Rating:  Summary: Red, White & Blonde Review: Well, it was bound to happen. It seems as though our Ms. Coulter has finally succumbed and has become yet other victim of todays sadly disposable popular culture. In a world where it is simply the perogative to be larger, louder (brash?) and ultimately much more 'in your face'( thus pushing the ever popular intimidating factor ) it is simply a sad fact that to be noticed ( and thus be able to sell more of your product ) one needs to stretch not only the boundaries of good taste but offer to an ever increasingly hungry, perhaps at time rabid, consumer a product that offers them that ever needful notoriety that as consumers we seem to misguidedly have no small passion for. Films and the music industry have been guilty of this self-styled marketing scheme for many years now and it seems as though it has been only very recent that the book industry has finally caught on that to sell a product in America one needs to have a certain amount of dangerous notoriety first and formost. And with " Treason " it seems as though our author is more then happy to feed that small part in many of us ( Conservatives and others of the far-right persuasion may wish to raise your hand! ) that simply adores having someone state these tawdry little vulgarities and mindless accusations that secretly many of us may harbor as well. Indeed " Treason " if its guilty of anything ( other then countless factual errors and mindless far-right bigotry ) may be that of 'selling the sizzle and not the steak.' But what's an author in todays marketing mad world to do? Is she simply giving the reading public what they may secretly desire...or indeed is Ann Coulter truly flipped her pretty blonde mane in an effort to justify her rather bizarre take on this countrys growing disillusionmnet with the far-right? Make no mistake...Ann Coulter may be regarded as an extremist and a right-wing bigot ( yet oddly arrogant as well ) but no fool is she. Pandering largely to an audience who seems to foam at the mouth ( to say nothing of opening their pocketbooks with alarming speed ) whenever one of these self-styled hate-fests are released our Ms. Coulter knows exactly which buttons to push to achieve whatever desired response she deems appropriate and judging by many of the reviews here in Amazon-land she has once again hit Conservative ( and financial ) pay-dirt. Ka-Ching!! By virtue of being able to laud silly accusations ( making Joseph McCarthy seem a 'victim' to the Democrats demogoguery is priceless! ) and rewrite history ( Nixon losing the election due to his support of Sen. McCarthy is another whopper! ) so as to sound as though it comes directly from Conservative playbook is oddly entertaining enough but when our author apires to a certain amount of respectability by having copious footnotes ( which screams "See, I did my homework!" ) is really almost more then this Democrat can bear. Though we do need to understand that with the recent release and popularity of Michael Savages " Savage Nation " what choice did Ms. Coulter have but to simply lower the intellectual bar even lower so she could appeal to the knuckle draggers on the Right who subscribe to any acknowledgement that Liberals/Democrats are indeed the Devil incarnate. Sadly, not only is it all terribly predictable yet oddly fascinating ( as though one were driving past a mangled car wreck ) but ultimately ( to say nothing of obviously ) so laughable that our Ms. Coulter and her unique brand of Conservative witch-hunt may be beyond parody. Overall, Ann Coulter is simply doing little more then excercing her right of free speech and, at least for this Liberal ( Conservatives may now point your finger and shout "Aha! I knew it!" ), will always have a special place in this Democrats heart. I applaud this authors obvious histrionics and her talent for casting a bright shining light on the sometimes weird and oddly bizarre world of the truly 'out there'Rush Limbaugh 'Dittohead' Conservative. A world where all the complex issues in todays world are simply black and white, where Ronald Reagan is the one true messiah and lastly where our author is considered a real intellectual. Thanks Ann.... a Liberal couldn't have a better friend.
Rating:  Summary: Well Researched - Boldly Spoken Review: I find it humorous to note the reactions of liberals who have read this book. Its obvious that they will live in denial until the grave. For anyone who would approach this book with an open mind, this book is an eye-opening experience filled with endless cited facts. The truths of McCarthy, Hiss, Vietnam and Communism (just to name a few) highlight factual contridictions to today's misperceptions. There is no doubt which side of the isle Ms. Coulter's politics lie, but this is not an emotional orgy of liberal bashing. This is a well-documented and historically accurate account (perhaps vidication in some cases) of what truly happened as a result of the communist influence over the past 60 years. Perhaps the most compelling conclusion one can draw from this book is that most liberalism is the antithesis of what America stands for.
Rating:  Summary: Disturbing Review: While I agree with most of Ann Coulter's conservative views, I find her abrasive and rather obnoxious on television. There's not a lot of difference in print. There are swipes at liberals and democrats throughout the "Treason," and that isn't necessary. Coulter, who railed against the Left in "Slander" for personal attacks, does the same thing to a point with occasional digs in this book. Some are subtle, some aren't. None are needed. Dick Morris's new book "Off With Their Heads" takes both the Bush and Clinton administrations to task in a variety of areas. And he does so in a very businesslike and professional manner, which greatly increases his credibility as a journalist in my eyes. The other problem with "Treason" for me is the sheer repetitiveness. While Coulter explored at least half a dozen areas in "Slander" in which she feels the Left is dishonest, this book could have been condensed into 3-4 chapters. The same political figures and scenarios are discussed time and again, and the book is difficult to finish because of it. That said, however, Coulter makes several very compelling points. I must admit I assumed all these years that Senator Joseph McCarthy was an out-of-control madman. Why? Because the media told me he was. Coulter likens his treatment in the media to the portrayal of Ken Starr as a sex-crazed maniac, and she points out that he was villified for allegedly going after anyone with even the most remote Communist ties in an ugly witchhunt. As Coulter explains, McCarthy's intent was to determine which high-placed members of government might not be loyal to our country, not to simply hassle Communists out of meanness and blood-thirsty lust. And McCarthy was reluctant to name names in the press out of concern that he could ruin innocent lives. The press, Coulter explains, along with liberals and democrats, screamed at him to do so instead of working in secrecy. This, of course, was a scheme to indeed make McCarthy appear to be an out of control madman. And it worked. Likewise, Coulter paints a picture of democratic strategy from the 1940's and 1950's that sounds a lot like the Clinton White House in the 1990's: Deny, distort and demonize when faced with the truth. But we weren't dealing with DNA on the dress of a White House intern then--there was good information that Soviet spies had infiltrated the highest reaches of our administration for a period of years. Why was the press--particularly the New York Times--in such a rush to discredit anyone who spoke aloud that there might be disloyalty within our own government? Why were liberals and democrats in such a rush to shut McCarthy down? Moreover, why were Roosevelt and Truman--admittedly very effective presidents in many areas--in such a rush to brush aside any worry that Communists might try to take over our country? President Nixon indeed disgraced himself and embarrassed our country with the Watergate scandal, but he deserves a big tip of the cap for his role in refusing to ignore the Soviet spy infiltration in the 1950's. Say what you want about Coulter, but I refuse to agree with fellow reviewers that she simply made all this stuff up. Alger Hiss, a bigwig in both the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, was convicted of treason and jailed. But Whittaker Chambers, the man who turned him in, was villified by liberals and democrats--and the press. The Venona project, finally declassified in 1995, officially laid to rest any question of whether or not Soviet spies were in place in our country back then, but the Left still won't let it go. Perhaps the best point Coulter makes in this book is the fact that simply having a discussion with democrats about their patriotism is off-limits. Excellent point, and it begs one question. Why? Despite my plethora of complaints, I do recommend this book. It serves as an excellent history lesson, because it's an account of Joseph McCarthy that you simply aren't going to get anywhere else. If you were disgusted at the Left's lockstep as they bashed Ken Starr and lined up behind Clinton during talk of impeachment, you'll be fascinated at the same tactics as McCarthy sought to determine whether or not there were, in fact, Soviet spies in our government. After reading this book, there's no doubt that one side is still lying after all these years about "McCarthyism," and I think I know which one it is.
Rating:  Summary: Fast and Loose With the Truth! Review: Anybody who reads this should also take a look at Eric Alterman's "What Liberal Media?" Coulter is one of the pundits that Alterman takes apart quite effectively. He shows that Coulter (and numerous other conservatives) play quite fast and loose with truth.
Rating:  Summary: Many on the Right and Left miss the point Review: The most interesting thing about all the reviews of this piece of propaganda is that everyone takes the premise somewhat seriously. Coulter is not an academic, she is not a historian, at best she is a vicious ideologue/bulldog for the Right. Who honestly holds Joseph McCarthy as a role model, or believes that liberals have done no good for the US? I would file this under the same category as titles by Pat Buchanan or Barry Goldwater: an extreme view of history retold purely by personal opinion with the stated end-goal of raising pointless controversy (while at the same time making a pretty penny off of their dogmatic constituents/readers). This book is not junk or a waste of time, it just should be taken on the same level as the Soviet propaganda Coulter claims to hate.
Rating:  Summary: Reactionary Propaganda Review: The "War on Terror", has become the conservative scapegoat for unmitigated military action that is at best questionable. For all of the conservative warmongering since 9-11, we have yet to bring Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein to justice. Indeed, our assassination attempts on both have not only failed but have lead to thousands of innocent deaths. And for all of that we still don't know if either is dead. Not to mention that assassination is an international crime. Ms. Coulter seems to have overlooked the principles on which our democracy was founded: plurality and the sovereignty of the citizens of our nation and their right to participate in their government. If she would only take a moment to reflect on the Constitution, she would see that it was established by the people, for the people, and of the people (not by conservatives, for conservatives, and of conservatives). Rather, she would have us believe that our government exists to serve only the members of its constituency that blindly support conservative policy. Because they evidently know what is best and can protect us. Her book is nothing new. Throughout the span of history that she examines, the conservative faction of our government that she suggests we all blindly support has given the people of America plenty of reason to demand accountability. So why is it treasonous to question the decisions of a faction within our government that has repeatedly inveigled and obfuscated its constituency? Specifically, the current administration has staged a large scale attack (in Iraq) without seeking congressional approval - and without presenting the American people with evidence for the cause...even after the fact. Disregarding any secondary objectives for this attack, the primary goal, as President Bush stated, was to find and dismantle Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Now, with the war drawing to a close - none have been found. This would leave two possibilities: 1) That they weren't there to begin with or 2) That our mission failed and the weapons are now somewhere else. In either case it is essential that these policy decisions be placed under scrutiny. The entire premise of the book is flawed, and the writer is reactionary. Reagan, who seems to be one of Ms. Coulter's heroes, orchestrated some of the worst offenses to both constitution and to human rights. Constitutionally, he deliberately misled congress in the Iran Contra affair, and regarding the latter he killed hundreds of Muslims as they left worship at their mosque in 1984 (or it might have been 1985) in an assassination attempt in Beirut (which also failed). These were not isolated examples, nor are they even uncommon (admittedly, for Liberals and Conservative leaders alike). No wonder many of them aren't very fond of America. The Liberals of America do not exist to hinder and stop government, but rather to stop the Conservatives (who currently have a dangerous amount of power) from making mistakes that will end up hurting the country and dismantling any semblance of Justice that remains. Admittedly, Ms. Coulter should be quite familiar with treason, as she has now made herself as guilty of it as any of the people she critiques. By the Way - Just because a book is well-cited does not make it right. I could cite sources to prove that Germany doesn't exist, that it's just a figment of our imaginations (incidentally, many German thinkers would probably agree), but I wont because it's so obviously a lie.
Rating:  Summary: Dropping Bombs Review: Excellant! Excellant! Ann Coulter combines fantastic writing with intriguing research and deduction, in the strongest indictment of liberals I have evr read. No leftist is safe when this insightful, witty and deceptively charming attacks. This is a must read for anyone interested in understanding what Democrats and ultra-libs have been doing to the country for a half-century.
Rating:  Summary: Outstanding and hilarious! Review: I'm not affiliated with any political party, never have been, but do lean increasingly right of center as the decades go by and I can better appreciate the destructive influence liberal-think has on a society. One advantage of being old (very old)is you don't have to take so seriously anymore what people say and you certainly don't give a hoot if someone agrees with you or not. Just seeing the next beautiful sunrise is all the satisfaction I need. That I can still read and type is just frosting on the cake! So here's what I think - take it or leave it, doesn't make a difference to me... This book is hilarious, just great fun. The author maybe generalizes a little more than is necessary to make her points. Obviously not all lefties are treasonous. But her use of wit, irony, and sarcasim is often delicious and sometimes sidesplitting. It works best when there is lots of truth to what one says and in this case there obviously is. You'd have to be a dunce to not see that. I love that metaphore about folks ignoring a dead moose in the middle of the living room, not wanting to mention it for fear of offending others in the room. That lefties tend to chose the unpatriotic, wrong side of history is the dead moose. Of course they do. Always have. As for Senator Joe, I remember him but I can't say I paid much attention back then. All I can say is I don't see any particular factual errors in the author's case. And as for the other reader reviews that I see here- many of them are laugh out loud funny also. Who do you think you one star people are kidding, any way? "I borrowed my friends book", "I'm a history teacher", "revisionist", "liar, liar" (are her pants on fire too?). Pleading with me not to read this book does not improve your precarious pearch. Sorry lefties, the author's got you nailed high up in a tree and your squeeling is just going to make it hurt more. There are so many words written today and so little of it actually says anything that it can be a joy to read someone that's not afraid to get right to the point and to do so with spirit.
Rating:  Summary: Evil Do-gooders Review: George Marshall - really? Dean Acheson - shocking! ... (Names in this book are superbly indexed ... just look up your favorite liberal). But if you read TREASON from start to finish you will not get much sleep. And we thought Clintons were bad... Why would so many (though not all) American liberals wish to destroy their country? I can: to make it look like France, or preferably the Soviet Union. Ann Coulter does not answer this baffling question in the TREASON. But she does an excellent job naming those who naively took the side of Evil to do Good and helped produce one hundred million dead women, dead men, dead children. And more to come... right, Hollywood, the protectors of Saddam & friends? Liberals' favorite response for doing Wrong has been "there is no evidence". Surprise! Ms. Coulter offers evidence with the firehose by citing The New York Times faux pas, page after page, ... In the liberals' own newspaper of "record". How wonderful to see them blown up by their own petard!
Rating:  Summary: Laughing all the way to the bank Review: I'm surprised that anyone takes this book seriously. Well, I'm not really surprised that right wing extremists and Jerry Springer fans think it's great. She wrote this book for the money. That being the case, she would write anything that would sell. She must think all this commotion is amusing - and profitable.
|