Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First

Charon’s account of the twentieth century is strictly written from the right-hand side of the left-right spectrum. She recaps history from the big wars to Grenada, giving the title (the useful idiots) as the theme of her criticism of the left. As she winds her way through the cold war, Asia, Latin America, the fall of the iron curtain and Soviet collapse, she points to the unthinking support the left always seems to give the anti-American side. She illustrates the same for the war with Islamo-Facism and gives brief looks at internationalism and environmentalism.

While the viewpoint is constant, the analysis is limited, and I don’t expect it to change any minds. She seems to have published a long detailed set of quotations rather than show more any new opinion. I’ll keep the book as a reference due to its many extended quotations, but expect only the extreme right to enjoy it. show less

So, a few years ago I read "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them" or whatever that book was called. Now, as someone who considers herself neither democrat or republican, I enjoyed it. I asked my dad to read it, and he gave me this book to read. My dad is of the libertarian persuasion.

Anyway, I did learn from this book, but what I learned is hardly surprizing. It seems that this book was writen to point fingers at liberals and democrats and say "see? see how BAD they are? They HATE America! Why do they hate America so?" Well, I don't think that is quite how it is. The book is subtitled "How Liberals Got it Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First." That last portion gets to me. I fail to see how examining our own faults show more makes us so terrible. Don't we learn from our mistakes? I would think it is a good thing.

Many of the other things, I agreed with. I've never been a fan of Katie Couric or a number of other journalists. Every word I read in the paper or on the internet, every word I hear coming from the tv or radio, I'm analyzing constantly, and I know that a certain turn of phrase, or a particular emphasis in the way they say something carries a particular meaning that they intend to convey. Sometimes, sneaking it in.

Anyway, I know that the media is biased. I know that reporters, authors, personalities, etc say really really dumb stuff. Sometimes, they even say things that disgust me. But that goes for republicans as well.

Eh. Both political parties are definately not for me. show less