Rating: 
Summary: Excellent overview of what went wrong with the left
Review: I don't think that the Publisher's Weekly reviewer read this book because it's not a "screed" nor is it "trashing" of it's topic. From reading that knee-jerk and completely predictable review, it seems clear the reviewer made up their mind about the book BEFORE they read it. It is actually very clear and well-organized. For example, she does not "insinuate" that a let-it-all-hang-out style of sex education has infiltrated public schools. In fact, she is very direct about it and gives specific and scary examples. Tammy Bruce, like many of us in her generation, have been let down by liberals and the left and we are all taking another look at what free speech and diversity really mean and how those ideas have been so twisted by people who say they are leftist and liberal, but are really just self-hating socialists and communists. The only thing I wish Tammy Bruce had done more of was to suggest ways we can bring about change. Maybe she will do that next time. Thank you Tammy Bruce, for trying to keep a REAL "dialogue of ideas" alive.
Rating:
Summary: A Wake-Up Call to Civilization
Review: I first heard of Tammy Bruce when she was a radio talk show host in Los Angeles in the early 1990's. Her credentials (lesbian feminist activist; president of Los Angeles chapter of NOW; etc.) made me wary, but I was surprised to find she had a lot to say that was worth listening to, even if you didn't always go along with her conclusion. She could be "liberal" without being unpleasantly extreme... She considered her liberalism to be a quest for freedom for the individual, as well as civilization for the culture. Her special concern was the plight of women whose horizons were limited by cultural conventions or raw brutality; at the same time, Tammy was acutely aware that freedom would be lost if the answer to every problem involved increased government bureaucracy and regulation. She understood that capitalism was the engine of economic prosperity, and she was unabashedly proud to be American. In short, Tammy was both idealistic and realistic, and she presented her ideas with class and wit.Perhaps it was inevitable that an independent thinker like Tammy would come into conflict with the dogmatic NOW bureaucracy. The trigger was the O.J. Simpson murder trial. To Tammy, this was the textbook example of a major threat to women: the incorrigible batterer. Simpson had a well-documented history of beating Nicole, and the justice system had merely slapped him on the wrist; thus his violence escalated until he finally murdered her. We (society, that is) should have seen it coming; we shouldn't have winked at the earlier offences. Isn't this what an organization like NOW should be concerned with? That's how Tammy reacted (as president of the L.A. chapter, this happened on her turf) - but the agents of political correctness jumped on her with both feet, thanks to the strange racial politics that came to surround the Simpson case. The national NOW structure lambasted Tammy for her lack of commitment to "racial justice" in a heavy-handed attempt to shut her up. But Tammy was not one to be silenced, and she ultimately chose to severe her ties with NOW. Tammy's experiences gave her a basis for much soul-searching, and she pours out her observations and conclusions into this book and also her previous book, "The New Thought Police". She explores two questions in detail: 1) What is happening to make our culture less civilized?, and 2) Why is it happening? To the first question, she gives countless disturbing examples of how various Left-leaning organizations worm their way into our institutions (schools, charities, philanthropic organizations, etc.) and then create programs that are stupid and harmful, all the while spouting high-minded ideals and principles. To list one example: She describes how a Massachusetts school workshop for kids as young as 14, supposedly for the purpose of promoting tolerance of alternate lifestyles, in fact teaches an extremely graphic course in all manner of sexual indulgences. This is not an isolated incident; this sort of thing gets funded by major corporations who donate to (supposedly) civic-minded organizations that work with local schools; yet, somehow, this is the result we get, in spite of the high-sounding rhetoric that surrounds the effort. But because of that high-sounding rhetoric, it's easy to brand anyone who opposes this sort of questionable enlightenment as a racist or whatever. (Obviously I'm glossing over many details here for the sake of brevity; you'll have to read the book, but they're all there, complete with citations and footnotes.) I find the question of "Why is this happening?" particularly fascinating. For example, how could NOW attack Tammy for condemning a wife-beating murderer? What is going through the minds of the intelligent, articulate, charismatic people whose actions serve only to appease the supporters of that murderer? Tammy's personal odyssey gives her a vantage to do more than theorize; she's been there and she's got the perspective to speak with authority about how a class of emotionally-damaged people get caught up into cult-like Left-wing movements; movements in which the most disturbed individuals are most likely to rise to positions of leadership. Tammy knows because she was one of them. In summary, this book is both a personal testimony to Tammy's strange adventures in the world of reality-challenged activists, and a powerful wake-up call to raise awareness of the dangers we face if we allow the inmates to take complete control of the asylum.
Rating:
Summary: More than a political book.....
Review: I first heard Tammy Bruce on a radio show last week and since read both her books.
I am not a conservative but liberal in the classical sense. In the spirit of Hannah Arendt and Ayn Rand. Tammy Bruce, undaunted, exposes the philosophical and psychological roots of the rapid meltdown of our culture. She illustrates in plain words with many recognizable examples and plenty of footnotes, that we don't have have to go back to the flesh pots of the ancients to see humans and children sacrificed...we have it right here, the ultra left is leading the way and most of us are unwittingly complying. This is not, however a book of doom and gloom.
With moving accounts of her own life Tammy shows us there is hope for us all.... and a way forward.
With great courage she shows us that in finding our freedom we must be open to the pain that so often accompanies honesty and growth. Most important, Tammy illustrates for us the responsibilities that grow with freedom. As I read the the book I couldn't help thinking of Oscar Schindler in Schindler's List. The narcissistic slave labor profiteer who transcends himself to fight the evil he was a part of and help so many. More than a political book, this is also about the blooming of a human soul.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I give this book 5 stars primarily due to its shock value. bruce's postions are not unique. but this level of illustrative detail, offered by a woman with her background is extraordinary. i read this one in one sitting. this book makes the current degradation of our society real...up close and personal. the examples she uses will sicken you. as noted above, what makes the content so impactful, at least for me, is that tammy bruce is not a "liberal". her background is quite the contrary. she does, however, see a disturbing trend toward the "de-sensitization" of the american populace - de-sensitization in terms of moral issues. or, as the title puts it...........the death of right and wrong. this work is all about the efforts of a vocal and energetic few to destroy america's sense of conscience and decency. she clearly shows how a group of so called "minorities" seeks to bring social values down to their level. they begin, unfortunately in the school system. she vividly points out how our history and heritage are being carefully "erased" to pave the way of a new way of thinking, one that can only be described as completely amoral. of all the books i've read in recent years, this one had the most profound impact on me. the subtitle reads..."exposing the Left's assault on our culture and values". although i am a conservative by nature, i disagree with that. the evil doers that she describes are only a small paricle of what we know as the "liberal" democratic party. historical democratic (party) values are being used and perverted by the groups she so specifically identifies here. although bruce does not offer a specific remedial plan of action, i sense that she would prefer it if the legitimate "left" would expel both these destructive activists and the concepts they promote. i can certainly agree with that.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, a must read for anyone with half a brain
Review: I often wondered why some people tend to make decisions and support causes that I found morally wrong and counter productive, this book gives an excellent pshyco analysis (in my opinon) of these kinds of people, and helped me to see a threat to society that was never so clear to me.
Rating:
Summary: It's mind-blowing!
Review: I read a lot of books but this book, "The Death of Right and Wrong," really blew my mind. It opened my eyes to things that I haven't even thought of and it brought me to the realization that our values and culture were being "toiled" with. I have learnt quite a lot from this book and I encourage the author, Tammy Bruce, to continue writing books like this one. Keep it up Tammy!
Rating:
Summary: A Call for Commonsense and Common Values
Review: I was moved to look at this book after hearing Bruce on a local radio show (the show is neither liberal nor conservative). Man, am I glad I did! Bruce clearly articulates many of the issues and agendas that have contributed to the crash and burn of American culture in last 30 years. Like a lot of people, I certainly knew something was very wrong but I never really considered the scope of the problem. Bruce examines everything from media bias, the attack on Christianity (but not other religions), the inequality of speech codes, the lack of real diversity in higher education and more. Her analysis of the sexualization of kids by special interst groups is worth the price alone. Bruce also provides many factual examples for her arguments drawn from the actual written and broadcast materials from various groups. Every chapter has copious endnotes so you can research her ideas and sources yourself. Bruce is a lesbian who was a former president of the L.A. chapter of NOW. She's not a Christian. She's not a conservative. She does believe passionately in individual responsibility and the duty of Americans to examine their own culture and make it better.
Read this book if you want an insightful, intelligent look at the values some people in positions of power are telling you must have. You may not like everything she shows you but maybe that's good. You can't fix a problem if you don't know it's there.
Rating:
Summary: Far superior to her first
Review: I was uncertain as to whether or not I was going to buy this book after reading "The New Thought Police", but ultimately, I decided to see what else she had to say. I'm extremely glad that I did. "The Death of Right and Wrong" is far superior to her first effort, which I see now as a primer for this seminal work. I'll begin this review in earnest by saying what makes Tammy so important: it isn't just the insider perspective she's gained after working in NOW and travelling in elitist, leftist circles. It's her own keen psychological insight, honesty and truly remarkable objectivity. When she labels modern leftists "malignant narcissists", she is speaking as a woman who was once in their ranks but had the intelligence to realize that *something was wrong* and managed to pull herself out of the rabbit hole, so to speak, before it was too late. Yet while Tammy undoubtedly prolonged her own psychic turmoil by hobknobbing with the feminazis at NOW, the result of her misadventure will prove beneficial to the country if a significant number of people take her message to heart. The best thing about reading this book is that it answers alot of questions that, I'm sure, a large number of Americans have had. For example, why is that the liberal elite bends over backwards to promote Islam, the more radical elements of which have declared war on us, as a religion of peace and brotherhood while slandering Christianity? Even I, an openly gay and entirely secular man, will admit that Western Christianity has shed its medieval past and transformed itself into a benign religion. Furthermore, from my experience at a liberal University, I feel comfortable agreeing with Tammy's assertion that modern leftists are trying to remake society in their own corrupted and shattered image. I guaruntee you that if you read this book with an open mind, you will come away from it wondering whether leftists, when pushing for multiculturalism, do so out of a noble desire to respect and understand foreign cultures (thereby enriching our own) or out of a juvenile hatred of all things Western. There was some debate after the publication of The New Thought Police as to what, exactly, her motivations in writing it were. This book ought to put that question to rest in the minds of any *fair-minded* person. Tammy Bruce is a patriot in the best sense of the word. Like Camille Paglia (whom she evidently doesn't like), she loves America because she knows that America is the most enlightened force on the planet. The indignation that comes across so clearly when she writes about anti-Americans convinces you beyond any doubt that her motivations for writing stem from principle, not profit. Even so, I can't review this book without pointing out what I believe to be Tammy's major inconsistency: Her stance on abortion. She criticizes the feminist elite for degrading motherhood, yet it doesn't seem to occur to her that when she takes the pro-choice position on abortion out of her loyalty to women, she too is guilty of pitting women against children. She also wrongly assumes that pro-lifers put the rights of the unborn above the rights of women, when the truth is that the pro-life movement wants only to ensure the equal application of human rights to *all* human beings. No Pro-Lifer worth his salt would abandon a pregnant woman in favor of her unborn child. Pro-Lifers want to help both. But even if you are as staunchly pro-life as I myself, please don't let this one inconsistency disuade you from buying this book. It's excellent. Tammy has a message for every American concerned about what kind of a nation we are going to leave for our children and our children's children.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling exposure of malignant agendas
Review: In this informative and disturbing book, Tammy Bruce starts out with a traumatic episode from her youth to describe her personal and political journey. It is an honest account of the people and events that shaped her beliefs and convictions. At the same time it reveals some horrific aspects of popular culture, politics and the media as they operate today. Bruce exposes the rank hypocrisy, soul-destroying motives and malevolent mind-set of the Left in chapters dealing with the Academic, Black, Gay and Feminist Elites, plus some destructive tendencies in the arts, the media and the justice system in the United States today. Some of her examples make harrowing reading, whilst her insight is often tinged by a bit of humour, for example when she identifies the gangster rapper as the current equivalent of Rousseau's "noble savage" in the eyes of the Left. Bruce's diagnosis rings true. She discusses the mental disease called malignant narcissism and explains how it is rooted in trauma that never attempts recovery. These individuals, instead of seeking psychological help, are focusing on social change. In other words, they want the rest of society to mirror their own hurt and pain. She makes a very convincing case for the fact that an entire wing of politics is invested in the victim-hood of its constituency, the leaders of which are trying to work out their demons on society. This is scary stuff, but easy to recognize from the examples in the book or by taking a critical and discerning approach towards trends in the media. To be fair, Bruce points out that there are similar people on the Right (puritanical compulsives), but that these do not control the culture. The concept and repulsive results of moral relativism and the phenomenon of groupthink are also analysed. The author quotes Dr M Scott Peck and recommends his book People Of The Lie for a thorough investigation of malignant narcissism and its use of the lie to distort reality. A chilling read at times, The Death Of Right And Wrong is a brilliant and eloquent exposure of some pathological strains infecting large sectors of culture and society. The book ends on an optimistic note with a call to the individual to recognize the difference between right and wrong, to take a stand and to live a life of decency and integrity. The book concludes with 31 pages of notes and references arranged by chapter, plus a thorough index. It is a real eye-opener, a thought-provoking work that offers unique political and psychological insights. I also recommend Paul Johnson's groundbreaking work Intellectuals for an interesting look at the private lives of certain famous writers and philosophers, and Thomas Sowell's book The Vision Of The Anointed.
Rating:
Summary: This book reveals what the left is really trying to do.
Review: It was hard to put this book down for such things as sleeping, eating, etc. It passionately details the many ways that leftists are trying to destroy any concept of right and wrong and to impose their way of thinking with a cruel and heavy hand.
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