Rating: Summary: Dogma Review: This book is a good read. It is disturbing at times, and should be read with a grain of salt due to the reputation of the author. However, it does little to enhance reputation of the neoconservative/christian fundamentalist movement. If you like books on US politics, this is a good one to get.One of the myths that this book should shatter is this so-called liberal media bias. It just should be called what it really is, bias. Truth is everyone has got one and if they say otherwise, they're a filthy liar. How is Rev Moon spiking a story because it makes Hillary look good any different than Dan Rather not talking about Gary Condit? None. Finally, I am amused by the dogmatic idiocy that Republican supporters attack this book in the same way that Democratic supporters attack anything that criticizes the failures of Clinton. Scum is scum regardless what flag, what nationality, what political views, what skin color or what religion people belong to. If people wake up and realize that then we'll all be a hell of a lot better off instead of being a bunch of ditto heads/Clinton appologists who let others do the thinking for them...
Rating: Summary: Depressing but necessary reading Review: Brock's book is written as his penance for his excesses while he was writing for the conservative movement. It is absolutely a must-read for anyone, on either side, interested in the politics of the last decade. Is it honest and sincere? Who knows? Almost every character in the book including the author is a confirmed liar. Regardless, it is clearly fact based, and details how the politics of both sides are run by ruthless people with lots of money to spend to undermine any positive goals of the other side. Clearly, US politics has become the realm of the 'Lowest Common Denominator'
Rating: Summary: Eye Opening Review: The book was recommended with the caveat "you decide if he is telling the truth." I read the book with a large amount of initial skepticism since Mr. Brock is an admitted liar. However, I must say the book was informative and in the end I believe him. I believe his allegations and statements made in the book because of the reaction of those he exposes. They do not try to invalidate his statements with contradictory facts (something that could be easily done if his allegations were false). Instead there has been an effort to discredit him via a smear campaign. Descriptions of the players inside the beltway and how things really get done in Washington are surprising. Brock brings to light the shear depth of hatred some people possess by describing the extent they will go to further their agenda. It's scary. Many of the so-called current pundits on T.V. will never be looked at the same way by me again and forget even thinking of wanting them as neighbors.
Rating: Summary: Not at all what I was expecting... Review: ...I've been reading a lot of political and non-fiction books lately. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. Brock starts us off joining him as a young idealistic counter-revolutionary at Berkley, for a fathers affection while rebelling at the same time. He then walks through his life, step by step, sometimes dancing around a bit with the chronology for topical effect. You can see, from his very detailed account, exactly how he went from "conservative" with a markedly libertarian bent, thru the same evolutions that the "conservative movement" itself has undergone. Capitalism, anti-Communism, personal liberties and individual responsibility. He walks us with him as he becomes more extreme, in order to cater to his peer group, who are becomingly increasingly dominated by the religious right and the ditto heads. He's a compelling author, and regardless the spin anyone wants to put on it, it's a gripping tale. Is it truth, is it fiction? One has only to look at the news archives, pour through his account, and ask themselves that question. It's a book that anyone considering the how and why of their own political or idealogical development should read...
Rating: Summary: Blinded By The Right-Interesting,Tragic, Surreal Review: The book was a fascinating look inside the modern conservative movement. The money from Richard Mellon Scaife, tobacco companies and other conservative organizations financed a 10 year shadow war against their adversaries in the legislative and executive branches. This book, if Brock is to be believed, has exposed a conspiracy to use the judiciary and the media to distort and subvert the Constitution and the rule of law. According to the book, Richard Mellon Scaife alone spent $200 million to finance legal foundations and media outlets all dedicated to "destroy" the President and Democrats in Congress. The major problem with the book is the credibility of the author. One must ask if he is to be trusted. He has been on both sides of the aisle now. Is Brock speaking with a clear conscience or is there an alternative agenda? Certainly he is specific in his recount of conversation with many of his former cohorts in the conservative movement. The players in the book, the Libermans, the Silbermans, Laura Ingraham, Ted Olson, Newt Gingrich, the Podhoretzs, the Kristols, Bob Tyrell, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Mark Paoletta and the rest, are craven and grasping figures operating with situational ethics and thirsting for power and vengeance. According to the book, these people are dividers and not uniters. Still many of these people have influence with the Bush Administation. This is a fascinating follow-the-money story with a viscious political edge. It seems almost absurd that people could invest time and money for such ends. In an era of war and sacrifice, these people should be ashamed. Rather than advance the hopes and dreams of the country, they have pursued dark and brutish aspirations with pettiness and vanity.
Rating: Summary: "Blinded by the right" exposes the truth Review: David Brock has written a book that gives the informed reader the truth about the "right-winged" agenda - religious and polictical. I applaud Mr. Brock's courage in exposing the lies, slander, name calling, etc. that is so ingrained in that agenda. Hillary Clinton was right in calling it a conspiracy. And if I had read no other book but this one, I may have been skeptical and distrustful of Mr. Brock. But I have read other reliable, truth-speaking publications that have led me to believe that the Christian and polictical right will use any means to achieve their purposes. I am glad that David Brock has removed the "blinders" from his eyes.
Rating: Summary: ....was blind but now he sees..... Review: David Brock's latest recount of his days as a conservative wordthug proves one thing: Hillary Clinton's claim on the Today Show about the much mocked statement of a "vast right-wing conspiracy" is astonishingly true. In his latest book, "Blinded By the Right", Brock tries to set the record "straight" (pun partially intended) by telling of the days as a "reporter" (another ironic pun intended) set out to further the conservative cause by assuring a seat on Supreme Court by smearing an innocent victim, and ruining the last fairly elected President. He describes his various roles of in perpetuating scandals, which plagued Clinton throughout his two terms in office. He also describes the process in which he either ignored or distorted facts about the Thomas hearing, enough to feel it in the pit of your stomach. In fact, he tells so much about his apparent distortion that you begin to wonder if this book is another one of his distortions.... But two things dissuade me from drawing that conclusion: his sincerity of words, and the sense of a growing conscience throughout the text. He begins to recognize the error of his ways, along with many others in his crowd, and sees the folly in his actions. Especially interesting was his mention of coming out, when at first the conservative community "embraced" him, and then eventually shunned him when he didn't deliver the goods on Hillary Clinton to their satisfaction. Brock comes to the confessional, fully accpeting his guilt in the process (and implicating many, many others), and asks for forgiveness for his conservative sins. And I, as a card carrying liberal (card carrying, no) grant his absolution in hopes that he may right his wrongs. One drawback to the book was the constant barrage of names that is so inherently dangerous in a book like this. He names them, and keeps on naming them, so at certain points, I found myself a bit confused as to who was who (or whom was whom?). Those who followed these scandals closely shall be ok, but those of us knowledgable folk on the sidelines may be a bit muddled at times. Because of that, I minused one star. However, naming names he does. Shame on you Mr. Starr! Shame on you Mr. Olson! In writing "Blinded by the Right", David Brock has a cleaner (though not totally cleansed) conscience. When will the others, who so shamelessly worked so hard to bring down our President, restore sight to find theirs?
Rating: Summary: Seeing the Right in the Light Review: This book is hard to put down. It confirmed many of my suspicions about the right wing of the Republican party. This is a must read for all Americans who sincerely care about the future of this country. No doubt this guy's a marked man after exposing the dirty tricks machine of the right wing.
Rating: Summary: The Truth Comes Out! Review: David Brock has bravely set the record straight about the immoral and unethical shenanigans of the Right in their war against the Clintons and American freedom. Like Brock, I was also a conservative during the Reagan era, and like him, I also was driven out of conservative politics because of the dangerous rise to power of the social conservatives and their ilk. Brock lets people know to what lengths the Fanatic Right will go to push their agenda through, stepping on constitutional rights, telling lies, character assassination, etc. Everyone needs to read this to understand just how dangerous the Religious Right is to American freedoms.
Rating: Summary: scarry! Review: While one has to keep in mind from whence this book came, the one thing that I really admired about Mr. Brock's writing was that he names names. He very seldom hides behind anonymous sources as do so many journalists. What is so frightening is how easily people believe anything that is said about anyone! Hopefully, this book will help people to be a little less judgmental of others, at least until they have proof positive that what they hear is true. This book is a must read for anyone who refuses to believe anything of one political party, yet believes everything of another. This book is rated a 4 by me because, again, we must keep in mind from whence it came.
|