Great American Hypocrites: Shattering the Big Myths of Republican Politics

By Glenn Greenwald

Book Overview

A takedown of the GOP's deceitful propaganda machine from the hugely popular blogger of Salon.com's Unclaimed Territory and the author of the New York Times bestsellers How Would a Patriot Act? and A Tragic Legacy Long since Americans were wooed by images of Ronald Reagan astride a horse, complete with cowboy hat and rugged good looks, the Republican Party has used a John Wayne mythology to build up its candidates and win elections. Their marketing scheme of evoking brave, courageous, heroic warriors has been so persuasive and strikes such a patriotic nerve, that many citizens have voted based on this manipulative imagery even when they've flat out disagreed with the GOP's positions on key issues. Glenn Greenwald puts this bogus GOP mythology under microscopic critique and successfully argues that none of these men is, in fact, a brave, strong moral warrior-far from it. Rather, most have dodged military duty, have strings of broken marriages and affairs, and live decadent, elitist lives, which they so ruthlessly condemn Democrats for doing. Such false archetypes-that GOP leaders are exclusively ?t to command the military, represent traditional family values, and are fiscally restrained and responsible because they're just regular folk like us-are so firmly entrenched in our culture as to allow the GOP to sit back and let their time-tested marketing ploy spin itself silly while avoiding debate on real issues. When they actually do voice opinions, it's nothing more than a smear campaign of the supposed weakness and elitism of the Democrats. To prevent this tired marketing scheme from succeeding again, Greenwald takes off the gloves and knocks down the hoaxes and myths, exposing the tactics the right-wing machine uses to drown out both reality and consideration of real issues. But he also calls on Democrats to shake off the defensive posture ("We love America too," "We support the troops too," "We also believe in God") and start attacking the Republican candidates for the hypocrites they, in truth, are. The ?rst book to dissect the Republican Cult of Personality and leave it openly exposed in its unabashed, shameful depravity, Great American Hypocrites is a deeply necessary call-out to Democrats to attack the GOP with their competitor's very own weapons. Ever since the cowboy image of Ronald Reagan was sold to Americans, the Republican Party has used the same John Wayne imagery to support its candidates and take elections. We all know how they govern, but the right-wing propaganda machine is very adept at hijacking debate and marketing their candidates as effectively as the Marlboro Man. For example: Myth: The Republican nominee is an upstanding, regular guy who shares the values of the common man. Reality: He divorced his first wife in order to marry a young multimillionaire heiress whose family then funded his political career. Myth: Republicans are brave and courageous. Reality: It's a party filled with chicken hawks and draft dodgers. Myth: Republicans are strong on defense and will keep us safe. Reality: They prey on fears, and their endless wars make America far less secure. Myth: The Republicans are the party of fiscal restraint and small, limited government. Reality: Soaring deficits, unchecked presidential power, and an increasingly invasive surveillance state are par for their course. From the Hardcover edition.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307408027
• ISBN13: 9780307408020
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 290 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Shows why the right can't lead

In documenting just a fraction of the GOP hypocrisy rampant today, Greenwald has shown us one reason why the last 7 years of Republican rule has failed so horribly- because they don't believe a word they utter. They decry an overreaching government- except when they are doing the reaching. They wring their hands at "amoral liberals"- hoping no mentions their own failed marriages, arrests, scandals and fraud. They stomp their feet at the "socialist" liberals, while gaming the system for tax cuts, military contracts for superfluous weapons systems, and earmarks out the wazoo. The GOP is built upon lies- lies about our security, our morality, and the place of government in our lives. They either don't believe a word they spew- making them hypocrites, or they do believe it all- making them fools. Either way, they had their moment, failed horribly, and now history will judge them. And it won't be pretty, but then again, neither has the last 7 years of GOP rule. Good riddance to bad rubbish. We as a nation can no longer afford your lies, hypocrisy, and warmongering. Kudos to Gleen Greenwald, a voice of sanity in a world crowded by fools.

If It Didn't Hurt So Much, I Would Laugh!

I have read all three of Glenn Greenwald's books and he continues to build on the indictment of the GOP generally and this administration particularly. He takes what I have felt, in my gut, was true and gives me the information I need to KNOW it is true. He exposes the fact that the Emperor, in fact, has no clothes. He proves the charge of hypocracy with exquisite detail and skill. I'd be willing to bet he was VERY effective in the court room. The research and documentation are evident and convincing. I have watched the decline of journalistic integrity over the past three decades. Through out the media mergers and growth of right-wing tabloid media "news" programming, I have marveled at the dumbing down of what passes as journalism. I have often speculated as to what the media spin would be if Watergate had happened in 2000 instead of 1972. The GOP is so sordid and sleazy and these people are the ones with power in our country. Surely, if it didn't hurt so much, I would laugh. Even Monty Python could not have invented anything this preposterous.

Exposing the Freak Show

Glenn Greenwald's new book is indispensable for anyone who wants to know why America seems to be going so far along the wrong track we've been running along for too long. How can we have a government controlled by a party which claims to be strong on defense, in favor of smaller government and personal liberty instead give us record deficits, a more dangerous world, a weakened military, and government intrusion into every sphere of private life? It's not an accident. Greenwald lays out in great detail what the problem is. Our political discourse in this country has been thoroughly debased by turning away from substantive debate on real issues to a freak show where myths matter more than truth and the press aids and abets the process. The practitioners of these myths are the Republican party, which has cloaked itself in an facade of manliness, patriotism, and moral rectitude even as the facts show they are anything but. Greenwald shows how time and time again they project their own sins onto the Democrats and the press mindlessly parrots their talking points. It's not pretty, but it works - and that's why the GOP will keep doing it. For someone who is a Republican, but wonders why the budget is busted, why fundamentalist preachers are calling the shots, why the party keeps having scandal after scandal, why the country is now on a permanent war footing, this book is a must read. For someone who is a Democrat, this book is a must read because it explains why the Democrats seem to be always snatching defeat from victory, why they can't catch a break from the press, and why the Republicans are literally able to get away with murder time and time again.