Very Fine People

by A.R. Moxon

For some people, the rise of Donald Trump's MAGA cult represented only ongoing proof of a supremacist nation they had endured all along. Author A.R. Moxon was not one of them. He was caught unaware. Thus begins this confession of an American fool, a methodical mapping of the nation the author failed to see-a nation of "very fine people" too convinced they are exceptionally good to acknowledge the ways they participate in abuse and harm. 




This essay collection contemplates what to do about a populist far-right authoritarian uprising involving so many of our friends and family members. Written from 2016 to 2023, it is a work of progressing awareness, pondering the questions "how did we get here?" and "what do we do about it?"



With clarity and wit, Moxon charts the insidious and destructive nature of American supremacy -the foundational lies empowering it, the social instinct accommodating it, the systemic sabotage of shared human society entrenching it into all of our lives-and finds some tools that might let us oppose it by becoming people who fix what is broken ... which means realizing, at long last, who the "very fine people" truly are. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Essays

Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2024

About the author

Husband. Father. Uncle. Second-cousin. Mango-enjoyer. Runner of many 10Ks. Rhythm-enjoyer but not rhythm-haver. Tall, but not tall-tall. Only somewhat clumsy.

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Reviews

[Jeff Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A. R. Moxon (author of The Revisionaries, which you should read, FYI) is one of the most engaging, empathetic, thorough, meticulous essayists you'll find in these trying times. Very Fine People is his collection of essays originally published via The Re-Frame (it's on the intertoobz, look it up) that analyzes the false dichotomy of the "both sides" framing of life, politics, and the whole enchilada of the USA. A master class in reason and compassion, Very Fine People is part Vonnegut (think Man Without a Country), part Marx (Groucho), and all together enlightening.

[Jrfh50]

I'm savoring every thought transition, every response to the coarsening of outward spirit around the writer. So wish I'd had this book [and the framing it makes possible for me and the world I track] back when the writer starts this collection. I've recently caught on to The Reframe, and can say his current writing--as essential as this book--resonates all the more having read his depiction of the careful and deliberate progression of 'confusion', ultimately about what is brutal to our shared and open, if we are lucky, experience as connected humans. Trust me, this kind of thinking has been baking. I actually think of De Tocqueville. Not so much the writing, per se, but the vista, the perspective, the longing in the juxtaposition of worlds.

[Tartan Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most soul-searching and thought provoking books I’ve ever read. A R Moxon challenges the reader to think deeply about the role of supremacy in our world and about our complicity with or opposition to that supremacy. The goal is to become agents of redemption - to fix that which is broken and to align our compass accordingly as we commit to make the journey.

I love Moxon’s style almost as much as the message. His writing is a pure work of art in and of itself. It challenges the reader to slow down, pause, and re-read what you’ve just read to see if you understood what was said. The journey is in a sense also the destination.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I intended to finish this book before Election Day 2024.

Now it is that day, but at least I finished it before the day ended, before the polls close. Because I know this may be the most important day for the rest of my life.

A lot of this book concerns ideas and concepts I’ve heard and read about countless times over the past decade, especially coming from marginalized voices from multiple facets of this conglomeration we call the United States. Much of this is not new to me or to others, but the format is: less a series of articles or reports, but a serious self-examination and set of internal philosophies, set in motion by a self-described American white cishet upper-middle class Christian man, or as he puts it “an American fool.” Being a fairly WASP-y (emphasis on the W and P) white cis upper-middle class woman myself, I know that members of our privileged status need to speak out often about our privileges and responsibilities within a society that very much vaunts us to the top, and A.R. Moxon provides this in spades without being condescending or losing any ounce of compassion, or putting our feelings above the safety and welfare of people much less privileged than us.

I don’t know what will happen today, or tomorrow, or within the next few weeks, or on Inauguration Day next January. No matter who wins, there will always be a not-insignificant portion of the population that desires a return to full-throttle white patriarchal supremacy and will do anything to get it, and is backed by numerous organizations and politicians eager to help them achieve that vision, and entire institutions that will let that happen by design. These are frightening times—and I know that even if I would not be personally affected (which I most definitely will, with my health and bodily autonomy being constantly threatened), there are far more people who will be, and who do not have the option to just have a positive outlook for the future.

It will be a fight, not just a physical one, but an emotional and spiritual one to remain human, to fight for our rights and our humanity, and to stand with others in solidarity in order to achieve this. As Moxon puts it, it takes real strength to hope for a better future, and requires real determination and action in order to make it so.

I’m glad Moxon is one of many voices that stands with humanity, and I’m glad this book exists. And in the coming days, weeks, and years, I will carry this voice, and countless others’, with me, to remind me of what is at stake, and that a better future is not farcical or far-fetched but achievable, if only we have the courage.

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a long time to read this book, not because it's badly written - it's very well written. But... I began it in one frame of mind, in October 2024, with a lot of hope, and finished in a very different world, with sadness, and determination, a few days ago.

We live in a world, now, of "Very Fine People," aka Nat-C's, as well as conservative wealth supremacists, and while it sucks, only if we understand them better can we understand and come up with antidotes for their toxic beliefs.

Nat-C's believe "that queer people should be permitted to exist in the world only to the degree that conservative Christians agree they may exist, or else conservative Christians get very uncomfortable, and what so many non-Christians forget these days is that Christian comfort is much more important than anyone else’s, and failing to realize that is oppressing Christians on religious grounds."

And the money hoarders might not have particular religious beliefs, except that THEIR money is sacred. "And there are conservative wealth supremacists, who believe that people with money deserve to live and people who don’t have money don’t deserve to live unless they can be made profitable, and so find the sight of any expenditure that exists simply for the public good without thought to profit to be very oppressive, even though they would remain hugely wealthy even if they were taxed in a way commensurate to the value they had received from society."

There's often dark humor and a lot of insight into this collection of essays. It doesn't sugarcoat anything, but there IS still much hope, and many things we can do do push back against the "Very Fine People."

[B OH · Rating 5 out of 5]

A R Moxon is very skilled at distilling topics to their very essences. In this insightful, humorous, very well-written book, he shines light on the cancer causing America's so-called "polarization" and then maps the route to treat it and bring about a healthy world based on equality, kindness, and continuous improvement. He uses recent events, history, and metaphor to demonstrate both the finer elements and the big picture of where we are, how we got here, and how to build a better world. Every sentence and every essay in here builds to his hopeful conclusion. He shows the deepest elements at play in our current crises and the steps to take both as individuals and collectively to create a nation that finally lives up to its founding ideals. This is one of the best books I have ever read and it is extremely important to our current times. I encourage everyone who possibly can to read it and share it.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and valuable read. Helps make sense of a lot of the seemingly unimaginable things that have happened in the past eight years, and gets to the heart of some very important matters—most important a clear-eyed and honest understanding of where America is as a country, the damaging foundational lies that got us here, and how we might grope our way forward to something better, fairer, and more equitable. Here's hoping.

[Anna Thaler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moxon stream-of-consciousness writing follows a dense but worthwhile topic that is still timely in 2025. I appreciated his honest and harsh look at the “blameless supremacy” elements in the US. The only big miss for me was that he didn’t reflect on whiteness’s role in his life or in our social circumstances.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

From A.R.Moxon I learn to think with greater clarity. This book is a mountain; as you climb, each step is thoughtfully presented and builds on the previous step. I look forward to his next book.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I’d wanted, A.R. Moxon would have drawn an octopus inside the cover of my copy of Very Fine People, Confessions of an American Fool. Reportedly, Mr. Moxon is pretty obliging when it comes to signing books. I simply asked him to write something hopeful inside the book cover. Moxon’s hopeful statement was “Every moment of human progress once seemed desperately unlikely.”

People who experienced the 2016 U.S. elections as a tragedy, and who have been dissatisfied with the common discourse about it, should read this book. Moxon’s writing is clear but entertaining, with meaningful allegories and parables. His opening line “This is not the proclamation of an expert. This is the confession of a fool.” may give you an idea about what follows. He writes about how those of us who have enjoyed the comfort of not being minoritized experienced the grief of loss when we realized some important things about our nation that those who are minoritized knew all along. What we lost, he argues, was the comforting belief that even though our friends, neighbors, and loved ones may have a different political outlook, ultimately they want something similar to what we want, something good for society. It was with a “dawning horror” that he realized that 45’s supporters did not love him despite his irredeemable flaws, but because of them. Moxon provides clarity on many of the common fallacies that maintain the U.S.A’s ongoing slide into fascism, including reflexive “Both Sides” arguments and what Moxon calls “The Respectable Game.” If your favorite Weimar era anti-fascist philosopher could have read this book, I think they would have been impressed with A.R. Moxon’s insight.

[Keith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evolutionary!
A pattern language for recognizing the varieties of perpetual violence employed by supremacy, how to speak truth about it, & how to counter it. A necessary text to help prevent billionaires from destroying everything. Deep truths & revelations. Empowering. Caution, you may find yourself wanting to read passages aloud to friends, underlining & highlighting.
I snip and clip constantly from Moxon's essays for reposting on Social media.
Frankly, one of the top 10 in 70 years of reading at least a book a week.
Whenever a new essay appears at The Reframe, I'm there for it.
I have deep gratitude for this book appearing when we most need it.