Rating: 
Summary: People who do not agree with her are idiots.
Review: Although it may seem a little juvenile or unprofessional or just downright mean to call those who don't share your opinions "idiots", Cheren makes a good case that these people are indeed idiots. Cheren does a great job pointing out how the idiots in this country are still blindly supporting all that is wrong in this world. One example tells of how liberal commenatator Rush Limbaugh, in his daily radio show, consistently denigrates the democrats' efforts to ease racial tensions in the country, while supporting the actions of abusive police officers who are being tried for beating or killing innocent black citizens. Another example tells of how Bill O'Rielly routinely heaps praise on Tom Ridge and John Ashcroft for their fine efforts in rounding up innocent foreign looking citizens and holding them indefinitely with no chance for outside contact, but uttering not a word about the countless child molestations, school killings and hate-killings being committed by not-so-foreign looking citizens. Cheren also points out the conflicting message being sent out by the liberal Bush administration with their actions in Afghanistan. She notes that it was a typical knee-jerk liberal reaction to the Sep 11 attacks which set off the massive campaign in Afghanistan. And when enough bombs had been dropped and enough rubble heaps had been formed, as is typical among liberal administrations, they decided their mission was accomplished and it was time to focus in on some other nebulous evil in the world. Now Osama is still running around in Afghanistan and the Taliban appear to be making a comeback, but what the heck?! That's their problem, as the old liberal philosophy goes.
Cheren is to be applauded for boldly confronting these terrible violations against the world by the evil liberal media and politicians. Cheren is certainly no "idiot".
Rating:
Summary: What a silly Nut
Review: I wonder if Charen ever really thought about what this book would be about or the cash it would bring in? Republicans, the facists, are so concerned with their own views being justified that they will rewrite history to fit their need for understanding and conclusion. If we are to dissolve communism, and say what rights other countries are to have, then why haven't the republicans done anything to stop it? The Cold war, how it began and how it led to the new hate for Americans in the Middle east. We know now that the Cold War was actually an American "right time and place" that allowed for an actual win over communism. We still hear the republican bias talk for money lashing on the liberals for not letting the republicans go all cocked without thinking about the consequenses which are the truer today of policing the world. Weve seen how republicans can vote no on going to war, until 9/11, when we found that the republicans put terrorism on a lower level. And it's in the republican rule book that a republican is alwayas to blame a liberal. I guess this is a tale for republican readers only. For they need to release their hatred and misunderstanding for a liberal in some form to make themselves believable. The title itself reminds me of the analism that flows heavily among republicans. I wonder what is next? How racism is truly the liberals mistake? Or Useful Facist Nut, the Republican's charge that Civil rights and Communism is really one in the same?
Rating: 
Summary: Useful information - don't pass it up!
Review: When I got this book I thought this was a simple case of the conservative bashing the left. I thought the author was just another right-winger looking to sell books and after reading the book I found that the author does bash some liberals and the left but the evidence is convincing and hard to let go by without a second look. Charen takes on and tackles the left, and stands tall with some of the most unbelievable stories I have read so far. I found the reading to be both enjoyable and as well as thought provoking. The lays the way liberals think and how they let their own agendas affect the political decisions that they make or made. Charen gives a good insight into the how the left travels and what they feel is important and what they think the people want. I think that Charen does go a little overboard in some of the stories, and in a couple of cases begins to attack the person. One thing you need for this book is a very open mind and the willingness to look at things objectively. If can put personal politics aside and serious consider the facts in the book than you may be able to see the author's charge here. Charen appears to present a clear, honest and precise argument(s) to show what the right has done in order to counterbalance the left's misuse and misguidance. Again there are a couple of areas that border on the "bash", but the overall text is an excellent read. Looking for change of pace in the political arena then take a look here. Well Done!
Rating:
Summary: THE FIRST BIG BUZZWORD OF THE NEW MILLENIUM
Review: Such the appropriate title and such a cool new buzzword -- even used it myself here in the office a time or two -- it doesn't just apply to politics ya know ! Most importantly Ms. Charen rights the wrongs of decades of abuse by the communist (and presumably they don't know it yet) leaning leftists. And yah, socialism imposed -- even if surreptitiously -- is still communism. Near and dear to my heart is the good ole much aligned and abused police action in Vietnam. Being a former Marine, as a young man I found a country that loathed the military, and everything we stood for, and that was tragic indeed. It was made even more so by the cowardice of political leaders, the brash lies and falsehoods perpetuated by the media, and a sympathetic group of just plain USEFUL IDIOTS who could possibly believe that the kid next door burned babies and raped women for some perverted pleasure it brought him. I was a Marine officer -- it pained me to see the hurt in some of those kids from that hatred out in the civilian population. This book tells the truth about this and a lot more folks...... you gotta read it -- and you gotta love that buzzword !!!!
Rating:
Summary: Useful Idiots: A VERY useful guide to the American Left
Review: Mona Charen's book is a remarkable compilation of information covering numerous episodes (both well and not-so-well known)in which the American liberal community surrendered its moral authority in favor of going along with the activities of anti-American governments and organizations. Her coverage of these--for example, their reaction to the liberation of Grenada, their antipathy towards the policies of Ronald Reagan (that brought an effective end to the Cold War), their worship of corrupt dictators such as Daniel Ortega (and, for some, even Castro and Noriega!) and their willingness to forgive almost any criticism of Americans and American society and governmental policy (always cloaked in the pseudo-intellectual jargon of seeking or holding a "realistic" or "pragmatic" policy or world-view--reawakens memories long forgotten. They are long-forgotten because so many such episodes have happened that the mind simply cannot keep track of so much calumny and disingenuousness. Charen's book deserves to be widely read, quoted, and shared--it's one for every shelf, and a real "keeper!"
Rating:
Summary: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?
Review: The evils of communism? Because it's godless? This is sooooooooooooooooooooo crazy! Now you face the evils of fundamentalist Islam, so it can't be that bad, it has a god.... Your ability not to gag while reading this depends on how you think humans regulate their behaviour - if you think that outside influences have no bearing on someones behaviour (ie. income) - then get yerself a shovel and give mona a hand! Christians will rejoice at this ..., well, unless they're real Christians. There is no doubt that the USA has always had a mortal enemy and has had many many wars. Communism was just one of those, and it worked to give the public the propoganda to keep the system going. Yay! Lets all hear it for the rich people! Is Charen a white supremist?
Rating: 
Summary: A hard to swallow...or condemn , fair and balanced book!
Review: I sure do not know what all the broo-ha-ha from the left is all about, nor do I find the completely glaring raves from the right any more rewarding. In fact anyone who attacks or heralds this work and who is politically aligned more than likely only breezed through it or did not read it at all. It is a fine work, but a work that attacks and heralds both sides. It should not have received the mindless one star evaluations that so many automatons of the left have obviously given it. Nor I think the five star rattings of the die hard right. It is however, a work that should be in every modern history class in American High Schools. It demonstrates just how idiotic, egotistical, corruptible, illogical and completely void of common sense both sides of the political, judicial, and social spectrums can be. I have to admitt that as a conservative I almost put it down during the first and second chapters. I actually thought I had been dupped into buying a left-wing hate mongering book in the disguise of a right-wing leaning book. But as I struggled through the feelings that Mona was attacking conservatives and my own beliefs, I realized that she was in fact better at being fair and balanced than Mr. O'Reilly, Shaun Hannity and Alan Colms or any of the rest of the political commentators today. She seemed to be the adult version of Kyle Williams, the 14 year old columnist on WND.com, who is more poltically savy than many of his elders these days. You see he, being young, has not fully aligned himself yet and can point out the flaws in both sides. Mona just does it with more experience and style. I commend her for it. Mona Charen seems to take the right to task at the outset of each chapter or each subject and rip the conservatives scabs off their own booboos, pulling down the facade of self-righteousness, which exposes the open wounds of their own mistakes, errors and folly. Then she presents varioius researched facts that place a bandage on our sucking chest wounds while comparing our mistakes with with the naieve, dangerous and damaging philosophies and ideologies of many prominent left-wing socialist (communist) sympathizers. Sure one could look at this as a completely biased book in favor of the right, but I sure did not. I found it a fair assessment of the stupidity of both sides. As I began to grow accustomed to the scheme of manuver she had chosen, I became more interested, enthralled and captivated by it; yet I also found myself significantly uncomforable with my own perceived tower of political invulnerablitiy. In short she made me question my own conservatives pride due to some pretty significant bungling by those on the right in the past. Charen has made me stop and reconsider that there are terrible mistakes being made on both sides and no single person has all the answers nor the correct remedies for all that ails us. It just seems that the left has more than it's fair share. Perhaps that is as good a place to start as any...both sides finally for the first time admitting that both are right in some ways and both are wrong in some ways and that moving to far in either direction is mindless, partisan rubbish. I truly believe however that Senators Kennedy, Schumer, Leahy, Boxer, Feinstein, Byrd, Clinton and a few others are much too far left and that many others in congress from the left are just misguided parisan Mongols. But there are some on the right who could also use an attitude adjustment to meet in the middle. Not the Schumer, Kennedy or Boxer middle, but the true middle. But unless those icons of mindless liberalism change we will never get there. Perhaps we should take all of the icons who now rule both sides with iron fist, like Dashcle, Byrd, Schumer, Lott, Delay and others and brush them aside and begin again with representatives, beliefs, laws, rules and judical opinions that will somehow speak to both sides of the most pressing issues we face today. In any case Mona clearly demonstrates that Democratic Republics, "are" the last best hope of the world and it is absolutely assured that immoral communism or facism, and/or degenerate socialism and any other government controlled by tyrants an aristocracy or a fearless leader is unacceptable and causes more human destruction by far. A very good book, a little hard to dive into at first and just a little bit too stiff for my liking but, I still highly recommend it for the reader, young and old, who enjoys seeing both sides being pelted with their own brain-dead mistakes.
Rating: 
Summary: good, but too heavy on the political agenda
Review: I generally stick to liberal books because i find a higher percentage of true information in them, so the information in here shocked me. i was amazed by how many democrats refuse to stop supporting communist governments despite their wrongs. the only problem i have with this book is that the conclusion drawn is not a safe one to draw. yes, there has not been a single good communist government, but thats only half the story. what about anti-communist governments like ponochet's n chile? an evil government is an evil government, and whether its communist, anti-communist, or fascist is an arbitrary detail. instead of focusing the book on communism, a book with a balanced perspective would cover evil governments that U.S. politicians refuse to say bad things about in public. Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and China come to mind. politicians who stand behind horrible governments are not exclusively democrats, many republicans refuse to recognize the evil of kisinger's favorite governments. I'd like to see a book that documents all of the support for evil governmetns by U.S. politicians. I would not reccomend this bok to anyone who isnt going to take a look at the whole picture, because currently you people are destroying our fine country.
Rating:
Summary: I Wanted More
Review: Charen provides an excellent history of the part that America's liberal left has played in our hisory, with emphasis on who and when. As someone who was either in an Army uniform or busy making a living during Viet Nam, I found the recap of that era to be extremely valuable. What was missing from this excellent treatise though was an explanation of WHY. One can understand why the "workers of the world" can be entranced by the call from the left, but WHY should fat cats from Hollywood, et al, who have made fortunes under our system, be so ready to denounce us. Charen admits that an examination of WHY would be another book, which I hope she'll write, but I was hoping to find it in this one.
Rating:
Summary: Pseudo-history and conservative revisionism
Review: Conservative polemics are certainly in vogue nowadays. Trying to list all of the historical inaccuracies, fabrications, gross distortions, and logical fallacies in this book is like trying to perform a similar (useless) task in reviewing the scientific inaccuracies and logical inconsistencies in a book about alien abduction. It is hard not to return the same type of ad hominem attack on Ms. Charen that she makes on "liberals" and others who had the audacity to question certain ideas that she holds as gospel. It should be enough to know that she wrote this book at the behest of Nancy Reagan who felt that her husband's historical heritage was not being honored as she felt it should, that is, that Reagan and not 50 years of bipartisan Cold War policy caused the dismantling of the Soviet Union. There may very well be a valid argument that Reagan hastened the break up but I fail to find it here. It is interesting that conservative polemicists accuse others of historical revisionism (as if it matters, after all, all intellectual endeavors that seek learning and truth are open to new evidence and interpretations) while being the true revisionists as is the case here. Of course, it would help your cause if you would get your facts straight. For example, she totally misrepresents and simplifies the theory of convergence--an interesting theory of the '50's and '60's that had some popularity with both some liberal and conservative Soviet specialists--as being one in which the U.S. would become more like the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union more like the U.S. On the contrary, convergence was a theory that assumed a static U.S. that was active in engaging the Soviet Union on several levels and a dynamic Soviet Union that would eventually liberalize. It can be argued that while things did not exactly turn out that way that a type of convergence is exactly what happened. There is much special pleading about McCarthyism (because, of course, Mr. Reagan was only too happy to rat on his colleagues for personal gain), entire gaps on George Kennan and the Truman policy of containment followed by every successor through Bush I, Eisenhower and John Foster Dulles, and detente. Apparently--like a sleepwalker from another time--she still believes that Vietnam was a good idea and that the Domino Theory was valid. She repeats inaccuracies about Carter and the defense budget and military readiness (sorry folks he increased it drastically in FY79 and provided the largest military pay increase in 1980), ascribes ten countries falling into the communist "camp" during his watch including Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia as if Nixon and Ford (especially the latter) didn't hold the office of president during the '70's; and denies any important role to the first Bush presidency. There is just too much here to list and I have more important things to do. I read this trash at the behest of a friend who thought it was serious scholarship. I am disabusing him of that idea. I am sure that there are folks who read only certain books because they tell them what they want to hear. Well this is one of those books--a tautology that begins from ignorance. If you believe the conspiracy theory of history and that Hanoi Jane and President George Herbert Walker Bush are all liberals and that there is some cohesive connection taken from events presented out of context here then this is the book for you. I am just happy that I did not use my own money to buy it. It is pure trash as are the ideas presented.
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