Rating:  Summary: Can't Ignore The Facts Review: It always amazes me how the right in this country always discounts books like this because they are written by a liberal. Why not look at the facts? Liberal or Conservative, Americans should consider the gross conflict of interest represented by an administration and business leaders linked by oil industry cronyism as unjust, unfair, and not right.
Rating:  Summary: The stories behind the politicians Review: It should come as no surprise to most people that the media is not exactly neutral when it reports the news. In fact it seems that over the past several years the news media has become more and more the servant of politics instead of the reporter. In "The Exception to the Rulers" author Amy Goodman delves into the political relationships that are typically not reported in the media. She provides a well-researched look into the rampant corruption of powerful leaders and how the media helps enhance their power at the expense of the average person. This is a book that should be required reading for anyone interested in politics or trying to understand why when the BBC and US media both report on the same incident it is hard to believe they are talking about the same one. Author Amy Goodman provides a tight, consistent, and highly readable illustration of the web of deception and multiple relationships between our highest leaders and the companies they use to create ever-increasing personal wealth. "The Exception to the Rulers" deserves the highest of recommendations.
Rating:  Summary: Three cheers for this voice for the voiceless Review: My brother, who lives near New York City, has long told me about Amy Goodman, but her voice - Pacifica radio - doesn't reach out here in the provinces. So, when I heard about this book, I was curious to see how she stacked up to such excellent muckrakers as Eric Alterman and Al Franken. They are great - and she is definitely their peer. In fact, in some ways she surpasses them since she goes to some of the most dangerous places - East Timor and Nigeria, for example - to challenge evil. She embodies the creed enunciated by Thomas Paine: "The world is my country, all mankind are my bretheren, to do good is my religion." She also embodies another creed, that of that cantankerous defender of wilderness, Edward Abbey: "Hate injustice, defy the powerful, speak for the voiceless." Please, read this book - and then go out and challenge the powerful yourself.
Rating:  Summary: My Wife Review: My wife, certainly less politically engaged on a daily basis than I am, has been simply unable to put the book down, and has, by here own admission, had her eyes opened...wide. We're not sure, if Bush wins, that we are going to be able to come back to this type of America, so different it is from the one in which we grew up... Keep it up Amy.
Rating:  Summary: Really and truly a must-read book Review: Not only does Amy Goodman tell it like it REALLY is, she does it in a clear, fascinating, and easy-to-follow style that allowed this reader to finish the book in only two sittings. If all you think you know is from the watered-down jellyfish U.S. mass media, you will be stunned by the truth, which is clearly and completely documented in this book. You may also be a bit frightened and definitely angered, but you will definitely be informed. A great book which I highly recommend!
Rating:  Summary: SHRILL MY ARSE! Review: Obviously the right winger who posted a one star review of this book has never seen Amy either live or on TV. Sadly typical of their ilk. Amy is one of the most low key people in the media and she is NEVER shrill. I highly recommend this book. . . even though I'm only half way through it. I also take issue with the reviewer who said that there wasn't enough new information to justify the $25 price tag! This is the first book of it's kind, and I've read about 10 so far( 9 waiting next to my desk), which brings up the significance of the 911 date as it pertains to history. That alone will give some insight into the NeoNaziCon question "Why do they hate us?" Here''s a capsule review of It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis: Novel by Sinclair Lewis, published in 1935. It is a cautionary tale about the rise of fascism in the United States. During the presidential election of 1936, Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor, observes with dismay that many of the people he knows support the candidacy of a fascist, Berzelius Windrip. When Windrip wins the election, he forcibly gains control of Congress and the Supreme Court, and, with the aid of his personal paramilitary storm troopers, turns the United States into a totalitarian state. Jessup opposes him, is captured, and escapes to Canada. . . . . . SOUND FAMILIAR? BOB KASPRZAK, A PROUD LIBERAL VETERAN AND AN ENEMY OF FASCISTS EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:  Summary: Tripe for the Tin-foil Hat Crowd Review: Ok, lefties, get ready to pound the 'not helpful' button, because you're not going to like this review.
The first thing I recommend when opening up one of these expose books is going right to the back and checking the sources. If almost every source is a columnist in a newspaper or a left-wing pundit, you're probably not going to be getting a clear look at the issues.
Amy's assertions about the motives for the current war in Iraq are wrong. Amy's use of statistics would be flayed by any college freshman. Amy's leaps of logic are more appropriate for a circus than for a bookshelf.
Some examples: Amy cites a report by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting which states that 61% of surveyed Americans were in favor of more time for diplomacy. She goes on to assume that because 61% favored more time for talks, they were also involved in anti-war activism. One example of many.
Next - Amy cites a German newspaper reporter claiming to have information from the Iraqi weapons report that was redacted by the US. From this one guy's assertions, she bases her whole argument that the US sold nuclear material to Saddam. Does anybody else want more sources (and more informed sources) than one German reporter?
There is almost no source cited who does not have a political motivation. There is almost no assertion made that is sensible in the context of the world today.
Amy does not seem to realize that Islamofascists, whatever their origins, will not stop trying to destroy America if we try really hard to be nice to them. She decries the calamity in East Timor, but has nothing to say of atrocities under the Mullahs in Iran. The same leftists who are horrified by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan turned away from the slaughter of 100,000 after the fall of Saigon or Pol Pot's genocide's in Cambodia. They quote Mao religiously (Amy quotes Mao in Chapter 1, as a matter of fact) without any regard to the suppression of democracy and the death of millions of innocents in China. The double standard is really sickening.
Long review short - DON'T expect journalism from this book. Don't expect facts. And if you're one of those who digs conspiricy theory, make a double-thick tinfoil hat so the Haliburton satellites can't read your thoughts.
Rating:  Summary: Amy is a hero for our time Review: Thank God for people like Goodman. There are so few of us willing to stay passionate and informed about the true issues facing us in this day and age. She is a true American hero. Goodman puts the so-called journalists from the "mainstream" media to shame. She is completely devoted to her cause and selflessly pursues it. During the invasion of Iraq I listened to her on Pacifica and felt like I wasn't alone in this insane world as we hurtled toward a war that made no sense. When I found out about PNAC and the other interests behind Iraq, it all made much more sense to me. This book is a gem and a must-read. If you want to hear more of Goodman in a powerful and intense context you should check out USA THE MOVIE. It's a DVD which mixes reality and fiction while dealing with the events of 9/11, Afghanistan and other points in history. Goodman (her voice) is a major through-line in the film as is Verna Avery Brown from Pacifica's Peacewatch. Read this book and see that movie and you will feel in the company of people who are making a difference in the world.
Rating:  Summary: No Free Press, No Democracy! Review: The United States is the LAST place people of the world would expect to find PROPAGANDA but that is what's happening in the US, as scary as that sounds. This is a time for the true brave souls like Amy Goodman to come forward and inform us of the truth. Everybody likes the comfort of letting others take care of business, but it's time to start facing the truth about what this country stands for. It's time to help the cause of free speech. What's the real price of oil? What's the real reason we're financing a war in the Middle East? How many innocent people are suffering so we can enjoy insulation from the truth? We are still "A sleeping Giant". Please read this book and wake up to the truth as unpleasant as that is. I want my county back! I have never been an activist, but the time has come to be part of the solution. Thank you Amazon for not censoring comments.
Rating:  Summary: A Book for Every American Review: This book is a must-read for all Americans who want the truth about the motivations behind our current political Administration. The Goodmans do an amazing job of detailing the connections between the Bush Administration's foreign policy and how it personally profits from a war-driven America. After you read this book, you will not be able to listen to mainstream news in the same way. A truly transformative perspective and one that will hopefully move you to action!
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