Rating: 
Summary: Seriously, Pol-Pot?
Review: Really, she talks about lefty actors and the like and their support of the Shining Path in Cambodia? At least they have the excuse of having no real political training or impact. How about the fact that under the direction, initially, of Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon, the U.S. officially continued to recognize Pol-Pot and the Shining Path as the true government of Cambodia for years and actually brought sanctions against Vietnam when they invaded to stop the genocide (the largest state-sponsored killing of the second half of the 20th century).The narrative is dated, just like the fact that under the guise of the War on Terror we've providing arms for the Nepalese army to fight their Maoist (i.e. athiest) insurgency. After all these years, we're still running around fighting commies. Honestly, they lost. The major flaw here, something I find tiring on a regular basis talking to the idealogical right, is the constant righteous conglomeration of all "Communism" under one banner, as if Mao and Lenin and Stalin and Castro (let's not mention Gorbachev or Deng Xiao Ping) all shared really similar policies. She probably still thinks China is a communist regime. I get as irritated by idealogically inconsistent lefties as anybody, especially those willing to tolerate all kinds of things from other governments that they won't tolerate from their own. And if I take any heart in U.S. foreign policy right now it's that we may be moving in a direction where we are no longer willing to prop up corrupt dictatorships simply because they are anti-communist. But, we have to move past the McCarthy era if we want to get there, and Mona ain't helping.
Rating: 
Summary: used people
Review: Mona Charon wrote a witty book about how liberals have been blind in the left eye when it came to the Soviet Union and other communist or left leaning regies. Because a person is blind in the left eye does not mean conservatives are not blind in the the right eye. In particular she excuses the "excesses ' of right wing death squads by claiming that the left wing squads (in Central America) were worst. That may be true but that doesn't excuss conservative support for murderers. Obviusly this book is not meant at a balanced look at the issues but a polemic to point out the bizarre and mistaken statements made by liberals over the last 70 years.She repeately makes a point in claiming "Hollywood Typers" are incensed over the Nazis but not the Communists. in point she bemoans the fact that anti Nazi movies were made but not anti anti Stalin movies. She thinks the answere is obvious. The author may be implying the alleged Jewish backgroung of Hollywood (reason to make anti Nazi movies).If she is -she is being clever about her anti-Semitism. If she isn't -I guess she thinks Hollywood is loaded with communists. if fact part of the book os a clever defense of McCarthyism. McCarthy too took on the liberal esablishment by thinking they were naive and idiotic by Communism. I gave it three stars for the well written verse but the book was probably written by using Lexus Nexus and string a political attack around the statements. One wishes the liberals had such writers .
Rating: 
Summary: excellent
Review: I don't read many political books, but this one was excellent...Very well written with plenty of quotes and documentation to back up the arguments presented. The author makes a very convincing case against the left, pointing out how they have desperately tried to rewrite history in their favor over the years. Ms. Charen corrects the record with this book, and she does so wonderfully. Understandably, some of the more bitter folks on the left of the political spectrum will absolutely HATE this book. When your worldview is torn apart by works like this, that tends to happen. If anyone can logically refute the points made by the author, I would love to hear it, though I seriously doubt it will happen. Regardless of your political philosophy, you will certainly be enlightened. I highly recommended this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A broadside against the "Blame America first" mentality
Review: Most of the figures Charen attacks in her USEFUL IDIOTS clearly deserve every ounce of sarcasm and invective she directs against them. Having only become aware after September 11 of the extent of the "Blame America first" crowd, I was shocked to read about how it manifested itself during the Cold War. The depth of the corruption and irresponsibility of these people is truly shocking, and I thank Charen for documenting it. With this said, I have one criticism: Charen appears to have intended her book to be an indictment of liberalism, and of the Democratic Party, in general; it is, however, very difficult to tell from this book whether Charen's targets are truly representative. In some cases, it is pretty clear that her targets are fringe elements (like Noam Chomsky); in other cases, Charen appears to have skimmed volumes of speech or writing to find a few unrepresentative quotes to portray someone in a negative light (Thomas Friedman, for instance -- after LONGITUDES AND ATTITUDES, he is one of the last people I would consider a "useful idiot"). This is a technique that can be turned against conservatives equally well, and I fully expect some liberal pundit to write a book called USELESS IDIOTS that does precisely that. I am glad that Charen has hauled some useless idiots out into the light and held them accountable. I worry about her zeal causing her to tar innocent people with the same brush.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic, fast-based writing!
Review: I could not speak more highly of Ms. Charen's fact-based account of liberal politics and biased journalism throughout the 20th century. Every statement is backed up with facts, and her key point-- that liberals have fumbled in virtually every single major political event in recent history-- is communicated with such clarity that it is virtually impossible for any reasonable person to deny. Virtually every major event is covered, from Vietnam to Elian Gonzalez, and the writer painstakingly cites the words and actions of relevant leaders and news personalities to show how they have consistently erred in their judgments and tried to mask the truth in a shroud of half-truths and lies. The book is very well written and easy to read. I recommend this to both conservatives and liberals alike, although liberals may find it upsetting. But as the saying goes, "the truth hurts sometimes."
Rating: 
Summary: do we need more name calling?
Review: I found this book to be biased, hateful, and ignorant. The last thing this country needs is more disunity, fingerpointing and blaming. Our only hope for the future is to come together and find our common goals and work for peace, harmony and human rights.
Rating:
Summary: Useless Ideologue
Review: Mona Charen is one of many useless ideologues who are now patrolling our airwaves and bookstores. I would include the usual suspects, namely Michael Savage, Sean Hannity, etc, all of whom manipulate material to make a point. In sum, as my wife says, they fit the facts, or what they call facts, to their fancy. Ms. Charen does not evince a sense of balance or take the trouble to use evidence to support her charges. It is simply off the wall opinion. It is time that someone wrote a book called useless ideologues, as Eric Alterman has done to a degree with his What Liberal Media. Of course it is practically useless to argue with those who take end runs around critical questions. It is especially troublesome when neo-cons refuse to admit or even consider that the Soviet Union contained within itself the seeds of its own destruction.
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: I learned a lot about the world reading this book. I am not a conservative or libeal, kind of in between. This book was very educational for me as I realized that I had only understood things like Kahmer-rouge, communists and our reationship with the world only through the eys of popular media. I have now come to see things in a new light. The title was disturbing until I learned what it means, but it may keep away some people as they may not want to be labeled "useful idiots." But overlook the title and read anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Not accurate and definitely biased
Review: This book goes out of its way to slander liberals in America. It is easy to do that if the perspective you have is America first and the rest of the world a distant second. The book is mainly argued from that perspective. Ms Charen has a couple good points (every author should be able to make at least one or two in 308 pages) but otherwise misses the mark because she is so clouded by her perspective. This book screams for an editor that could have provided a different perspective. The only use for this book is for the budding neo-conservative needing a quick fix for some ultra-right pablum
Rating:
Summary: Read it
Review: The fallacious ad hominem attacks of the negative reviews here reveal the bankruptcy of these critics' position. Substance is not on their side, so they must resort to such desperate tactics. This is as understandable as it is regrettable. The axiom holds true: Desperate straits breed desperate tactics.
| 
