(Update) Great American Hypocrites — A Book
By Mona
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Glenn Greenwald’s latest book, Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics, release date 4/15, is available now for pre-ordering at Amazon:
Disclosure: I played a very minor substantive role in this work, but a larger one as copy-editor. (But no, I have no financial stake in the book’s success.) So with that caveat in mind, it is my opinion that this book is awesome.
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It examines the contrived narrative of Republicans as honorable men of family and spousal fidelity, sobriety and warrior courage — and utterly eviscerates it. The GOP’s Potemkin morality is shown for the sham that it is.Their carefully crafted and marketed myths have become a dominant “truth” in our media, and this book is one important step in revealing the average GOP pol and apologist as a hypocrite on virtually every level, especially when it comes to “family values” such as marital fidelity, or courage in war, that so many of these creatures only preach but promiscuously violate. IOW, the Democrats are certainly no worse — and are often paragons of virtue — compared with the moral icon status the GOP has successfully, but falsely, peddled about itself.
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Great American Hypocrites is already no. seven six three in non-fiction at Amazon. Beating Jonah. Heh.
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Update:Â Greenwald reports, my emphasis:
The Library Journal Political Roundup has reviewed the book for librarians (not online) and says — amusingly, in my view — the author is “caustic but supports his points with sound research. The results may well have appeal in public libraries.”
Comment by Thoreau —
April 1, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
Even if you aren’t getting anything from the book’s sales, I hope you at least got a flat fee for the copy-editing.
Comment by First Little Pig —
April 2, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
I will run out and buy it, if only to cast my vote in favor of the book’s success.
Seems to me, however, that this narrative should already be well known to anyone who was paying even marginal attention over the past 30+ years….. But I guess that is the point.
As the son of a rabidly partisan Republican father I know one thing for certain: should I offer him this book to read he will glance at the cover and proclaim it all lies and propaganda. Similar to how, when he saw me reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma, he asked if it was a book about how mean we are to the animals (in a totally dismissive and condescending tone).
Comment by Mona —
April 2, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
Certainly. But as far as I know, no one has before put it all together in such a coherent and comprehensive manner, with an eye to forcing the MSM and national political discussion to incorporate this reality.
Comment by Brian —
April 2, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
Now… for balance we need to read the equally scathing exposee of the “OTHER” useless, craven, warmongering, corrupt party, our lovable Donkacrats, being published by Dennis Perrin!
Comment by y81 —
April 2, 2008 @ 3:35 pm
This seems like the kind of book the hobbits would like, full of things they already knew, set out fair and square with no contradictions.
Comment by mds —
April 2, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
So, in other words, it is a very serious, thoughtful, argument that has never been made in such detail or with such care.
Comment by Mona —
April 2, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
y81 and mds: There is no link to it, but Glenn cites The Library Journal Political Roundup, which has reviewed the book for librarians and — says Glenn about the reviewer’s assessment of his work:
That’s a pretty good endorsement.