Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative

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David Brock made his name (and big money) by trashing Anita Hill as "a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty." But it was Brock's reporting that was nutty and slutty, he confesses in the riveting memoir Blinded by the Right. He absolves Hill; claims he helped Clarence Thomas threaten another witness into backing down; portrays a ghastly right-wing Clinton-bashing conspiracy of hypocrites, zillionaires, and maniacs; and accuses himself of being "a witting cog in the Republican sleaze machine." Now Brock is sliming his former fellows--everyone from the lawyer who argued the Bush v. Gore case to gonzo pundits Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham ("the only person I knew who didn't appear to own a book or regularly read a newspaper") to Matt Drudge and Tom Wolfe. Brock excoriates the gay hypocrites of the right wing, including himself, and tells how he cleverly spun his own outing. (He calls himself "the only openly gay conservative in the country," evidently forgetting about the far more open and famous Andrew Sullivan.)

If Brock says he was a liar for much of his life, how do we know he's not lying now? Blinded by the Right is less addicted to anonymous and third-hand sources than the madcap character assassinations that made him famous, and it is infinitely more plausible. But that doesn't make it necessarily true. (Anita Hill's lawyer has acidly observed that Brock confessed his Hill-related lies after seven years, when the statute of limitations prevents suing for slander.) Dumped by the right after he wrote a non-hatchet-job book on Hillary Clinton, Brock profits by running to the arms of the center and left. But that doesn't make this book untrue. All I can tell you is you'll have to read it and decide for yourself. And I'll bet you'll admit this mea-culpa memoir has the revolting, irresistible fascination of a bad car wreck. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

In a powerful and deeply personal memoir in the tradition of Arthur Koestler’s The God That Failed, David Brock, the original right-wing scandal reporter, chronicles his rise to the pinnacle of the conservative movement and his painful break with it.

David Brock pilloried Anita Hill in a bestseller. His reporting in The American Spectator as part of the infamous “Arkansas Project” triggered the course of events that led to the historic impeachment trial of President Clinton. Brock was at the center of the right-wing dirty tricks operation of the Gingrich era–and a true believer–until he could no longer deny that the political force he was advancing was built on little more than lies, hate, and hypocrisy.

In Blinded By the Right, Brock, who came out of the closet at the height of his conservative renown, tells his riveting story from the beginning, giving us the first insider’s view of what Hillary Rodham Clinton called “the vast right-wing conspiracy.” Whether dealing with the right-wing press, the richly endowed think tanks, Republican political operatives, or the Paula Jones case, Brock names names from Clarence Thomas on down, uncovers hidden links, and demonstrates how the Republican Right’s zeal for power created the poisonous political climate that culminated in George W. Bush’s election.

Now in paperback and with a new afterword by the author, Blinded By the Right is a classic political memoir of our times.

Customer Reviews:

A jaw-dropper and a must read for the 2008 elections.......2007-04-02

There isn't much I can say about this book that hasn't already been said in other favorable reviews here. All I'll add is that even if you allow for the zeal of Brock's re-converson to liberal prinicples and some bitterness towards his former conservative and neocon mentors and paymasters, there is much in this book that rings frighteningly true. Most fascinating is Brock's inside look at the anti-Clinton smear machine of which he was part - and which, no doubt, is warming up for 2008. Arm yourself with knowledge that you'll need if Hillary runs for President. Read this book.

pseudo-conservatives.......2006-09-30

In his 1950 study of the authoritarian personality, Theodor Adorno constructed a political-psychological profile of people he called "pseudo-conservatives." These were people who called themselves conservatives but in truth adhered to political agendas that betrayed the ideals of individual freedom and free markets. Pseudo-conservatives were motivated by hate, fear, and power, not the desire to conserve or guarantee liberty. A few years later, the eminent historian Richard Hofstadter appropriated Adorno's term in describing what he called "the paranoid style in American politics." In Adorno and Hofstadter's day, this paranoid style of pseudo-conservativism was still in its embryonic state, personified by the rantings of Joseph McCarthy but still far from being the game plan for the Republican Party as a whole. David Brock's Blinded by the Right chronicles how this movement slithered its way into power long before anyone had heard of Karl Rove, whose name isn't even listed in the index.

Blinded by the Right amazingly combines the political history of a loathsome political movement with the personal story of a sympathetic individual who found himself at the center of that movement. Always an idealist among opportunists, Brock's entrée to conservatism was admirable enough, as he was a former Kennedy liberal who was turned off by Berkeley protest-ologists who simply shouted down their adversaries, thus betraying the cause of free speech that had galvanized the campus in the glory years of the 1960s. But those ideals quickly dissolved into an us-versus-them battle which was motivated by a hatred for liberal enemies more than anything else. Ironically, Brock and his colleagues had much more in common with late 60s revolutionaries like the Weathermen, with their constantly escalating rhetoric of destroying the establishment, and Stalinists in the Communist Party, who enforced the party line by threatening dissenters with the charge that they were helping "the other team."

Blinded by the Right is an essential chronicle of a political movement and a historical era, but somehow it is even more than that. Its personal narrative of a young person's rise to power and fame, followed by descent into disillusionment and depression, is gripping enough for Hollywood. Brock came out as a homosexual while he was in college but then shoved himself back into the closet as he ascended to celebrity status on the Right, whose agenda became increasingly homophobic after the collapse of communism left them without the enemy they had depended on for so long. Brock now sees his willingness to parrot right-wing ideology as part of his attempt to fit in with the movement when he secretly knew didn't, and he sees the vitriol that he spewed in his writing as a subconscious expression of his own self-hatred. In fact, Brock offers many penetrating insights into the psychology of his right-wing former colleagues, and for the most part they appear to be a miserable bunch prone to textbook cases of projection.

Brock's break from the right corresponded with his personal move toward self-acceptance. It is heroic act of liberation that sometimes made me want to stand up and cheer for him, but it was clearly a journey full of pain. His liberation proceeds in stages, with Brock initially portraying himself as a victim, and then only later coming to grips with his own complicity and eagerness to serve the movement. Changed but not bitter, Brock comes out the other side as a very wise man who can see clearly now only because he is able to accept himself, his past, and his imperfections. I hope we'll see more books like this in the future coming from the current throng of right-wingers, but I'm not holding my breath, because this required a ton of courage and compassion, and that's precisely what this movement lacks most.

Interesting mea culpa.......2006-08-03

After hearing about this book a great deal from many people, I finally had to give it a read. What I got was a mostly well written account about how Brock gave the neo-con movement exactly what they wanted in terms of what can only be called propaganda. Brock does a good job in exposing the oft-ridiculed "vast right-wing conspiracy".

But it makes a boring read at times, what with long lists of people and publications. And it seems just a bit self-serving at times, like he is trying to say, "Oh, how bad I was to do all this, but I was very good at it." And, after all, he does say exactly what I, as a liberal person, want to hear about those on the right who keep insisting that people who believe like me are traitors.

I respect Mr. Brocks conversion to the left, and I like his work with mediamatters.org, but I am not sure I plan to read any more of his books.

There is a constitutional right to hate.......2006-07-27

This book is a terrible exposure of the powers behind the (extreme) right in the US, of their methods, of their foot-folk and their `morals'.
The powers are the fundamentalist Christian Right, extreme wealthy families and corporate interest. Those powers are firmly anchored in the Republican Party.
Their means are disgusting smear campaigns, vulgar attacks on political opponents, totally biased reporting, in one word `whournalism'.
Their working method are `see what you are supposed to see', `turn a blind eye to facts that do not suit your political aims' and `paper over monstrous moral wrongs in the service of the perceived morality of your cause'.

Their foot-folk are members of think-tanks, media men, investigators, journalists, intelligence personnel. The author considered himself as a right-wing hit-man, profiting hugely from his totally biased or completely fabricated scribbles.

This book unveils the raw selfishness, the protection of sinister (Bertrand Russell) interests (`cutting taxes to defund the left') and the blatant hypocrisy and hidden opportunism of many of the members of these groups (`a decadent and hypocritical conservative elite, leading public and private lives that bore little resemblance to each other').

This book exposes relentlessly huge monuments of vulgarity and ghastly political horror stories.
It gives a terrible picture of extremely powerful political groups within the US society.
Not for the faint-hearted.

REDEMPTION FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE TRUTH?.......2006-07-16

David Brock's memoir, Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative, made the New York Times Best Seller list, landing the author on Good Morning America and other prime time television shows. In sixteen chapters with names like "Leninists of the Right," "A Counter-Intelligentsia," and "Strange Lie," the 378-page mea culpa names many familiar right-wing names, enumerating the wicked behavior of Brock's erstwhile politically "conservative" accomplices. His public soul searching caused me to free associate Brock's with a similar fascinating memoir published in Poland by Otto von Hoess in 1947. von Hoess similarly asked his readers for understanding and sought redemption for his wrongdoing -- after the fact. Because of its striking similarity, I'll later get back to the nearly 60 year old mea culpa.

In Blinded by the Right, Brock traces his trajectory from boyhood through a high school youth working for liberal Democrats into the inner sanctum of the most rabid right-wingers of the Republican jihad. He self psychoanalyzes his brief love fest with Kennedy liberals by juxtaposing this with his disapproving and conservative Catholic father and moderate yet secretive mother. His family's big secret is that Brock and his younger sister Regina (who the author loves very much) had been adopted. This secret, plus several others, haunts Brock through adulthood. His other secret which is much more inconvenient to hide from the world is that ever since he was eleven years old, Brock knew that he was a homosexual.

Brock's homosexuality was no problem in college because he attended the University of California at Berkeley where in the 1970s being gay was no big deal. But it was in Berkeley that Brock metamorphosed from a diehard liberal Democrat into an extreme right wing Republican. While Brock was writing for the Berkeley student newspaper, the then new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Jeanne Kirkpatrick had been scheduled to speak. But rowdy anti-Kirkpatrick students kept disrupting her speech and hounded the speaker off the podium (finally, by splashing it and the speaker with fake blood).

Struck by the hypocrisy of liberal Free-Speech-movement promoters denying a platform to a conservative speaker who they didn't like, Brock was prompted to write a scathing denunciation in the student newspaper of the students' hostile intervention. Student backlash for Brock's piece was prompt and violent. He enjoyed the fracas and decided to join the ranks of right-wing writers, repelled by what he had perceived as the phoniness of "politically correct liberalism." Notwithstanding his evolving closet homosexuality, Brock was drawn to the seemingly straightforward simplicity and clearly articulated positions of the political conservatives.

Brock traces the ascendancy of his investigative "journalistic' career through writing for the Rev. Sun Moon-owned Washington Times. While ascending through his writings for the ultra right-wing American Spectator, Brock broke bread with ideologically hardened, prominent right-wing luminaries such as Marvin Liebman, Terry Dolan, Paul Weyrich, Bill Kristol, Grover Norquist, and even gay basher David Horowitz. Because the religious right-wingers condemned all gays, Brock's shadowy lifestyle was a constant source of anxiety for fear of his discovery.

Brock really struck gold at the Spectator right after the now, ultra right-wing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had gone through a very difficult confirmation hearing because of Anita Hill's accusations of sexual harassment. It was Brock's assignment to write a believable smear book about Anita Hill so that Thomas could appear to have been a victim of a liberal conspiracy. Brock wrote the best selling The Real Anita Hill, which demolished Hill's testimony, credibility, and character. Later, and now in Blinded by the Right, Brock freely admitted making it all up and then neatly packaging this smear literature in an investigative journalistic package.

A similar attack on president Bill Clinton based on rumors and made-up stories of his Arkansas sex scandals started the ball rolling towards the president's eventual impeachment hearings. But at each turn of Brock's right-wing literary fusillades he got deeper into the inner sanctums of radical conservative, rich and powerful movers and shakers. But Brock's Clinton sex scandal writings are what would finally do Brock in.

Clearly, Brock didn't have a sudden epiphany of the harm his writings had done to America or that he had been serving wicked people who call themselves conservatives. Rather on page 180, Brock tells us that the Washington Post's media critic Howard Kurtz phoned him to ask about his sexuality. Presumably, a writer exposing the president's sexual waywardness can similarly be scrutinized. That petty much did it. The rest of this story is about most conservatives, especially the religious right-wingers, turning on Brock after his public outing. That's when he decided to "come clean" and admit that his written trail of smears against Anita Hill and the Clintons were lies.

When a writer like Brock loses his right-wing career, what's left for him to do?: What's left to do -- that can still earn good money -- is writing a best selling revelatory memoir, a mea culpa that names names. But what kind of harm had Brock done to America? His lies had influenced what happened in the Thomas-Hill debate and undermined a constitutional process His lies helped to stage the political assassination of a sitting American president and further divide an already badly divided and, thereby, weakened United States. His lies were extremely useful to the misanthropic ultra conservative crowd that would love to preside -- and are beginning to succeed at it with George W. Bush -- over a tyranny of the Right. After admitting all of this lying, Brock wishes us to believe that Blinded by the Right is the truth. So then concerning Brock's implicit appeal for our understanding and seeking redemption for his wrongdoing, I return to Otto von Hoess.

In 1947, von Hoess penned his bizarrely fascinating memoir "Commandant of Auschwitz" in which he freely acknowledges being responsible for the murder of two and one half million Jews. His memoir is an account of his ascension in the Nazi party first as a competent prison warden for ordinary criminals in Germany to his final post a commandant of Auschwitz. He explains how his background and historical events propelled him into that position. von Hoess pleads with the reader to understand that he is no monster but just an ordinary man placed in extraordinary circumstances.

Now clearly, Brock and von Hoess had committed very different kinds of crimes. The Nazi was hanged for crimes against humanity in Poland, right after completing his, indeed, fascinating self-searching memoir in 1947. After getting outed for being gay, Brock lost all of his right wing connections and then tried to atone for his crimes against journalism by setting the various records straight. But since both von Hoess and Brock had their revelations and admitted their guilt after having been exposed, are they entitled to our understanding and have they earned redemption for their wrongdoing?

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Blinded by the Right. The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative.
David Brock
Manufacturer: Crown Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JOJLHU

Book Description

During the 1880s, a German-born, Boston-based picture publisher successfully commissioned the most ambitious series of battle prints ever published. Louis Prang, best known as the "father of the Christmas card," hired noted military and marine artists to create original scenes of combat, and then reproduced their works in a wildly popular portfolio of chromolithographs. He called the set Prang's War Pictures.They were offered to an eager public accompanied by "descriptive texts" that told the story of each engagement through eyewitness recollection by the heroes of each action. The set proved both appealing and influential, selling vigorously in various editions for a generation, and elevating the stature of military illustration in America. For 20 years, Civil War prints for the masses had featured uninspired, one-dimensional views of armies in hand-to-hand combat.Prang and his artists demonstrated genuine skill and imaginative perspective. They showed both real carnage and important technological advances, revealing both the broad sweep of panoramic battlefields and the intimate action of individual combatants.These famously sepia-toned chromos went on to become familiar illustrations in books and magazines-often offered as definitive examples of Civil War art. But until now, the complete set of 18 chromos has never been collected in a single volume. And the original "Descriptive Texts" first offered Prang's customers as marketing brochures to boost sales-a priceless historical archive in and of themselves-have never been published since, anywhere.Holzer reunites pictures and texts in an authoritative, milestone volume orchestrating prints and descriptions that resurrect Prang's original conception of battle art for the masses for a new generation. The book also features reproductions of the original works of art that inspired the prints, created on commission by battle painter Thure de Thulstrup and naval specialist Julian Oliver Davidson-now housed in art collections around the country-but seldom seen since they were commissioned by Prang as models for his ambitious chromolithographs. This long-needed complete Prang portfolio will undoubtedly become an essential collectible for Civil War aficionados in the country, as well as for libraries and university collections increasingly aware of the importance of art and iconography in defining the Civil War experience and the impact of Civil War memory.

Customer Reviews:

Parlor Art of the Civil War.......2002-09-16

Given the expanding public interest in the American Civil War that began with the centenary in the 1960s, this book has been a long time coming. Louis Prang's series of chromolithographs are representative of a period in commercial art that he helped to pioneer, and which lasted until the first decade of the twentieth century. With the style established, everything from farm implements to insurance were advertised with heroic scenes from the nation's history. In more recent times it has been almost impossible to see the complete set of pictures outside obscure collections. Editor Harold Holtzer gives interesting insights into Prang, his artists, and their technique.
Prang marketed his prints in much the same way that our contemporary military artists do. Apart from fashionable gallery openings any military history publication will have several advertisements for prints of battle scenes and historical vignettes. Modern painters focus on period accuracy in microscopic detail and brilliant color. Although Prang was concerned with accuracy some small errors found their way into his work. But anyone who studies that period beyond the superficial, must be drawn into these old pictures. By this process we enter the late Victorian parlor of the veteran and his family.
The charm of the lithographs lies in their mood and atmosphere, which was due in part to the lithographic process itself, and also to the impressionistic influences of the 1880s. The quality of southern summer dust predominates throughout the series. Coal and powder smoke combine in operatic storm clouds. Sunset tones provide nostalgic lighting for the memories of a generation's youth that had already passed into legend. It is not only facsinating to see the events that that generation passed through, but also how they remembered them.

Fine insights and descriptions.......2001-11-13

Prang's Civil War Pictures gathers the complete battle chromos of Louis Prang under one cover for the first time, creating an outstanding documentation of the original works of art which inspired Prang's prints. Pictures and accompanying background text provide fine insights and descriptions for both newcomers to Prang's works and those with some prior familiarity with Prang, but not his models.

Images from theStorm: 300 Civil War Images by the Author of Eye of the Storm & Prang's Civil War Pictures: The Complete Battle Chromos of Louis Prang.(Book ... An article from: Journal of Southern History

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Images from theStorm: 300 Civil War Images by the Author of Eye of the Storm & Prang's Civil War Pictures: The Complete Battle Chromos of Louis Prang.(Book ... An article from: Journal of Southern History
Lynda Lasswell Crist
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008E0NZA
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on August 1, 2003. The length of the article is 851 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Images from theStorm: 300 Civil War Images by the Author of Eye of the Storm & Prang's Civil War Pictures: The Complete Battle Chromos of Louis Prang.(Book Review)
Author: Lynda Lasswell Crist
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2003
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 69 Issue: 3 Page: 700(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Kool-Aid for Bush Haters

An Important Perspective

Wake up citizens!!!!!!!!

A Tragic Legacy

Greenwald's right, but nothing really new here

A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency
Glenn Greenwald
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

What will be the legacy of President George Walker Bush? In this fascinating, timely book, Glenn Greenwald examines the Bush presidency and its long-term effect on the nation. What began on shaky, uncertain ground and was bolstered and propelled by tragedy, has ultimately faltered and failed on the back of the dichotomous worldview—good versus evil—that once served it so well. In A Tragic Legacy, Greenwald charts the rise and steep fall of the current administration, dissecting the rhetoric and revealing the faulty ideals upon which George W. Bush built his policies.

On September 12, 2001, President Bush addressed the nation and presented a very clear view of what was to come—a view that can be said to define his entire presidency: “This will be a monumental struggle of good versus evil.” Based on his own Christian faith and backed by biblical allusions, Bush’s worldview was basic and binary—and everyone was forced to choose a side. Riding high on public support, Bush sailed through the early “War on Terror,” easily defining our enemies and clearly setting an agenda for defeating them.

But once the war became murkier—its target unclear, its combatants no longer seen in black-and-white—support for Bush and his policies dropped precipitously. Glenn Greenwald brilliantly reveals the reasons behind the collapse of Bush’s power and approval, and argues that his greatest weakness is the same rhetoric that once propelled him so far forward. Facing issues that could not be turned into simple good versus evil choices—the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, his plans for Social Security “reform,” and, most ironic, the failed Dubai ports deal—Bush faltered and fell. Now, Greenwald argues, Bush is trapped by his own choices, unable to break out of the mold that once served him so well, and indifferent to the consequences.

A Tragic Legacy is the first true character study of one of the most controversial men ever to hold the office of president. Enlightening, powerful, and eye-opening, this is an in-depth look at the man whose incapability and cowboy logic have left America at risk.

Customer Reviews:

Kool-Aid for Bush Haters.......2007-10-17

The lack of diversity in the reviews for this book is telling. One can't help but imagine so many obsessed and angry Leftists scouring the net for informational crumbs the fuel their obsession for hating Bush. Now, finally an author that masquerades as a non-biased expert provides them with an entire meal!

Greenwald is not an unbiased actor. Ironically, he oversimplifies in his analysis to prove that Bush is oversimplifying his presidency. People that hate Bush are generally people that are challenged in their ability to understand decisive people. They tend to find fault with almost any decision that does not directly benefit or pacify them. They can think a problem to death, but they freeze like death itself when they are faced with a difficult choice.

Greenwald misses the mark with his portrayal of Bush seeing the world in black and white. If you really listen to him it is clear that Bush understands much more than people like to give him credit for. However, unlike the populist Bill Clinton, Bush makes decisions based on his determination over what he believes is right or wrong, not popular or unpopular. That is what leaders are supposed to do. That is what most of us expect in a president. A decision is binary (yes/no, stop/go, do/don't) so in that sense Greenwald is accurate about Bush being black and white.

Bush's primary problem is his poor communication skills. All war time presidents have made tremendous errors in judgment. For almost any other measure, the Bush presidency has been hugely beneficial to the average American (including many people that will never admit this truth). We have not been attacked. The economy was rescued and rejuvenated. However, we are paying the price in global and domestic influence because the man doesn't understand that he is supposed to entertain us.

Greenwald's work misses all of this while delivering a repetitive, simplistic (and very tired) argument that Bush is shallow and stupid (this is the inference). We certainly don't need a new book to repeat this message.

An Important Perspective.......2007-10-16

Having read a great deal of other material about the Bush presidency and the War on Terror, this book, more than any other, provides an explanation for the actions, motivations and conduct of an otherwise inexplicable president. The author's perspective and insight about how Bush sees events, people and information as either "good" or "evil" and therefore as either consistent with his worldview or flat wrong helps explain a man who I have otherwise failed to understand.
Bush's binary view of the world has led America into a direction that may take generations to rebuild and repair.

Wake up citizens!!!!!!!!.......2007-10-15

To date, I found this book to be one of the most accurate and scathing depictions of Bush, our worst president. I will admit the first 40 pages I thought were on the boring side, but by the second chapter, the author brought the story alive by getting in the presidents head. For that point on the book was gripping. And from watching this president's actions and speeches for the past several years, I thought this book did an excellent job of showing the reasoning behind Bush's motivations and faults. The author contends Bush is fanatical and feels he is clearly led by his faith (which one's faith can never be wrong to them) and the world is black and white - Good vs. Evil. No matter what Bush does can never be wrong so long as he is on the side of Good? In this respect, as the whole country (and the world) watches Bush commit mistake after mistake and erode the country and constitution - the reader understands that Bush thinks none of this is wrong or fallible since Bush feels he is ordained and always on the side of Good. The author explains further how dangerous this thinking can be. What I especially liked is the author (a constitutional lawyer) broke down by example all the erosions that have occurred to our constitution and our rights under the president's doing. This book gives good insight into why what most have us have falsely perceived as pure arrogance by Bush - he is motivated by something larger than arrogance -is truly religious fervor and he is good and all evil must be destroyed. Most astounding is the author's telling of how each failure of this president only causes him to dig his heels in deeper. As most people in the country are becoming more and more fed up with this horrendous president, this book provides lot of (in my opinion) accurate answers as to why when all the walls are closing in around Bush - why he continues on the same path of failure and even escalates his failure by taking it one step further (i.e. troop surge). This is a must read for all citizens. My only gripe was the over use of the Good vs. Evil thesis.

A Tragic Legacy.......2007-10-13

NEWS FLASH;
The American Heritage Institute asked over five hundred American college and university history professors to rate all US presidents. Results: BUSH WAS DEAD LAST, LOSER. This book clearly illustrates that a cokehead, drunk, AWOL chickenhawk coward can become president, America is truly in deep trouble.

Greenwald's right, but nothing really new here.......2007-10-11

Glenn Greenwald is one of my favorite bloggers. He is right on in his criticism for Bush (and that is all you will find here). But there is nothing here that a reader of his blog or the newspapers would not already know. After I had already bought this, I checked out "Dead Certain" and every page I looked had inside info and revelations about Bush. I figured that I had bought the wrong book.

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THIS BOOK DOES TOO MUCH WRONG
What if Singer is wrong and Bush is a madman?
Harsh but fair
A must read for liberals and conservatives
The Most Moral President?

The President of Good and Evil
Peter Singer
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452286220
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Book Description

The New York Times bestseller book every American should read before voting in the 2004 elections

More than any president in recent memory, George W. Bush invokes the language of good versus evil and right versus wrong. Here, world-renowned Princeton University professor of ethics Peter Singer shines a spotlight on Bush, analyzing whether or not he has lived up to the values he so often touts in his presidential prose. Called "timely and searching," by the Washington Post, this accessible look at the president reveals his pattern of ethical confusion and self-contradiction, and his moral failure on dozens of hot-button issues. Labeled a "generous critic" by the New York Times, Singer advances devastating arguments that make this the book to give to anyone thinking of voting for George W. Bush in November 2004.

"George W. Bush has met his match. This is a chilling and powerful intellectual indictment of an administration desperate to cover up the damage it inflicts." - David Corn, author of The Lies of George W. Bush and Washington editor of The Nation

"Even Bush supporters will have to admit that, in an age of diatribe, this book elevates the level of political discourse. The more American voters who read it, the better." - Robert Wright, author of Nonzero and The Moral Animal

"Mr. Singer's influence extends to the world beyond the ivory tower partly because he writes with such lucidity and quiet passion about genuinely pressing issues." - The Economist

Customer Reviews:

THIS BOOK DOES TOO MUCH WRONG.......2006-08-04

It is obvious the author is trying to put Bush down even though he claims to be being fair to both sides. One way this book is unfair is Saddam's genocide attempts on the Kurds (whom Saddam killed over 180,000 in just one year many more were killed other years plus Saddam got about a million people killed in a war with Iran he mostly started and Saddam killed many tens of thousands of non-Kurdish Iraqis internally in Iraq). Singer mentions Saddam's genocide attempts but gives no incredibly high but true figures on just what a genocide attempt, the untrained
reader is left to guess how many people Saddam killed. But when the author puts Bush down and talks of another mass murdering spree (this one going on in Africa) and Bush not stopping it the death toll murders of this holocaust get quoted (600,000).

This author mostly complains about how the US did not stop Saddam sooner. He fails to understand (or admit)
that the US military was totally and then semi-paralyzed by the powerful pacifist movement of the late60's/early70's. It was not until 30 years after the Vietnam pullout that the uS was finally able to take total military action like the current occupation of Iraq.

What if Singer is wrong and Bush is a madman?.......2006-07-05

This is a profoundly disturbing book: if Singer is right, George Bush is a president sadly deficient in decent ethics, and if he is wrong it shows the collapse of basic ethics across much of America.

If he is right, and Singer is arguably the most provocative philosopher now in America, then Bush is merely the public face of a cynical cabal that has nothing but contempt for everyone and everything outside their own limited acumen. Bush may have implemented this conspiracy by his delegation of management policies, after all he is congenitally lazy and inclined to rely on others for his successes. Furthermore, the universally admired genius of evil, Karl Rove, shows Bush knows how to pick sinister subordinates.

On this basis, the Bush White House has the ethical standards of the final days of an Enron. This is the substance of the argument on which Singer feasts; it reminds me of good federal prosecutors who are precise, thorough, detailed and with absolute proof. It's a treat to watch such skill and certainty, and Singer is such a man.

But there's a second element, perhaps too speculative for Singer to include. Many years ago I watched a successful "consumer protection" campaign. Once in office, "consumer protection" meant rewarding wise and astute business leaders because they would never ask for anything they didn't need. "Consumer protection" was not what ignorant consumers wanted, but was redefined as creating rich and powerful corporations.

Sometimes, "ethics" are bizarre.

Now, for something completely different. Bush considers himself a "born again" Christian whose sins are forgiven. I've met others who make similar claims and lead utterly disreputable lives -- they know every sin is forgiven because they "have accepted Jesus".

Consider the result if national leaders assume they can do anything because if it is good it will benefit America and harm no others, and if it is harmful to America or others then God will forgive their sins and errors. Some "born again" Christians truly believe this, and thus consider they have perfect ethics. It may be far from the intended meaning; but, with "born again" Christians as with everyone else, errors are possible.

Singer's weakness isn't that he forgets to try to understand what they actually do; it's that he forgets to try to understand what they actually believe.

Singer is a "prosecutor" who is calm, precise, detailed, clear and convincing when proving a very narrow and carefully defined situation. But after reading this book, it's hard not to have the impression that he is using logic to define the ethics of madmen.

Harsh but fair.......2006-04-09

Professor Singer does a great job of pointing out Bush's many hypocrisies and lies. He fairly, but ruthlessly, points out Bush's professed goals and morality are pure deceit. One example: Bush is concerned that embryos must not be destroyed because he (supposedly)values life, but has no qualms about killing foreigners in wars or executing prisoners.

My one quibble is that Singer analyzes the war in Afghanistan without taking into account the benefits of removing the Taliban from power. So what- it's still a great book.

A must read for liberals and conservatives.......2006-03-01

Unfortunately, most political books seek to lower the level of political discourse in this nation. Through half-truths, outright lies, miscalculations, and (for lack of a better word), propaganda, other authors only seek to confuse and enrage their readers into blindly accepting their point of view and perception of reality.

Not Peter Singer. He takes a serious approach at discussing the Bush ideology from every point view, and philosophically examines the hypocrisies inherent in his dialogue and behavior. He does this fairly and with great respect to his readers as to not insult their intelligence.

Conservatives should read this to see the intelligent realities for why others object to their ideology, and how Bush is slandering these ideologies. And liberals should read this to realize that there are better ways to approach political debate without sinking down to the level of a pundit.

The Most Moral President?.......2006-01-09

Peter Singer's book is very illuminating,if somewhat influenced by an obviously liberal political agenda.No president in recent memory has done as much moralizing as Bush, but I would hardly call him moral. Singer points out many contradictions in Bush's
statements and policies, but that's not hard to do. His policies are replete with contradictions. The easiest policy to target is the one on Iraq. From repeated assurances that Hussein was in cahoots with Al-Quieda, to a public admittance
of "no Iraqi link to that terrorist organization", Bush clearly showed, not only his incompetence in handling such a delicate situation, by rushing to war when there was no clear evidence of WMD, but by blaming his mistakes on
false intelligence. So, if it's the false intelligence that caused him to err, as he claims, then why does he refuse to admit that he even made an error?
Singer's strongest points in the book, are showing the blatant lack of morals that manifested itself in the President's juvenile behavior, and ever present contradictions.
I only gave Singer a 3-star rating however, because his political motives in writing the book were too obvious.

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Awesome is all I have to say
Escape Into the Real World
A Good Read
N/A
Escape Into The Real World

Escape Into the Real World
Nikita F Floyd
Manufacturer: Fontellio Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Parenting & Families | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971955700

Book Description

"Escape Into the Real World" tells the story of the first woman President of the United States, Hillary Flynt, who had a sexual preference for other women and would stop at nothing to accomplish her agenda, even if it meant falsifying terroist attacks on her own country. These terrorist attacks would allow her to declare martial law. She also became involved with a young African American reporter's mother, Diana Mitchell.

The Mitchell family was already living the "American" dream, but the "White House Connection" made it even sweeter. They rose as the President did. But Spiritual intervention took over. God had another plan. Diana realized that contacts, politics, wealth, and the gay lifestyle took its toll on her and her family, thus finding God and becoming saved.

Like others who knew about the President's lifestyle, who mysteriously disappeared or were killed, she knew she was no exception. Her son Martin Mitchell, the reporter, feared for their lives and blew the whistle!

Customer Reviews:

Awesome is all I have to say.......2003-08-19

I really enjoyed reading this book. Mr. Floyd has done a traffic job with embellishing the emotions of the characters. It seem so real. I guess that is why it is call "Escape Into the Real World". When they say, You have to have faith in God, this book definitely brought that to light. This was a true testimony for some and a revelation for others. I encourage Mr. Floyd to continue to write, because it is obvious that this young man will touch so many lives. This book alone has hit so many spirtual warfares that we as Christians go through. Mr. Floyd I applaud you for a job well done.

Escape Into the Real World.......2002-09-30

A must read for the person who enjoys suspense and intrigue sprinkled with Christian flair. The writer spins a tale so heart-wrenching and believable that you cannot put it down and impresses one to look into their own "Real World".

A Good Read.......2002-09-04

This book will have you spell bound from beginning to end. The plot was well thought out and executed to perfection. If you like Christian fiction, and suspense novels, this is a book you must read. It explores family values and brings awareness of the responsibilities of raising our children in Christian homes. It also explores political issues. It raises many questions. Are our appointed leaders being scrutinized before we vote for them. Do we investigate what they stand for? Are we voting for people that stand for our beliefs? Mr Floyd is a great novelist that spearheads todays issues.

N/A.......2002-08-29

I can not say in words, how much I really enjoyed reading this book, talk about escape into the real world, Great topic! We all
have something we need to escape with and express in our day-to-day lives! This book keep me in suspense, wanting to turn next page, excited to read, talking about it, and many more thoughts as well. Not only wanting to share many things etc... and wanting to escape into the real world as well, This book was knowing the truth and being free in the real world, it was thrilling, exceptional to me! I look forward in his next book! I give you thumb up and praise for expressing your true feeling to the world. Not everyone can express themselves in writing as you did. This book will open doors for others whom has gone through similar capativities. We need more people like Nikita Floyd to know the truth is better living.

Nikita Floyd you did a fine Job! I take my hat off to you, if you can express your true feeling to the world in writing a book!
keep the good work up in other endeavors!

Escape Into The Real World.......2002-08-13

Escape Into The Real World is wholeheartedly worth the investment and I have therefore recommended it to many friends and family. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. Once I opened it I had to finish it. This book takes the reader through so many emotions. Although there are many sad passages and heartbreaking moments, Mr. Floyd eases these painful passages by incorporating Martin's memories of happier times in the storyline. The author, Nikita Floyd's strength in storytelling lies in his intricate weaving of the story's facts with poetic and Biblical similies and methaphors. The plot is intriguing and sad at the same time as it was uplifting at other times. This is an excellent debut novel and I am glad Mr. Floyd found his voice and an audience willing to listen. I look forward to his next book.

Average customer rating:

President of Good and Evil

Manufacturer: GRANTA BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GSE282

Good, Evil, and My Friend Irwin; A literary luncheon with President Bush.(Irwin Stelzer's account of a luncheon with George W. Bush): An article from: The Weekly Standard

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Good, Evil, and My Friend Irwin; A literary luncheon with President Bush.(Irwin Stelzer's account of a luncheon with George W. Bush): An article from: The Weekly Standard
Michael Novak
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000P28CN0
Release Date: 2007-04-02

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Weekly Standard, published by Thomson Gale on March 14, 2007. The length of the article is 1313 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Good, Evil, and My Friend Irwin; A literary luncheon with President Bush.(Irwin Stelzer's account of a luncheon with George W. Bush)
Author: Michael Novak
Publication: The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 14, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The President of Good and Evil: the Ethics of George W. Bush.(Book Review): An article from: Ethics & International Affairs

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The President of Good and Evil: the Ethics of George W. Bush.(Book Review): An article from: Ethics & International Affairs
Binoy Kampmark
Manufacturer: Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Ethics & International Affairs, published by Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1105 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The President of Good and Evil: the Ethics of George W. Bush.(Book Review)
Author: Binoy Kampmark
Publication: Ethics & International Affairs (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs
Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Page: 115(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Good out of evil: A rainbow for the cloud of our national sorrow. Preached in Tioga Street M.E. Church, Philadelphia, September 25, 1881, upon the death of President Garfield

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Good out of evil: A rainbow for the cloud of our national sorrow. Preached in Tioga Street M.E. Church, Philadelphia, September 25, 1881, upon the death of President Garfield
J. O Wilson
Manufacturer: Perkinpine & Higgins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Overcoming evil with good: A sermon, delivered at Wallingford, Connecticut, March 11th, 1801, before a numerous collection of the friends of the Constitution, ... Burr, Vice-President of the United States

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Overcoming evil with good: A sermon, delivered at Wallingford, Connecticut, March 11th, 1801, before a numerous collection of the friends of the Constitution, ... Burr, Vice-President of the United States
Stanley Griswold
Manufacturer: Re-printed by J.H. Benham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

The Pocket Naturalist card is a pocket-sized, folding card which provides simplified, easy-to-use reference to what everyone should know about familiar plants, animals, and natural history. Maps are included to highlight prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Every card is laminated so that it is waterproof and practical for use in the field. This card highlights over 100 of Western North America's most common coastal birds and familiar migrants.

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