If I had to read one book to bring me up to speed on the RW, which one would you recommend ?

[steve2470]

I know I'm probably going to be deluged with recommendations (which is fine). I know I could read 100 books on this topic, but if you had to recommend the BEST book on the American right wing, which one would you recommend ? I'm going to read all the posts thoroughly and then go buy it. Thank you in advance for your time.

[NYCGirl]

1. Blinded by the Right by David Brock

http://www.amazon.com/Blinded-Right-Ex-Conservative-David-Brock/dp/1400047285/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-8354247-2774506?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184178966&sr=8-1

[meegbear]

10. My choice as well ...

a few years old, but the players are all there.

[Matsubara]

12. I third that one.

A great inside look at how the whole scam is run on the American people.

[Az]

28. The Republican Noise Machine is a good choice as well

Also by Brock.

[TahitiNut]

29. Yep. In terms of the current cast of characters, that's a good one.

Brock turns over the rocks and shows all the maggots.

[BuyingThyme]

Mein Kamf

[immoderate]

6. Mercy!

:rofl:

--IMM

[ProdigalJunkMail]

14. that didn't take long n/t

[bryant69]

15. Jesus Christ. n/t

[T Wolf]

18. I am reading this now. It really does reflect the Bush playbook much

more than you could possibly imagine.

Especially if you substitute pursuit of the almighty dollar for Adolph's pursuit of a Master Race as the motivation. The tactics are strikingly similar.

[conscious evolution]

25. Try Comparing it with PNAC

It will give you nightmares.

[alfredo]

2. "Conservatives Without Conscience." By John Dean

It goes into the pathology of the right wing.

[Terri S]

5. and/or 'Worse than Watergate' n/t

[EFerrari]

13. Both great recs. CWC does speak to the insidious pathology

of the RW authoritarians. WTW drills down on the dirty politics of this misAdministration and presents a case for impeachment. If you want to understand the RW, read CWC. If you want a detailed indictment of the current felons in the WH, read WTW.

[Blue_In_AK]

16. Great book!

[alfredo]

30. I recommend it to anyone I can.

[unpossibles]

3. 1984

they turned what was a warning into a playbook.


Ok, I am being facetious. A little. Sorry.

[immoderate]

9. No. You nailed it.

This is a must read for anyone to have insight into everything else. Orwell's brilliance is timeless.

--IMM

[bryant69]

17. Again. Jesus Christ. n/t

[bryant69]

20. Big Lies and Blinded by the Right are both very good.

I also like The Truth, Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them by Al Franken. And this is a bit obscure, but The Great Limbaugh Con is quite good as well.

I like the Assault on Reason, but think it is flawed in bits as well. But certainly well worth reading and considering.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ThomWV]

4. And to start to come to grips with how it happened read Al Gores "Assault on Reason"

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. David Brock's "Blinded By The Right":

http://www.amazon.com/Blinded-Right-Ex-Conservative-David-Brock/dp/1400047285/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-9392591-3163103?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184179072&sr=1-1

Gives a lot of insight into how the Republican proganda machine works, now and in its earlier days during Clinton.

[pearl]

8. Blinded by the Right

David Brock explains the background and history of how these bastards got their hands
around the neck of the media. Alot of the history of their disgusting takeover which
intensified with the impeachment of Clinton.

[emulatorloo]

11. BIG LIES:The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth by Joe Conason

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Lies-Right-Wing-Propaganda-Distorts/dp/0312315600

Al Franken's Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right is a pretty user friendly book

http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lying-Liars-Tell-Them/dp/0452285216

[Bluebear]

19. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

Also: Bad Boys, Bad Men: Confronting Antisocial Personality Disorder

:)

[Poiuyt]

21. Banana Republicans: How the Right Wing is Turning America Into a One-Party State

Banana Republicans reveals how the national GOP maintains its hold on power through the systematic manipulation of the electoral system, the courts, the media, and the lobbying establishment. The book examines:

* The legacy of the Florida ballot scandal, and how it has played out in the recall movement in California-and other states, where recall efforts are under way-and in the redistricting controversy in Texas.
* How a GOP echo chamber systematically spreads its views through conservative media giants-e.g., Clear Channel, Fox-and highly placed columnists, journalists, and opinion makers.
* How the Bush administration is loading the federal courts with a generation of demagogues, and smearing the names of legislators who attempt to stand in its way.
* How House Majority Leader Tom DeLay has strong-armed traditional lobbying firms into exclusively hiring Republicans, so that even K Street is political, rather than merely opportunistic.
* How the GOP has equated dissent with treason-e.g., Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accusing war critics of abetting terrorism.
* How the Bush administration uses its power to punish dissent, such as the leaking of a CIA agent's name to the press, and unprecedented lawsuits against activist organizations such as Greenpeace.

From one review:
As the book points out, for the Democrats, politics is a debate between two opposing camps or schools of thought. For the Republicans, it is a war for dominance.

http://www.amazon.com/Banana-Republicans-Turning-America-One-Party/dp/1585423424/ref=sr_1_1/104-7798849-6087936?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184180179&sr=1-1

Note: I haven't read the book, but I heard an interview with the authors on the radio and was fascinated with their description of how Republicans view politics as all out war.

[MessiahRp]

22. It Can Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

Written in 1935 but strangely true considering what Bush has pulled off.

Rp

[Alexander]

26. Agreed 100%

[Toots]

23. Assault on Reason

by Al Gore

[steve2470]

24. thanks

I appreciate all the time and recommendations earlier today from all of you. I'm going to buy David Brock's book and also The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. I may buy some of the other books later on, or at least check them out.

Thanks again.

Steve :)

[conscious evolution]

27. Armed Madhouse by G.Palast