#Perugia2017 – Alan Friedman’s America

On the first day of the International Journalism Festival 2017, some staff members had the chance to interview American journalist and writer Alan Friedman, who was hosting a panel on American politics in occasion of the release of his new book, This is not America.

With this work, Friedman explores the many different faces of American society, its variety and contradictions, delving into the causes of the staggering inequality affecting the country. From the Mid-West to Wall Street to Trump’s Air Force One, This is not America aims to provide an insight on US society for what it really is.

D: For many years you’ve been writing almost exclusively on European events from the prospective of an American expert on political science. How did this experience influence your latest book, This Is Not America?

This book isn’t an European prospective on America, but about the United States seen by an American. It tries to understand both sides of a clash and to explain to Europeans

what is going on inside America, and wake up Americans to the reality of what is happening inside their country.

D: Recently, Trump has made some unfounded accusations regarding his predecessor. Do you have any remarks regarding this, and would you say it is going to affect the public perception of Trump’s administration in the long run?

I think that Trump’s attacks on Obama, that are false and clearly documented to be false, are part of an attempt to deflect attention away, to distract, to take attention away from RussiaGate and other growing scandals, and also from the failure of Trump to eliminate Obamacare. Thank God he was not able to, because it would have put fifty million Americans out in the streets. So I think that what you see over time is Trump attacking Arnold Schwarzenegger, Trump attacking comedians, Trump being ridiculous. He’s an unpredictable and superficial person.

D: Is there no end to his escapades?

No, I think it will end badly.

D: One last question for you Mr. Friedman. Going back to your latest book. This Is Not America explores many kind of different realities within the US. [In the process] did you find anything that seemed surprising, unexpected or unaccounted for?

I think, for those who will read this book, they will read about the Welfare Society and the Wal-Mart Society, and the racism in America, and gun violence… they will really understand how profound this problem is and how it gave birth to the Trump generation. The Trump generation of leadership, alt-right wings radicals who unfortunately want to undo most of the human rights achievements we’ve built in the past decades. I think Trump is the President, that has to be respected, but as I say in the end of this book it’s the duty of every honest American to speak up for the future.

A cura di Elena Amici e Furio Duratorre.