic figures like Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Bernie Sanders are cited for condemning violence while offering justifications that the book criticizes.
- ▪Incidents covered include the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the Seattle Autonomous Zone, and antisemitic attacks following October 7, 2023.
- ▪The reviewer observes that the frequency of political violence has led to societal numbness, even among those deeply engaged in political discourse.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Politics Left to Their Own Devices REVIEW: 'Blood & Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America' by Noah Rothman (hachettebookgroup.com) Ian Haworth May 17, 2026 image/svg+xml .st0{fill:none;stroke:#384f61;stroke-width:2;stroke-linecap:round;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:10;} .st1{fill:none;stroke:#384f61;stroke-width:2;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:10;} Perhaps the greatest challenge every current affairs author faces is the inevitable decision of where to draw the line. As events continue to remain all-too-current, they must decide where to finally freeze time in place, put down the pen, and accept that no future "current" events will be included.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Washington Free Beacon.
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