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Arrogance: Rescuing America From the Media Elite

Arrogance: Rescuing America From the Media Elite

List Price: $26.95
Your Price: $16.98
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Enough Bernard!
Review: After reading both of his books, I find Bernard Goldberg to be very different from other politcal writers. The difference is, I'm not even sure he believes the right wing propoganda he is soliciting. It is quite obvious that he is very bitter over the way he was treated at CBS, and is trying to embarass them and make money for himself with these books. He changed all of his political views overnight to try to get back at his former employers. He wished to be one of the so called "Media Elite" and since he can't be with them, he is against them. Do yourself a favor and don't waste you time reading this book written out of bitterness.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Entertaining even as he appropriately skewers media hacks
Review: Not surprisingly, closed-minded losers and Castro-apologist lefties have started "reviewing" Bernie's book by attempting to convince us that evil coroporations are stage-managing the news with a conservative bias. All of this, because ordinary Americans (the subject of the elites' disdain) have been lately rejecting the parade of anti-war, anti-gun, anti-business, pro-racial quota socialist phonies that still to this day populate the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time and Newsweek, CBS, NBC, ABC and CNN.

Lefties like to say, "The media are only as liberal as the conservative businesses that own them." Well, the businesses that own the vast majority of news media operations are anything but conservative. They are rich, all right, but they are owned and operated by LIMOUSINE LIBERALS, a bunch of elitist, arrogant and in their own mind, superior beings. In concert with the Hollywood Left and the government-sponsored official intelligencia-in-residence at our Ivory Towers, particular disdain is reserved for those average Americans who, despite years of government-school indoctrination and media cheerleading, have uniformly refused to buy into their collectivist twaddle. Under the guise of scholarship and reporting, we now see that every breaking story, every crisis is just a another front for an unending litany of tiresome, bleeding-hearted, effusive, pseudo-intellectual punk rants that demand with oozing sentimentality that every bloody aspect of our lives be controlled by their glorious United Nations.

These Mercedes Marxists, the self-righteous "religious left", paint anyone who dares to question their litany of socialist solutions as an apologist for Jerry Falwell, Adolph Hitler, or even Satan himself, Ronald Reagan. (Ha ha) Of course, as Goldberg discussed during an interview this past week, the recent Reagan movie fiasco is just more evidence that today's media elites reside in a puncture-proof bubble, convinced that their own carefully scripted myths about conservativism would go unchallenged by a justifiably indignant and disgusted public, the people in Peoria, the people in the "red states" that voted for Bush, the people that are privately referred to as "Joe and Mary Six-Pack" by the Media Elite.

Astute readers will notice that the rhetoric from the left has become increasingly shrill, openly hateful of Southerners, stay-at-home Moms, homeschoolers, anyone who dares to own and enjoy a vehicle (such as a full-size pickup) that they deem as unnecessary, but especially, members of the working class or members of minority groups who do not share their vision of ever-expanding social spending, racial engineering, mindless lawsuits inspired by advocates for the "nanny state", unfunded mandates on small business, and the attendant control by bureaucrats, judges and self-appointed academic experts over our lives.

The reason for this increasingly bitter and sickening vitriol is that the intelligent, open-minded and thoughtful individuals once courted by the Left have elected to jump off their Titanic journey into socialist hell. I highly recommend this book as well as Bernie's first book, Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News. Read for yourself how media elites are anything but conservative in their treatment of homelessness, gun rights, judicial activism and the goals of radical feminists. Read how they have widened racial divisions for ratings and profit by using leftist-inspired "identity politics", for example, by simply refusing to give any coverage to the thoughts of Black leaders with opinions not approved by racial blackmail artists such as Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton.

Read how homelessness began the day Reagan was elected and ended the day Bush Sr. left office. Read how guns are never depicted as preventing crimes, even when this is clearly the case in so many instances and is clearly an integral part of virtually every news story involving criminals who are subdued or apprehended. Read how left-leaning advocates' claims about virtually any social issue you can name are treated as God's own truth, but let a conservative think-tank issue a study at odds with the Left and if it's not ignored entirely, then every detail is gone over with a fine-tooth comb just in time to be thoroughly debunked on World News Tonight.

One would think that the Media Elites would want to be more effective at advocating their positions, by at least presenting alternative viewpoints and allowing their arguments to win out in a true battle of thought and ideas. What Goldberg illustrates with wit, example and clarity is that their own arrogance is so great that they believe that Americans can't think for themselves and must be led around by the nose. The big networks, newspapers and newsmagazines have instead turned important news and social issues into a typical Hollywood movie. In their minds, they must beat the audience over the head with scripted messages and celebrity-obsessed, feel-good reporting that universally depicts republicans and businesspeople as heartless and uncompassionate, while their heroes, the democrats, lawyers and racial activists are always presented as caring and open-minded. My solution has been simple: I don't watch the alphabet networks' newscasts nor will I bother with Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, nor my home newspaper, the equally arrogant Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That's the ultimate cure for the noxious Media Elites -- read what we want, learn about their techniques, reject their specious arguments and then vote with our remotes and our wallets and put them and their Nattering Nabobs of Negativity out of business, forever. Spread the word: Arrogance is a fun and informative read.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Weekend at Bernie's Part 2
Review: Wake up, Bernie! This is a bunch of neocon tripe that would serve a better purpose for my dog to excrete on. I'd rather watch Weekend at Bernie's part 2 than read Watch out for the evil liberal media part 2. Gimme a break, already!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Arrogance Exposed
Review: The book is, despite a few quirks, and some odd additions, excellent. For those who have seethed with anger at Dan, Peter, Tom, and Perky Katie, Goldberg gives some relief. Its nice to know you are not alone.

I had noted the new effort, by the left, to say the media has a "conservative bias." I found it funny, and wondered when we would hear more about it. Thanks to "Arrogance," we have. The sheer, well, arrogance of the arrogant media has become sick, with constant and deliberate efforts to cover the truth, select the "truth," and shape public opinion.

I would recommed this book to anyone, liberal or conservative, who wanted to know more about the "news" they are getting. What we are getting is "as false as an old set of dentures," or something else folksy Dan Rather might say.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Read this to score with chicks
Review: News flash - the media is liberal! Hey, big shocker, guys! This is old hat, Bernie. Let's move on to topic B. That being said, I must admit that this book has helped me to cipher out the elite of the media. First off, I'm a moderate. I like watching non-biased news - to score with chicks I watch some lib stuff like the Clinton News Network and then I'll watch Fox. That way, when I'm at a party and I meet some hot chick, I can take whatever side she's on.

I'll be a lib or conservative - whatever it takes to score with a pretty baby, baby! After reading this, I know what to look out for. Thanks, Bernie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: You already knew deep down...
Review: Yes, most of us already knew that there was a pervasive, media bias, but were afraid to admit it to ourselves. Bernard Goldberg makes it okay with his first book, Bias, and now this follow up title that is even better than the first. I will warn you now that this is a hard book to put down. It is both freeing and sickening to read about how our news is corrupted by the personal agendas of the liberal elites that run the major news outlets. Goldberg takes us step by step through the hows and whys and gives us ways to recognize media bias. Now that we can admit the problem exists and have the tools to recognize it, we can move forward and challenge the media to provide a fair and balanced picture of local and world events.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Answers WHY they do it; "Journalistic Fraud" tells you HOW
Review: Bernard Goldberg does a brilliant job of answering the question WHY the media elite distorts the news to reflect their liberal ideologies. But complete the picture with this riveting and entertaining companion work, the book that tells you HOW they do it: "Journalistic Fraud: How The New York Times Distorts the News," available here at Amazon.com.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WORTH IT FOR THE RUSSERT INTERVIEW ALONE
Review: I was worried that Arrogance would simply be a re-hash of Bias, and I'm happy to report that I was wrong. The focus has shifted: Goldberg isn't trying to prove there's a bias in the press (that's what the first book was all about); now he's measuring its true depth and extent, he's naming names, he's scrutinizing particular publications -- the chapter on the NY Times, for instance, is priceless.

He sure makes his case. What's surprising is who's willing to go on the record with him. He does an extended interview with Tim Russert of NBC's Meet the Press, and it's terrific, Russert is terrific. Many conservatives have long thought of Russert as a rare straight-shooter, no matter what his politics, a guy who really does his homework and doesn't hesitate to throw fastballs to representatives of either party. In the interview Russert talks about the underlying principle that's at stake, and it has to do with the true role of the journalist: should the journalist push his/her cause? Should he/she even HAVE a cause? Russert comes down squarely on one side of this question: The job is too important and its integrity too frangible to allow any fudging, any blurring of the lines. The journalist's first responsibility has to be to the facts -- all the facts, even the ones the journalist personally finds uncomfortable or inconvenient. A real journalist doesn't need any other cause than journalism itself, a dedication to reporting facts.

It's Bernie Goldberg's dedication to this profession that led him to write these books, and I say Amen.

A word on the audiobook: Goldberg reads the book himself, and his manner throughout the introduction is, I'm afraid, an annoying harangue. Stick with him though; once he gets into the meat of the book, he finds his stride and becomes a pleasant enough companion.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Strong medicine for a sick business
Review: I can imagine the savaging that this book will get since he was so successful in exposing the bias of the "elite" media. Goldberg has some great recommendations to help the media to get itself off the floor in public opinion where they currently lie with used car salesmen and politicians.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Message Deserves a Better Messenger
Review: First, let me say that _Arrogance_ is a step up from Goldberg's earlier book, _Bias_. _Bias_ suffered from being an essay padded out to book length, and Goldberg's transparent and rather whiny anger at Dan Rather. Despite the fact that I agreed with Goldberg's thesis, the presentation was offputting.

_Arrogance_ finds Goldberg in a more restrained mood. He has laid off the personal attacks, and limits himself to using the F-word only in quotations. He still strains to be cute in places: for instance when he litters his section on Andy Rooney with "Did ya ever notice..." constructions.

Goldberg's thesis in both _Arrogance_ and _Bias_ is that the national media is biased liberal not as a choice so much as an unconscious reflection of the world in which big-media stars live. He offers a few suggestions to change this ossified culture in _Arrogance_, but I feel they have very little chance of being implemented.

My suggestion is that if you are interested in this topic, you first read Harry Stein's _How I Accidentally Joined the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy : (and Found Inner Peace)_ first. This is a much better book, genuinely funny as well as thoughtful, and, I'm afraid, is better than either of Goldberg's books.


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