The Way Things Ought to Be
by Rush H., III Limbaugh
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 1992)
list price: $22.00
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Reviews (113)

Poorly researched, poorly argued, poorly reasoned, etc.
I read The Way Things Ought to Be waaay back around 1993, and since I was a conservative high school student with a very limited knowledge of politics, history, and the like, I enjoyed Rush's writing.But looking back on this book has made it clear to me that this is no seminal conservative tome.Its arguments are cheap and ridiculously ignorant.These criticisms are not the result of my coming to disagree with Rush's political worldview as I became older (and better acquainted with the subjects he presents!), but rather his inability to explain his views convincingly to those of us who would like to understand conservative ideas, but who also don't want to have their intelligence insulted in the process. There are simply too many instances in which Rush makes baseless accusations and commits to faulty lines of reasoning.His chapters dealing with environmentalists and feminists are the most egregious examples.

Still, at times, Rush's writing was amusing.

However, anyone looking for insights into conservative thought would be better served by other authors.

Not very good at all
Over here in Britain, we have some experience of people like Rush Limbaugh. During World War Two, we had broadcast to us from Nazi Germany the ravings of an unpleasant little man called William Joyce. Courtesy of Goebbels, this nonentity spouted hatred of Britain, our independence and democracy, all the while claiming that he was a better patriot than those of us who were fighting to defend our beloved country from Hitler's aggression and tyranny. For some reason, Limbaugh's rants remind me of Joyce - who was hanged as a traitor at the end of the war.

Best Writing on Drugs I've read this year
Finally a book to put beside Cocteau's "Opium" or Burrough's "Junkie", Rush Limbaugh's The Way Things Ought to Be" is one of the finest books written under the influence in the last twenty years. Rush is clearly flying here, "The Way Things Ought to Be" reading like someone goofing on the uh rush of a couple cups of coffee and far too many painkillers. Rush rants all over the place with disdain for "facts" and "reality" common to the narcotic addict, indeed the over the topness of it all is a minor high in itself. Really my only fault is that Rush is so reticent about the drugs, I mean he scored most off of his maid, surely there are some good stoies in that? Nonetheless this is a worthy addition to any young head's library. ... Read more

Isbn: 067175145X
Sales Rank: 255343
Subjects:  1. 1980-    2. 1989-1993    3. Anthropology - Cultural    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. General    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Radio (Performing Arts)    9. Social conditions    10. Social problems    11. United States   

See, I Told You So
by Limbaugh
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 November, 1993)
list price: $3.99
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Reviews (70)

Worth every penny...or uh one anyway
Well yes this might make a fair bit more sense if one is buzzing on a large amount of pain killers one has bought from one's maid. You'd think it might make a little less sense to anyone else, say the editors or more sober readers...but I digress, what I intend to addres is the actual contents of the book - which by the way are well worth the one penny cost advertised in the used Amazon section accompanying this book. Well actually intellectual coherence isn't exactly Rush's strongpoint. And at this point isn't he a tad passe as well? I mean Ann Coulter is more "outrageous" or juvenile depending on your sobriety level and Hannity is more craven and mean than Rush. So what precisely is the point of Rush at this stage? He's not even that fat anymore, he's possibly remotely sober...I guess the kick is gone?

I wish it could be ZERO!
This is undoubtedly one of the worst books I've ever read.It's also the only conservative "book" I've ever read.My boss, who wouldn't stop asking me out, happened to think I'd like a copy-that's right, it was a gift!Well, I'm nothing if not open minded.What I got was something so filled with hatred and bile that it shocked me even though I was just a teenager at the time.

What can you say about someone who says feminism was born so ugly women could have access to the mainstream of society?I remember one of my high school teachers, who incidentally was always saying how pretty I was (apprently not knowing I was a feminist), said she agreed with that statement!

Ok, he also denies the genocide of Native Americans and presents the theory that gays deserve to have their civil rights recognized as some kind of wacky liberal theory. There's lots of other examples but this guy is clearly a demagogue who preys on people's worst prejudices in order to gain an audience-of angry white men.

I don't know why anyone would buy the book unless they want enjoy feeling their feelings of hatred.All I can say to all you Rush fans, particularly those with an ounce of human compassion is, try working on your anger a little bit.
Hatred is not a political position.

RUSH out and buy it!
This book is the best! Rush really sticks it to those pinko stinko liberal types and he sticks it from various angles and with consistent speed and thrust! He especially skewers that Communistic health care plan of the Clintons, and thank Jesus! It's thanks to people like good old Rush that I'm still able to pay hundreds a month from my minimum wage paycheck at Arby's just so I won't die if I get pneumonia from my second job as a late night parking lot attendant. What makes Rush's work especially inspiring is that he did it all while shaking down doctors to get his hillbilly heroin fix. A true American! ... Read more

Isbn: 067187120X
Sales Rank: 205386
Subjects:  1. 1980-    2. 1989-    3. 1993-2001    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. General    6. Journalism    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Social conditions    10. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    11. United States    12. United States - 20th Century    13. Biography & Autobiography / General   

When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan
by PeggyNoonan
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Hardcover (12 November, 2001)
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Reviews (152)

Indeed
A beautifully written stroll down memory lane, this is Noonan's best book, after from her classic What I Saw At The Revolution.Her style is stripped to a clarity and simplicity unusual in political writing these days.The book is the opposite of our current plague of media spin, talking heads, and partisan hysteria.Her political judgment and historical sense are flawless and full of surprising insights.This is one Irish spinning a fine yarn about another Irish.

Read it, and you'll see why Reagan was the last great American president and why 1980 remains our last truly decisive election.You'll also see why Reagan was both a great and modest man.At the time, I was old enough to understand his importance but not his greatness.That took more years.Noonan distills the essence of the man and his era.

You won't want the story to end!
This book was an absolute pleasure to read. The story is fascinating, eye-opening, and ultimately inspiring. Peggy Noonan is a very gifted and talented writer. To crib the blurb on the back of the dust jacket, "she writes like an angel." Pair this with her subject, surely one of the great figures of American history, and you have sure-fire winner of a book. I can't imagine anyone not being touched and moved by it. I read it on the subway to and from work, and alternately had to stifle tears as well as peals of laughter. I hated it to end.

His character was king
The only book on Reagan that touched my heart.He was the man.Noonan, gave us something that we rarely get to see in a president, his character, which is rare these days. Noonan, did a great job mixing present day events with Reagan day events so we could see the man for who he was, great.He was funny.He was stearn.He fought communism.He was caring.He loved people.He was smart.He was a leader.He could be angry but no condescending.He was fearless.He was/is an American and Americans should be thought of.He saved us all from ourselves.Ms. Noonan presents it all. ... Read more

Isbn: 0670882356
Sales Rank: 156429
Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Character    7. Political aspects    8. Presidents    9. Presidents & Heads of State    10. Reagan, Ronald    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Friends and associates    15. Noonan, Peggy   

Salute to Reagan - A President's Greatest Moments
Average Customer Review:
DVD (08 June, 2004)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $13.46
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Reviews (10)

Not the Place to Start for Reagan Fans
Greatest moments? Not really. This is a decent compilation for neophytes who have never heard of Reagan but I would look elsewhere. If you have the money to spend first I would recommend the more comprehensive "Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator" (MPI) which is a treasure trove of rare clips from a mindblowing GE commercial made in the 1950s to an extended look at the greatest moments of the Reagan presidency. Every clip you need is on that series. Otherwise, I thought PBS did an admirable job--basically a balanced look--but lacking the one thing Reagan fans crave: Reagan in his own words.

Buy this for your children and their children,also.
This is a very important video to buy.It is history retold, not by revisionists who will no doubt trash President Reagan, because the history books are, after all, written by leftists.Just look at the outpouring of love for this man after he passed.You will never see that again when our other presidents pass, not George H.W.Bush.Not Carter or Clinton or Gerald Ford.There are people all over the world that turned up to pay respects and say "thank you" to President Reagan for their freedom.Ask just about anyone in the eastern block nations and people in Central America, not the communists.
God Bless Ronald Reagan.The world is a sadder place now that he's passed.

The Greatest President of the 20th Century
I teach high school government and I use this video (to great effect) to show the students why Reagan was {is} loved by the American people. I gave this video 5 stars for what it is: which are mostly his highlights - it is great for discussion or jarring one's memory. What this video is not - is a comprehensive look at Reagan life or his administration.
After seeing the out pouring a grief and love for this man during his funeral, only an ultra left-wing liberal can still deny his greatness. Can anyone seriously believe the nation will respond the same way for Clinton or Carter's funeral? ... Read more

Asin: B000067J3D
Sales Rank: 22148
Subjects:  1. Documentary   

Reagan In His Own Voice
by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 November, 2001)
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Reviews (14)

Reagan at his best
I was too young to Remember Reagan prior to his Presidency and was therefore surprised to learn that he was a fixture on radio during the mid to late 1970s.It's going to be hard for historians to peddle the notion that he was a dunce after sifting through his writings on all of these far-ranging subjects.The media darling Clinton certainly couldn't focus long enough to present so many arguments so clearly and for such a long time.

The book of these 3 minute radio pieces is fascinating, but it can't compare to the great man reading the entries himself.Reagan can be serious and humorous, but he never loses his optimism.He brought to America a different kind of politics.He could lay out serious problems facing the country and yet positive changes that could make us a better nation.It allows his commentaries to be serious without the whining associated with so many out-of-power politicians.

Many of the policy decisions he would later make are included here, but some of the most interesting entries are on government operations you don't think about.

A good example is Reagan explaining the monopoly of the postal system with such precision that it is amazing that the system lasted throughout his eight years.Reagan tells of how small companies learned better ways to transport first class mail locally and were shutdown for doing so.He then compares the postal rates to long distance phone rates and how you could once send a 100 letters for the price of a long distance call, whereas by the 1970s you could only send three.Of course, nowadays you could read a ten page letter cheaper than sending it, only further proving his point.Reagan ends by reminding listeners that although a real monopoly exists in the Post Office and the inefficiency therein causes rising prices and reduced services, the government is chasing down ATT as a monopoly although they have outperformed the government in every way.Reagan proves, in essence, that the only monopoly that wins is the one at a point of a gun.

In addition to the Reagan entries, the set has a nice commentary by Reagan associates and the editors of the series.It's well produced and no less than fine entertaining history.

Reagan had a certain optimistic depth...
Listening to these recordings from the late seventies by a retired Govenor will bring you back to better days in America. When the issues that Americans held close to their hearts were also important issues. Reagan demonstrates that he actually listened, and cared. Americans may not always agree with the decisions and ideas Reagan had and made, but these recordings go far beyond political issues and tap deep cultural and philosophical anchors that make America the great nation that it is. History classrooms, in examining the late seventies and early eighties America, would benefit greatly with these recordings.

A Visionary and Motivator
Simply a superb human being in spite of his shortcomings. The country needed him in 1980 and still does. Reagan was a man with a combination of wisdom, charisma, and he was intelligent and well read too; Qualities that are lacking in the leaders of today. You will be inspired all over again when you listen to these tapes. ... Read more

Isbn: 0743509854
Sales Rank: 167053
Subjects:  1. 1981-1989    2. Audio - Nonfiction    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Government - U.S. Government    7. Political History    8. Political and social views    9. Politics and government    10. Presidents & Heads of State    11. Reagan, Ronald    12. United States    13. United States - 20th Century    14. Biography & Autobiography / Political   

Speaking My Mind
by Ronald Reagan
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 October, 1999)
list price: $32.00 -- our price: $20.16
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THE GREAT LIBERATOR SPEAKS

In the introduction, President Reagan expresses the wish that these speeches would give the listener insight into himself as a president and a person: who he was, where he came from and what he believed. The speeches are not about policies and do not include any state of the union addresses. Almost every speech is introduced by Reagan with his reflections on the times and the issues, with his customary wit and humour.

My only complaint about the CD-set is the absence of a booklet with a proper track listing. The speeches are listed on the 5 discs but in a tiny font size so that one needs a magnifying glass in order to read them.

The first speech, from October 1964, in support of Barry Goldwater's candidacy, is particularly stirring. The sound is a bit crackly here but that only adds to the magic of this momentous speech. All the others are from the White House years. Here are the most memorable ones:

1981
Swearing-in ceremony/Inaugural address/Address to the nation on the state of the economy. Reagan was the first president to use a prop on TV - in this case a coin to demonstrate the effect of inflation/Address on the air traffic controllers strike, quite a powerful one.

1982
Magnificent address to the UK parliament on the values of the West and our historic role in the defence of freedom/Inauguration of the USS New Jersey/The national prayer breakfast, on spiritual renewal/Christmas day radio address.

1983
On the struggle for democracy in Central America/On the massacre of the marines in Lebanon/The magnificent Evil Empire speech/Martin Luther King Day.

1984
Hoboken, New Jersey election speech, to enthusiastic audience.
Republican Convention Acceptance speech, also to enthusiastic audience/40th Anniversary of the Normandy invasion, a very stirring and uplifting one.

1985
On SDI (the Space Shield) to the political action conference.
On the upcoming Geneva summit meeting with Gorbachev.

1986
Memorial service for the Challenger dead/On the Reykjavik summit/Centennial ceremony for the Statue of Liberty/Tax reform act of 1986, a breakthrough for economic growth and prosperity/Washington dinner honouring Tipp O'Neill, showing how gracefully Reagan acted towards his political opponents.

1987
Momentous speech at Brandenburg gate in Berlin on June 12th, 1987: "Tear down this wall!"/Speech honouring the heroism of ordinary people.

1988
Veterans Day Ceremony: Reagan restored the dignity and honour of Vietnam vets/Republican National Convention tribute to Nancy Reagan for her campaign against drug abuse. The last address to White House correspondents' annual dinner/Campaign speech for George H Bush in San Diego.
Farewell speech on January 11th, 1989.

Upon his death in 2004, the most moving tribute to Ronald Reagan appeared on the Belmont Club Blog, in the form of an old poem by Thomas Macaulay:

" When the oldest cask is opened,
And the largest lamp is lit;
When the chestnuts glow in the embers,
And the kid turns on the spit;
When young and old in circle
Around the firebrands close;
When the girls are weaving baskets,
And the lads are shaping bows;
When the goodman mends his armour,
And trims his helmet's plume;
When the goodwife's shuttle merrily
Goes flashing through the loom;
With weeping and with laughter
Still is the story told,
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old."

Reagan Freed the Slaves of Communist Tyrannies
Reading this in 1990 brought the 1980s into focus.

I will never forget the day after the Berlin Wall came down looking around at all the happy, relieved faces in the diner in downtown Chicago (and that town is a Democrat stronghold!).

And then the rapid, unexpected collapse of Soviet satellite slave states! It was not overnight but I later realized, REAGAN WAS RIGHT, AND I WAS WRONG IN THE 1980s!!!

Through the 1980s I was indifferent to Reagan. I would come home from work, watch the evening network news and believe everything the anchors and reporters suggest about Reagan. What I did not realize is that the dominant media wanted people like me to be hostile to Reagan. I never voted period.

I believed Reagan was a shallow actor who got lucky and just hung around rich Republicans.

The Robert Bork hearings were disturbing but I could not articulate why.

After watching the 1988 Republican convention, seeing that so many people appreciated America and Reagan and that conservatives were not the demons that I had believed, I decided for sure that I would not register as a Democrat, and slowly but surely steered away from liberalism.

The high-tech lynching of Clarence Thomas persuaded me further of the fanaticism of modern liberalism.

And that Democrats nominated Clinton, a McGovernite liberal posing as a centrist and trashing the "trickle-down economics" of Reagan. That was the last straw.

The New York Times had a smug, sneering piece about Rush Limbaugh in 1992. I finally later read and listened to Rush Limbaugh. I thought gradually, essentially RUSH IS RIGHT!

In 1992 I registered Republican for the first time and voted for George H. W. Bush. FREE FROM LIBERALISM AT LAST!!!

One for the history books
What better way to remember the Reagan legacy than by listening to Reagan's best speeches. ... Read more

Isbn: 0743500334
Sales Rank: 297248
Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Audio - Nonfiction    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. General    6. Political    7. Presidents & Heads of State    8. Biography & Autobiography / General   

What's So Great About America
by Dinesh D'Souza
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (24 April, 2002)
list price: $27.95 -- our price: $18.45
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Editorial Review

Look again at the title of this book: it's not a question, but a statement. "America is the greatest, freest, and most decent society in existence," writes Dinesh D'Souza. "American life as it is lived today [is] the best life that our world has to offer." There are those who hate it, or at least essential elements of it, from radical Islamists to the likes of Patrick Buchanan (on the right) and Jesse Jackson (on the left). But they are wrong to hate it, and D'Souza grapples with all of them in this engaging and compelling volume. D'Souza is the author of provocative books such as Illiberal Education and The End of Racism, plus the appreciative Ronald Reagan. This may be his most personal book, with parts written in the first person as the India-born D'Souza describes his encounter with the United States, first as an immigrant and now as a citizen. Foreign authors such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Gunnar Myrdal have offered some of the most penetrating assessments of America, and D'Souza clearly shares in this noble tradition. "I am constantly surprised by how much I hear racism talked about and how little I actually see it," he writes. What's So Great About America is also vintage D'Souza, full of feisty arguments and sharp humor. He is perhaps better at explaining why America's critics are wrong than explaining why America's celebrants are right, but he's very good at both. Written in the months following the September 11 terrorist strikes, this book should find a large and receptive audience. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (210)

Why do people hate America, yet want to live here ?
This book explains the reason why so many people "bad-mouth" the U.S. and "American culture", but yet, millions want to move to the U.S. either short-term or long-term. The truth is, the U.S. provides the best life in terms of wealth and freedom, and they just can't get that back home. The book is by a man who moved here, and explains, from the outside in, why the U.S. is so great.

It's not a question - it's a statement
What's so great about America.It's not a question, it's a statement.And D'Souza proceeds in clear and precise logic to show why America is such a great nation.He starts by analyzing the complaints from the Middle-Eastern terrorists, the Europeans, the Asians, and even the "intellectual elite" of America, who are perhaps the loudest critics.He examines colonialism, slavery, and racial preferences.He covers immigration and why others want to come here, and very convincingly discusses American morality and religion.And he supports all his assertions with sound research and statistics.

Being an immigrant himself, D'Souza knows of what he speaks.He is able to contrast his experience with that of others.His experiences in the Reagan administration have given him an interesting insight that many of us take for granted.I found his logic not only persuasive, but uplifting at a time when so many within our own country seek only to divide and tear us apart.I can highly recommend this book to help one appreciate the blessing it is to live in America, and as food for thought for those who think otherwise.

The Right Stuff
Give the man credit: he has an opinion, and he has guts.Anyone who's attended a top university in the US knows the courage it takes to challenge political orthodoxy in the rarefied palaces of academe.Yet during the campus backlash years of the Reagan administration, when students and professors busied themselves with anti-apartheid sit-ins and protests over human rights abuses in Nicaragua, Dinesh D'Souza made a splash, and more than a few enemies, when he founded the dissident conservative college paper "Dartmouth Review".The very name, with its less than subtle evocations of another well-known conservative maverick, caused a collective shudder of fear and loathing through the armies of radical activists standing guard over the fading glories of the 60s.

Since that time D'Souza has carved a niche of respect for himself in American intellectual life with his writings on American politics and sociology.His controversial recent works, "Iliberal Education" and "The End of Racism", were an out and out declaration of war on the system of leftist elites which preside over the development of thought at the nation's universities, and a systematic and devasting dissection of the cult of political correctness and its pernicious effect on the psyche of American society.

In "What's So Great About America", a lengthy post 9/11 analysis of what's gone right in the US and wrong most everywhere else in the world, D'Souza is at his most convincing and least doctinaire.He's matured as a writer, and approaches this work with the confidence of a battle scarred survivor with no axe to grind, just hard-won wisdom to share in a dangerous, unsettled world.

It's refreshing how unafraid he is to put controversial topics on the table, challenging the reader to interpret only the facts that history gives us, the truth as we know it, unalloyed by ideological contamination.He fuses heart-felt patriotism of the old fashioned kind with reasoned, thoughtful analysis.An intellectual who actually pens chapters with bold faced titles "The Reparations Fallacy:What African Americans Owe America", and "Two Cheers For Colonialism: How the West Prevailed", and then lays out his ideas with good natured, and convincing, pragmatism, offers an unequalled voice of reason in the dark forest of relativsm where American thought languishes.

Given the timing of "What's So Great..", it's important that a work like this comes to us courtesy of a recent immigrant.There's a perspective here impossible to duplicate among our nation's coddled natural born citizenry, many of whom condemn their native land as they would a resented parent who's spoiled them into impossible expectations.D'Souza brings none of this baggage to his work.He's grateful and proud to be a US citizen without feeling any need to disrespect his culture of birth.He's just seen the superiority of life here, the energy, the possibilties.

In his chapter "Becoming American", he lays out the central and simple idea that life in America is rich and bountiful not because the streets are paved with gold, but because people are allowed to create their own individuality here as they can nowhere else in the world. Accountant, Bohemian, novelist, politician, internet entrepreneur, painter...the choice here is infinite, and it is yours.The individual is the starting point of everything in American society.

This message has a ringing authenticity from someone who hails from a world where fate is prescribed, religion and God dominate, and individual initiative is spurned and in many cases squashed.There's no smugness in D'Souza's message.He articulates the hopes of immigrants to this nation for four centuries.And as uplifting as his analysis is, it's equally unsettling in its assessment of world hatred and resentment.

He draws the conclusion that history will ensure that right will prevail, and that America is nothing less than the beacon on the hill for a benighted world.His voice is consonant with the neo-conservatives and their doctrine of spreading peace and prosperity through democracy.But his tone is more modulated than theirs, reminding us of the intensity of the enemy's determination, and warning that, however worthwhile and necessary, the struggle towards a liberal world society will require all the force of unified will the nation can muster. ... Read more

Isbn: 0895261537
Subjects:  1. American national characterist    2. American national characteristics    3. Civilization    4. Civilization, Western    5. General    6. History    7. History: American    8. History: World    9. National characteristics, Amer    10. National characteristics, American    11. Politics - Current Events    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. Political Science / Reference   

Fighting Back:The War on Terrorism from Inside the Bush White House
by Bill Sammon
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 October, 2002)
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Reviews (59)

'Somebody's going to pay'
This book, which preceded _Misunderestimated_, is the one in which Bill Sammon began chronicling the presidency of George W. Bush. (_At Any Cost_ -- an excellent book as well -- was an account of Al Gore's attempts to steal the 2000 election, not of Bush's presidency itself.)

I read _Misunderestimated_ first, but this one is every bit as good. It begins with 9/11 and follows the Bush Administration's responses, up to and including the removal of the Taliban from Afghanistan. (The war to depose Saddam Hussein is covered in the next volume.)

Sammon makes no secret of his own support for Bush (and his lack of respect for Bush's immediate predecessor in office). But this isn't a liability, journalistically or otherwise. It isn't that he's not _capable_ of criticizing the Bush Administration (and he does chide the White House for its occasional misstep); it's that he really has come to the conclusion that the Administration is doing a good job and the President has proved equal to his historical tasks. (And as for Clinton, well, let's just say that the ability to see the warts on _that_ presidency isn't exactly a sign of bias.)

Sammon's account is crisp, clear, and briskly paced -- and, since he's been in such close touch with the President, it's the next best thing to being inside Bush's head. It is, in short, a captivating and informative read.

It also incorporates several of Bush's speeches in their entirety -- including his inspiring remarks in the National Cathedral and his stirring 9/20/01 address on Capitol Hill before a joint session of Congress.

Together with _Misunderestimated_, it's a fine account of America's post-9/11 transition from peacetime to wartime. Bush-haters won't like it, but that's their problem.

Thank You George W. Bush
As an American, I cannot thank you enough for your heroic handling of the events of 9/11, your steady attack on terrorists, for keeping this country safe, for taking out Sadam Hussein and for defeating Al Gore and his democrat croonies and for making this a better country.

Although we may not be where want to be, we are sure as heck a lot better off now than wewouldhave been if Gore was in office. And four years from now, we will bein a lot better shape with you as our Commander-In-Chief than we would be if John Kerry became President (God Forbid!))

Thank you President Bush for your unselfish service and dedication.

Sold With Pom Poms
There must be a rule with any author that has a book published by Regnery Publishing and that is that on every third page the book needs to take a negative dig at either President Clinton or Democrats in general.For those of you wondering, this book fulfills the quota with an impressive start on page two.Even though this book is an unabashedly pro Bush book on the 9/11 attacks and the American response, there are more mentions of President Clinton then Osama Bin Laden.The author finds ways to blame just about everything bad in the world on Clinton and then for good measure knocks around his wife at least once per chapter.I knew this book was going to be, in a small part anyway, a bit of a puff piece for Bush.The author wears his love for the President on his sleeve on all his public appearances on the FOX network and he is employed by the rather conservative Washington Times.This was one of the reasons I was drawn to the book.Who doesn't like to read a positive, pro American, rock-um sock-um type book?I thought I would get a nice and interesting look at 9/11 from an author that was probably given more access to the Bush Team because he was going to write such a glowing review.I figured this would be a nice bookend to the Woodward book.

The book does deliver what I was looking for, a very positive and detailed account of the Bush administration from 9/11 through mid 2002.The author does a nice job of giving the reader a great deal of facts that the average author might pass by.This is why I bought the book and on this point I was pleased.My concerns with the book were the rather childish way the author lets his massive dislike for President Clinton invade this book.It was almost as if the author could not stop himself with the rude comments.They added nothing to the main story.If this side show was not enough the author spent about 20% of the book attacking the media and its coverage of the Bush administration. So much so I got to think that maybe the title of the book was somehow related to the Bush Administrations fight with the "Liberal" press instead of Americas fight with terrorists.All of this anti Clinton and press bashing did nothing for the story and took away more from the book then it added.

I guess what really disappointed me was the authors very obvious and not very well done attempts at defending the Bush administration from some of the negative charges or comments made by the press or his opponents.The author covered topics that had nothing or very slightly anything to do with the main focus of the book.Many of the comments were nothing more then bait and switch campaign tactics or well worn GOP standard attack lines usually used at the end of a losing negative campaign.All these comments did for me was to call into question how much of the book as based in solid fact and how much was blind support for the President.What makes the comments sad is that the book did not need them.The President, by almost all accounts, was and still is thought of as performing very well during this time.He does not need this ham handed shading of the facts and cheap shots that this author employs.It actually takes away more then it adds.

Overall I enjoyed the parts of the book that detailed the facts.These sections of the book put the President in a very positive light and were well written.It was just that the negative comment campaign against President Clinton and the press brought the book down to some playground name calling event.Throw in the attack dog dirty campaign style support pieces and the book falls into the middle of the rating scale.If you are an arch conservative you will probably fall in love with the book and the author. If you are more of a moderate and are looking for a book that just covers the facts and skips the rhetoric then I would suggest the Woodward book Bush at War. ... Read more

Isbn: 0895261499
Sales Rank: 239180
Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Foreign relations    3. General    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Government policy    6. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    7. Political Science    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Terrorism    11. United States    12. United States - 21st Century    13. War on Terrorism, 2001-   

Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism
by Sean Hannity
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (20 August, 2002)
list price: $25.95 -- our price: $16.35
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Reviews (634)

Insight into the conservative argument
I know that in the world of political writing I am way late in reading Sean Hannity's 2002 book.I did, however, find it an interesting read that had some issues that are still valid in the political realm right now.
While reading the other reviews, I found it amazing the amount of emotion that this book unleashed.Unfortunately the people using this forum as a political discussion arena both proved some of the arguments made in this book and gave no real insight into the book.
Without getting into a political discussion, anyone reading this book that knows anything about Sean Hannity knows that they will be getting a conservative view of the world in these pages.What I liked most of this book is that it put all of the political issues into context.Too often I hear people discussing politics as individual issues and never placing them into cause and effect relationships with other issues.For example, there is talk about the environment and gas prices.People will argue various reasons why gas prices continue to climb and blame "big oil".However, no one wants to build refineries in the United States to process the crude oil we have.These issues are intertwined and cannot be separated.Mr. Hannity connects the dots whether the reader likes them or not.
If you're looking for a book with a completely neutral political agenda, this is not it.However, it does present a truly conservative argument that is well thought out and can give a reader an intelligent insight into the conservative thought process.If your going to rant on about the "Right Wing Fascists" then don't read this book, but if you want to see how the conservatives have been and will continue to make their arguments for more personal freedom and responsibility, then read on.Mr. Hannity is true to the conservative cause in his basic core beliefs.He presents the issues that still effect us today with the conservative view that will help conservatives, moderates and liberals understand the arguments of the day whether you agree with him or not.
All in all I have to say this book still has some relevance even though some of the players have changed (i.e. Tom Daschle).A person engaged in a true political debate would want to read both sides of the story and this book presents the conservative view as coherently as I have seen it before.

Loving Sean more and more every time
This book is a must have for any intelligent reader who knows what true Liberty is and those who recognize how Liberalism (or as I like to call it, "The anything goes attitude") is hurting America. It's not just the opinion of the author that fills up the pages of this book but there's also facts and truth packed into the paragraphs to back up each and every statement.

Sean's comments are insightful and intriguing and anyone who says other wise and down plays how helpful this book is in understanding what's going on in America, is probably a Liberal and can't take the fact that the views of their party is destroying this once great Country.

I highly recommend this book and after taking a chance to read it, you will too.

Patriotism is not loyalty&subordination to state power
George Orwell once wrote: "The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them."
Hannity, who's a jingoist hypocrite, forgets a very important detail, the root of the problem: that the best way of stoping terrorism is to stop participating in it.
There's a reason why Al Quaida attacked us and not Sweden. We should recognize that the US (being 3.5% of the world's population &consuming 50%of resources) exploits the world economically (especially the 3rd world, that's how we get rich) Contrary to what you hear, the US multinational establishment never favored free-trade. The economy relies very heavily on a dynamic state sector to socialize cost and risk, a radical violation of market principles. Needless to say, in much of the world the US is regarded --correctly-- as a leading terrorist state.
What was the invasion of South Vietnam, for example, in 1962, when Kennedy sent the Air Force to bomb South Vietnam and start chemical warfare? That's aggression.We killed millions of innocent people. Or what was the Indonesian invasion of East TimorKiling 100's of thousands?What was the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which ended up killing 20,000 people? These last two were carried out thanks to decisive U.S. diplomatic, military, and economic support. The invasion of Panama, what was that? The attacks on Cuba, Nicaragua and much of South America? The bombing of Cambodia? The forceful overthrow of governments? And the list goes on. We've supported and sold weapons to dictators like Pinochet, Suharto, Mobutu,Marcos,the Shah, Duvalier, Ceacescu Saddam Hussein etc. We are the biggest weapons merchant in the world, and we spend more on means of violence that practically the entire rest of the world combined. Bin Laden does retail terrorism. We do wholesale terrorism.
If we bomb them, that's normal; that's what we do. If we get attacked it's the end of the world.
Let's stop our self-adulation and delusion and start applying to ourselves the same standards we apply to others (most basic moral principle) If we can't even do that, we CANNOT talk about lofty things such as "driving evil out of the world" "good against evil" "Our christian values" etc. Let's not point at the splinter in the other person's eye while we have a log in ours. Let's stop our terrorism and exploitation and work towards a better world.
And it's not "blaming America", it's blaming real people like you or me who are allowing horrible things to happen. There's no abstract entity "America" that acts. Don't put the blame anywhere else.The concept "anti-American" is an interesting one. The counterpart is used only in totalitarian states or military dictatorships. Thus, in the old Soviet Union, dissidents were condemned as "anti-Soviet." That's a natural usage among people with deeply rooted totalitarian instincts, which identify state policy with the society, the people, the culture. In contrast, people with even the slightest concept of democracy treat such notions with ridicule and contempt. Suppose someone in Italy who criticizes Italian state policy were condemned as "anti-Italian." It would be regarded as too ridiculous even to merit laughter. Maybe under Mussolini, but surely not otherwise.
Actually the concept has earlier origins. It was used in the Bible by King Ahab, the epitome of evil, to condemn those who sought justice as "anti-Israel" ("ocher Yisrael," in the original Hebrew, roughly "hater of Israel," or "disturber of Israel"). His specific target was Elijah.
The US(especially now with Bush) is, ---and has been for the last half century--, a vicious imperial power whose internal freedom has no correlation with its external behavior; a country where people are brainwashed to believe official pieties, support state atrocities and be ignorant/apathetic or jingoistically enthusiastic about the brutal and heinous crimes carried out by the US, which is dominated by corporate interests in their insatiable quest for power and wealth. The brainwashing is done through the manufacture of consent, a technique of social control by which people get to regard themselves as thinking perfectly independently, while they are in fact just servile to power, weak members of the herd who have internalized the values of the prevailing and highly indoctrinated intellectual culture.
Here are some of the ways they do it:

1- The US is not a totalitarian state, so you don't get the propaganda line. In the intellectual realm what you get is something much more subtle, yet similar. Namely, vigorous debate within a framework of fixed and unquestionable presuppositions, and those presuppositions ARE the propaganda line. So take the war in Vietnam; the "left" said:
"We began with blundering efforts to do good, but by 1969 it became too costly, we found it was a disaster, too costly for ourselves, so therefore we should get out."
The right said "You're selling us out, we can win if we fight harder, etc." All of it assumes that the US attack against south Vietnam was in defense of South Vietnam, and an effort to do good (which of course, is totally false). That's the genius of the propaganda system.

2- Selection of people (students, workers intellectuals) who are obedient& subservient to power (they get rewarded& get ahead in life), and discrimination of others. Also, a biased, nationalistic version of US history & American values is taught in schools & family households. People end up internalizing the values of power and regard themselves as thinking perfectly freely/independently.

3- Lots of distractions(Sports, stupid TV shows etc)and Major (Corporate) media control: filtering of information, distribution of concerns, emphasis, framing of issues, bounding of debate within certain limits (so that you can't present evidence if you say anything against power or anything other than what's common knowledge). They determine, select, shape, control, restrict, in order to serve the interests of dominant elite groups.

4- Trying to impose a philosophy of passive consumerism in a country that is not a democracy, but rather a system of elite decision and periodic public ratification.
The rulers don't represent the people, and the election process is a show that stays away from any important issues (healthcare, minimum wage etc)

Now, unless we bring the autocratic central institutions that control society (comercial, financial, industrial) under popular democratic control, our democracy will be a sham, we'll have wars, and we'll always be reduced to tossing a coin&picking a king every 4 years. Our freedoms were not gained because CEO's or gov officials gave them to us. They were gained by popular involvement, such as the civil rights movement in the 60's, before which blacks couldn't even sit in the front of the bus ... Read more

Isbn: 0060514558
Sales Rank: 19755
Subjects:  1. 1970-    2. Civilization    3. Essays    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    6. Political Science    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Popular Culture - General    11. Popular culture    12. United States   

Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News
by Bernard Goldberg
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (25 February, 2001)
list price: $27.95 -- our price: $18.45
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Reviews (813)

it was right on the mark
good reading.
lets you know why the network media sucks!

Whine much?
Is there a problem with bias in the media?Sure.Too bad all this guy wants to do is whine about how Dan Rather owns an expensive suit and doesn't care for him.I was hoping for more compelling evidence than this rubbish.

Bias: A CBS insider exposes socialism in the News.
The book "Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distorts the News" by Bernard Goldberg is a very revealing book and worth the read.

People sometimes mistakenly say that the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) is "liberal" and this book shows otherwise.CBS gives equal time to big-spending democrat-socialists like Clinton, and to republican-socialists who are twice as socialistic as Clinton (in social spending alone).The only way CBS can be called biased is that it only covers the one-party system of the socialist candidates (republicans and democrats) and ignores anyone who supports less government (Libertarians). CBS is an example of why the FCC is unconstitutional and has destroyed the press and why the FCC must end.

As with other broadcasters, CBS is stuck in absurd left-right political analysis, as taught in government schools. CBS also uses the word "liberal" unprofessionally to mean "left."CBS's ignorant habit forgets the etymology of "liberal" for "liberty" (against government and for laissez-faire capitalism).That bad habit explains why republicans and democrats are the same: socialists.CBS is an example of why government schools are unconstitutional and have destroyed a "free press" and why the government schools must end.

CBS is home to "60 minutes" and Mike Wallace.Wallace is infamous for a story on how North Korea uses Anne Frank's diary to teach North Korean children that the U.S.A. is like "Nazis."Wallace mentioned during the story that North Korea is "socialist."Wallace and the people in North Korea used the word Nazi multiple times in the story.Not once did Wallace mention that the Nazi's were socialists, or that "Nazi" means "National Socialist German Workers' Party."So in a story in which self-proclaimed Korean socialists are accusing the U.S. of being Nazis, a story crying out for at least one mention of the meaning of "Nazi," if not a grand finale based on that meaning, instead one of CBS's premier reporters fails to mention it at all. Why do you think that is?Is it because Wallace is an ignoramus? or is it because he deliberately thought about what Nazi means and decided not to mention it, not to educate the public, and to hide the truth?

CBS has a bad habit: overuse of the hackneyed "Nazi" so much that it might cause one to wonder if anyone at the broadcaster knows the origin of the term.Many people forget that "Nazi" means "National Socialist German Workers' Party," and one reason people forget is because the word "Nazi" is overused by media mouthpieces (e.g. CBS) who never say the actual name of the horrid party.A good mnemonic device is that the swastika resembles two overlapping "S" letters for "socialism."

For example: The CBS search engine indicates NO results EVER for use of the actual name of the monstrous party, the "National Socialist German Workers' Party." In comparison CBS's search indicates the stereotypical hackneyed use of the shorthand.

Of course, a common journalistic practice is that whenever an abbreviation or shorthand is desired, the full phrase should be spelled out first with the shorthand given in parentheses and then repeated thereafter. Here is an example: "The National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party) was horrid." Or "Nazis (National Socialist German Workers Party members) are horrid." Thereafter the shorthand can be used alone within the article. CBS does not follow that practice and no explanation is apparent as to why.

That type of writing bias inspired the "Not say Nazi" movement via people who pledge to never say or write the abbreviation and to always use the full phrase, in an effort to counter-act the rampant ignorance of journalists, and the ignorance they spread to the general public.

CBS regularly carries programming about patriotic topics, including recent litigation about the pledge of allegiance and CBS implies that it loves the pledge. Big problem: No one at CBS arises each morning to gather with neighbors and robotically chant, as CBS only "loves" the pledge when government schools lead children in robotic chanting every morning for twelve years of their lives upon the ring of a bell, like Pavlov's lapdogs of the state.Did I mention that CBS is an example of why government schools are unconstitutional and have destroyed a "free press" and why government schools must end?

The book suggests that CBS is ignorant of the fact that the pledge was written by a socialist (Francis Bellamy) in the USA and that the original salute was a straight-arm salute (as shown in web image searches for "original socialist salute").The book suggests that when it was written CBS was an ignoramus about the news-breaking discovery by the historian Rex Curry that the straight-arm salute of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazis) came from the military saluteand from the original pledge of allegiance in the USA, and not from ancient Rome.

Francis Bellamy and his cousin and cohort Edward Bellamy were national socialists who idolized the military and wanted to nationalize the entire US economy, including all schools.It was a philosophy that led to the socialist Wholecaust (of which the Holocaust was a part) where millions were murdered (62 million by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 35 million by the Peoples' Republic of China, 21 million by the National Socialist German Workers' Party) in the worst slaughter in history.That is why the Bellamys are known as the first American Nazis.

CBS is an example of why some educated socialists (socialists who know the origin of the pledge) laugh at people at CBS when they have news about the pledge of allegiance, because socialists presume that CBS has been duped into supporting socialism and is ignorant of the pledge's socialist origin.

CBS has apparently never displayed a historic photograph of the original pledge of allegiance ever to viewers nor discussed its ominous parallels.

CBS is not libertarian and CBS uses the misnomer "public schools" to mean "government schools" because CBS is a dupe and doesn't understand freedom.CBS reports on social security reforms that would invest social security taxes in private businesses and provide an avenue for the government to nationalize all private businesses in addition to schools.It is a scheme that would impress the Bellamys.CBS reports the schemes because CBS doesn't have the ethics, objectivity, nor intellectual honesty to report the other side of the story (the proper side): ending government involvement in education, and ending the social security scam, its taxes and its Nazi numbering.

CBS is a reminder that the media are government mouthpieces: overrun with socialists and a lost cause for liberty.

CBS should address the following:

* Your viewers do not know and never will know (because you will never tell them) that the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag was written by a self-proclaimed National Socialist in the U.S. who wanted government schools to create an "industrial army" and that the original Pledge used a straight-arm salute like that later used by the National Socialist German Workers' Party, and that a recent historic discovery indicates that the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance in fact was the origin of the salute of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.

* Your viewers have never seen and will never see (because you will never show them) even one actual photo of the historic original U.S. flag salute (the straight-arm salute).

* Your viewers do not know and never will know (because you will never tell them) that "Nazi" means "National Socialist German Workers' Party."

* Your viewers do not know (and you will not tell them) about the socialist Wholecaust (of which the Holocaust was a part) the greatest loss of life that ever occurred, in which the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics slaughtered 62 million, the People's Republic of China slaughtered 35 million and the National Socialist German Workers' Party slaughtered 21 million, and that socialists in the U.S. (including the author of the Pledge of Allegiance) helped inspire them.

* Your viewers do not know (and you will not tell them) that D-Day is also a day to remember that the U.S. helped end a war that began when the National Socialist German Workers' Party and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics invaded Poland in 1939 as allies in a pact to divide up Europe.

Overall, the book was very educational and worth the time to review. ... Read more

Isbn: 0895261901
Sales Rank: 13924
Subjects:  1. Current Affairs    2. General    3. Journalism    4. Mass Media    5. Media Studies    6. Objectivity    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    9. Television broadcasting of new    10. Television broadcasting of news    11. United States   

Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right
by ANN COULTER
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (25 June, 2002)
list price: $25.95
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Editorial Review

"Liberals have been wrong about everything in the last half century," writes conservative pundit Ann Coulter, author of the bestselling anti-Clinton tome High Crimes and Misdemeanors. They've been especially wrong about Republicans, she writes. The bulk of Slander, in fact, is a well-documented brief dedicated to the proposition that most of the media despises anybody whose political opinions lie an inch to the right of the New York Times editorial page. This is hardly an original observation, though few have presented it with such verve. Coulter is the shock-jock of right-wing political commentary, able to dash off page after page of over-the-top but hilarious one-liners: "Liberals dispute slight reductions in the marginal tax rates as if they are trying to prevent Charles Manson from slaughtering baby seals." There's a certain amount of irony about an author who says "liberals prefer invective to engagement" also declaring, "The good part of being a Democrat is that you can commit crimes, sell out your base, bomb foreigners, and rape women, and the Democratic faithful will still think you're the greatest." But then carefully measured criticism never has been Coulter's shtick--or her appeal. Fans of Rush Limbaugh and admirers of Bernard Goldberg's Bias won't want to miss Slander. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (1172)

Lady Ann Rocks
Clever and extremely funny.

She has well a thought out, well researched, stinging tongue.
Her critiques are as expected from a top law school graduate and a keen conservative.

I sure would like to see anyone try to debunk her research.

PenetratingArmenian
A Self Certified Blogspot Blogger

A Clashing Cymbol
As a conservative, I would have appreciated just the facts without her inane packaging.I too share the belief that liberals should be sidelined.Nonetheless, I would hope that I would have more respect for the reader to make up his own mind and hold my conclusions until the climatic ending.No such luck here.This is the second time I picked up the book as Coulter is important, but having set the book down a second time makes me question her continued importance on the scene.

Ann, More Roundhouses Please.
This is Ann Coulter's finest book.It lacks the gratuitous venom of Treason and is on point the entire time.Unlike How to Talk to a Liberal, there is a coherent theme here and not simply a rehash of old material.Slander is fresh and courageous and that's why it sold millions of copies.Much is made of her demeaning attitude towards her enemies, well, it certainly is true that she showers them with abuse and attitude, but what about when those of us on the right are called fascists, racists, sexists, or religious fanatics every time we open our mouths?What many who criticize her don't understand is the fact that she always analyzes their arguments and defeats them before making insults.However, concerning these verbal abuses, they are often witty and hilarious.One of my favorite lines is when Coulter refers to Hollywood Starlets who denigrate Phyllis Schlafly that they "couldn't approach Schlafly's IQ if they were having brains instead of silicone injected."Although, some of it is rather profound such as when she states, "A central component of liberal hate speech is to make paranoid accusations based on their own neurotic influences."Quite right Ann, battle on--for us all. This is a wonderful book and was the pinnacle of her career if you ask me. ... Read more

Isbn: 1400046610
Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Liberalism    3. Mass media    4. Political Process - General    5. Political Process - Political Parties    6. Political Science    7. Political aspects    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Political Science / Political Parties   

To Renew America
by Newt Gingrich
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 August, 1995)
list price: $24.00
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Reviews (17)

Renewing America One Step at a Time
An elaborate explanation of the 1994 Contract With America, implemented by House Republicans subsequent to a victorious campaign to win both houses of U.S. Congress. Gingrich enlightens readers about House Republican's aspirations for a better and "Renewed America," and delves into issues such as, fiscal responsibility, technological advancement, personal achievement, and welfare reform. Mr. Speaker attempts to drive readers to a new perspective on American Politics.

He begins the treatise with a terse description of his childhood years in Orleans, France. Living in Orleans while his father worked with American Communications Forces, Newt familiarized himself with the Fourth Republic's post-war social and governmental affairs. He recounts the events which led to his early interest in military history, politics, and the fate of civilizations; as well as detailing what books transformed much of his outlook on the developing world.

Written with style, clarity, and candor, the Former Speaker of the House addresses virtually every issue confronting the American taxpayer. Similar to other treatises of 21st century American government, "To Renew America" is destined to reshape the conventional views of many Americans about Government structure and efficiency.

Conservative playbook available to all!
The ideas contained in this book led to the 1994 GOP Congressional victories.Newt has a tremendous historical background (his Ph.D. is in history) and it shows in this book.Gingrich provides a nice balance of policy-making and political strategy; it makes you realize the challenges faced by politicians in getting their ideas into law.Great read!

Gingrich renewed this country, not Clinton
The ideas in this book are the reason, along with the premise of the Contract with America, why we in America enjoy a superb economy, lower crime, a balanced budget, and unparalleled freedom. These were the ideas Gingrich brought to Congress; a Congress which hadn't had any kind of new ideas for almost five decades.

The major themes of this book are about implementing limited, common sense government, having faith in the local community to make decisions and solve problems, using personal responsibility, and shifting power from the federal government to the people.

To my surprise, Gingrich talks of his love of animals and the environment with great detail in this book. To listen to the media and left-wing journalists, one would think Gingrich only cared about drilling for oil in Yellowstone national park. Read his book and you'll see it's not true. ... Read more

Isbn: 006017336X
Sales Rank: 636469
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Information society    3. Politics - Current Events    4. Politics and government    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Public Policy    7. Social policy    8. U.S. Federal Government    9. U.S. Government    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century   

Capitalism and Freedom
by Milton Friedman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 September, 1982)
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Reviews (76)

Too Many Fallacious Assumptions
I wrote a similar review for his book "Free to choose". Milton Friedman is undoubtedly one of the greatest economists of our time, but his philosophical and political views are based on several popular fallacies. To avoid confusion, I will state upfront that I am not against capitalism and markets, I am against pure capitalism. IMO, greatest freedom for the greatest number of people can only be achieved through representative government, especially when combined with elements of direct democracy, such as referenda, initiatives, and recalls. Pure capitalism unfortunately is incompatible with democratic government.


Fallacy #1: "Capitalism is a voluntary system based on voluntary transactions".

This is false because capitalism takes its origin from undemocratic largely plutocratic governments of the 1700s and 1800s. Capitalism, same as slavery and feudalism, was imposed on the people by undemocratic governments controlled by a wealthy minority. With gradual democratization of governments in the last century, capitalism was transformed into a mixed system. If you look at the most democratic countries today, the ones that allow their citizens to have frequent national referenda: Switzerland, Australia, France, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, UK, etc (this doesn't include the US), all of these countries have a mixed economy. The bottom line is: if the people are free to choose the rules of the game they will voluntarily choose a mixed system, not pure capitalism. Regarding "voluntary" nature of transactions see fallacy #4 below about free will.

Fallacy #2. "The government redistributes income from those who work to those who do not work"

Rebuttal: The government also redistributes income from the wealthy who do not work to the middle class who do work. The government can also redistribute income from the poor who work to the wealthy who do not work by enforcing such economic systems as slavery, feudalism and pure capitalism. Slavery that had existed for some 90 years since the Declaration of Independence can only be prevented by government intervention as well.

Fallacy #3: "Wealth equals hard work."

Rebuttal: A. Things that make it possible for a person to get rich are pure luck: good genes, robust health both physical and mental, marketable talents, IQ, good upbringing, citizenship of a rich country, parents' money, education that parents can afford, physical attractiveness, character traits such as initiative and persistence, etc. These things are a lottery, and are never "earned", they just happen to some people, but not others.
B. Trying hard and being productive are not the same. A minority of outstanding people can achieve a lot without overexerting themselves. Conversely, average people can try very hard, but will not be very productive. Additionally, one can be very productive and competitive solely due to his/her wealth.
C. About one half of all wealth is inherited, not made from scratch. Check out the Forbes list of richest people for 2003 or earlier.
D. Capitalism allows the wealthy to do very little to nothing and get richer at the same time, because you can make your money and other people work for you (this includes capital allocation decisions). For example, through such mechanisms as rent income, interest income, dividends, capital gains. While the masses are always encouraged to work hard for modest wages, this principle is never applied to the rich who can make tons of money without working hard.



Fallacy #4: "People have unlimited free will and are always able to make free choices".

Which is the essence of profoundly erroneous philosophical libertarianism (not to be confused with political one). Mainstream consensus on the subject of free will is that humans have rather limited free will. In addition to not being able to choose things listed in point 3.A. above like one's genes, IQ, capacity for work, talents, where one is born, upbringing, etc, most people have little control over such simple things as thought process, attention, emotions, desires, mental health, sleep patterns, physiological needs. If you need food and shelter or a pain-killer is this a free choice or a biological imperative? Can anyone "choose" to not need food or to not need company of other people or to not need health care without harmful consequences? If most people spend most of their waking time serving their basic biological needs this means that most people cannot make free choices most of the time (this is true under any economic system). They are forced by mother nature to work most of their waking time in order to have food, shelter, nice clothes, to have sex, to be accepted and liked by other people, etc.

People who have even the most rudimentary knowledge of human physiology understand that human mind is the result of the workings of the brain with its supercomplex neural networks, NOT the other way around. You are seemingly free to pursue what you want, but can you change what you want? Can you change your brain or how it works?


Fallacy #5: "When a government protects wealth and private property and doesn't do anything else, this government is not interfering with the economy."

This is false. In this case the government is interfering in order to protect the interests of the wealthy (who most likely own that government as well). Private property is based on exclusion of other people and on extensive use and threats of violence. Private property, which is a cornerstone of capitalism, has little or nothing to do with "freedom", actually quite the opposite: it is a set of restrictions on the actions of people who are "non-owners". Historically, most private property existing today in one way or another had to do with wars, looting, slavery, and feudalism of the past. True freedom from government interference would be anarchy; not plutocracy that many libertarians are unintentionally advocating. I should note that I am not against private property rights, I am just showing you that this concept is of questionable historical descent and involves use of force by the government. Private property rights are never "voluntary".

An interestingeconomic perspective !
Professor Friedman has written a classic book on capitalism that has sold over half a million copy. The most interesting element of his book is that Professor Friedman has accused the Federal Reserve Bank to be responsible for the depression of the 1930s due to their lack of interference by not helping the failed banks and by contracting the money supply. The Federal Reserve Bank is in charge of creating money whenever it is needed, in order to prevent such occurences as major recessions and depression.(The Federal Reserve Bank is embodied in five to six privately owned banks in Europe and America that took over the central financing of the United States in 1913 during the Woodrow wilson presidency when the Federal Reserve act was passed, which marked the beginning of the privatization of American financial and political institutions into the hands of the global corporate world).
Professor Friedman has borrowed most of his concepts on capitalism and freedom from the father of free market economy the brilliant Austrian economist Friedrich Von Hayek, and made them his own.
This book will provide the reader with an interesting perspective on free market economy and the elusive concept of freedom.

Contains both theory and factual evidence
This book is much better than "Road to Serfdom" (Hayek) because Friedman offers more specific details and writes in a much lighter fashion. Though the reading is lighter than it was of the aforementioned Hayek book, it is still not all that light. The book, though only 200 pages, should probably be read at least twice--either by the chapters read and then reread before moving onto the next or by reading the whole thing all the way through twice.

Good points (not a complete listing):

1. Discussion of what keeps the number of physicians in the country artificially low as well as a discussion of how licensure requirments in any given profession can end up creating a defacto labor union.

2. Separation between what are the intended results of any given social program versus what actually happens when these ideas are put into practice. So, this could be the Housing and Urban Development board being responsible for the creation of ghettos--none of which existed before they were created. Or it could the creation of the Federal Reserve, which has a lot of power in the domestic economy, and therefore a lot more power to ruin something on a large scale.

3. Follow up of almost every single concept with specific examples to show what he is arguing

4. Extrapolation of certain arguments to their logical extreme. So, how is it different from 4 people walking along the street and one picking up a $20 bill and being forced to share it by the other three than redistibutive mechanisms imposed by the government on income? How does it make sense for the government to extract subsidies from taxpayers to support higher prices on agricultural products that its taxpayers are going to buy later?

5. Discussion of some of the logical consequences of pursuing "equal distribution of income" as well as some of the reasons that income/ wealth would be unequal no matter what any one does.

This book obviously influences a number of other writers that entered the discussion on Libertarianism (i.e., Thomas Sowell). It's also interesting to note that this book was written at the time when the Soviet Union was thought to still be a threat. The collapse of that Empire, almost 30 years after this book was written is its ultimate vindication.

Well worth the time it takes to read it!
... Read more

Isbn: 0226264017
Sales Rank: 33632
Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Capitalism    3. Econometrics    4. Economic policy    5. Economics - Theory    6. Free Enterprise    7. History & Theory - General    8. Liberty    9. Political Science    10. Politics/International Relations    11. State, The    12. United States    13. Business & Economics / Economics / Theory   

1984 (Everyman's Library)
by George Orwell
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (03 November, 1992)
list price: $18.00 -- our price: $12.24
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

"Outside, even through the shut window pane, the world looked cold.Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere."

The year is 1984; the scene is London, largest population center of Airstrip One.

Airstrip One is part of the vast political entity Oceania, which is eternally at war with one of two other vast entities, Eurasia and Eastasia. At any moment, depending upon current alignments, all existing records show either that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia, or that it has always been at war with Eastasia and allied with Eurasia. Winston Smith knows this, because his work at the Ministry of Truth involves the constant "correction" of such records. "'Whocontrols the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"

In a grim city and a terrifying country, where Big Brother is always Watching You and the Thought Police can practically read your mind, Winston is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. He knows the Party's official image of the world is a fluid fiction. He knows the Party controls the people by feeding them lies and narrowing their imaginations through a process of bewilderment and brutalization that alienates each individual from his fellows and deprives him of every liberating human pursuit from reasoned inquiry to sexual passion. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Newspeak, doublethink, thoughtcrime--in 1984, George Orwell created a whole vocabulary of words concerning totalitarian control that have since passed into our common vocabulary. More importantly, he has portrayed a chillingly credible dystopia. In our deeply anxious world, the seeds of unthinking conformity are everywhere in evidence; and Big Brother is always looking for his chance. --DanielHintzsche ... Read more

Reviews (1156)

Big Brother Is Here Now.
Read NO PLACE TO HIDE by Robert O'Harrow
Check it out on www.muckraker.org

Hey, folks, Big Brother has arrived Big Time!

It Will Haunt You!
In "1984", George Orwell proved his brilliance with this short novel. It portrays the life of a simple man, Winston Smith, in a totalitarian society. In Oceania, where Winston lives, the Party controls every aspect of every person's life and has the ability to erase the past and "vaporize" any member of the society who betrays the Party.

Winston Smith,or better known to the Party as "6079 Smith W.", is a seemingly average worker of the Ministry of Truth who begins to let his mind wander, an act punishable by death. He purchases a journal where he begins to express his true feeling towards the Party and Big Brother, the ultimate source of power. Even more dangerous that keeping a diary, Winston forms an on-going love affair which he cleverly hides well. All of these act, if caught, could potentially put him in Room 101, the most terrible punishment ever created.

As the plot thickens the reader feel a part of Winston's life. Although dense, this suspenseful page-turner keeps you on your toes. The three slogans that run Oceania, "WAR IS PEACE/ FREEDOM IS SLAVERY/ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" artistically portray the twisted and intense rules of the Party. Orwell warns his readers of the possibilities of the future government. 1984 subtly hints the government's power over the brotherhood and our society today.

George Orwell's "1984" is a thought provoking novel that will make you stop and reflect about your own life and the government's ultimate control over you. Once the ideas of "1984" get into your mind, they inevitably will always linger as life goes on. Honestly, this book will haunt you. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Orwell, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an exceptional, lonesome (but also funny) little novel I can't stop thinking about.

Fantastic Book. Predicts the future which is today.
This is very prophetic and very touching. Greatly change your perspective of everything and everyone around you! Read it, you'll enjoy it to the last word. I know, i've read it 4 times and feel like reading it again! ... Read more

Isbn: 0679417397
Subjects:  1. 20th Century English Novel And Short Story    2. Classics    3. Dystopias    4. Fiction    5. Literary    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. London (England)    8. Political fiction    9. Totalitarianism    10. Fiction / Literary   

Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism
by PETER SCHWEIZER
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 October, 2002)
list price: $26.00
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Reviews (53)

Outstanding Peter Schweizer, you did it again!
Peter Schweizer has done it again! Reagan's War may possibly his best book to date. It tells the story of the courageous fight Ronald Reagan took on for over forty years and won againts the communist regime of the Soviet Union. This book gives readers to see a side of Reagan that they may never get to see. The book begins quite nicely showing Reagan in his early years as in actor in Hollywood fighting the newly formed Communist Party in Hollywood. The book can somewhat make you feel like you are Reagan placing you in his shoes in this almost foreign time period. Anyways, as the book progresses, as does Reagan. The book gives the reader a sense of Reagan's hate and ambision towards communism growing throught the book. Reagan's War is a very well research piece of literature. It contains secret documents and even Reagan's KGB file, which was previously unseen by the public eye. I strongly suggest anyone interested in Reagan or communism to read this book. Schweizer demonstrates his great knowelge of history in this book, which aides him in effectively telling this story.

Reality based belief
This book tells the story of President Reagan's experience with the Communist party in his young days shaped his experience and the cold war.

The reality of what he saw stayed with him allowing him to ignore the fantasy based beliefs of many of the same characters who hold the very same beliefs concerning Islamists.

The willingness of Reagan to go on with a hostile media and no alternate media to support him is a story of courage and strength.This book tell it well.

A timely book, buy it.

Excellent book!
This is an excellent history book. It is well written and adds greatly to the understanding of the Cold War and how it was brought to an end.

A great and exciting book from start to finish. The history of the Cold War and Reagan's role in toppling the Soviet Union will never be looked at the same way again. Especially, since this book proves without a doubt that Reagan had developed his formula on how to do it back in the 1950's. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385504713
Sales Rank: 183744
Subjects:  1. Cold War    2. Foreign relations    3. History    4. History & Theory - General    5. History - General History    6. History: American    7. Political Ideologies - Communism & Socialism    8. Reagan, Ronald    9. Soviet Union    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century (1945 to present)    12. United States - General    13. History / United States / General