The Politics of Deceit: Saving Freedom and Democracy from Extinction - Hardcover

Smith, Glenn W.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471667633 ISBN 13: 9780471667636

Verlag: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2004

Inhaltsangabe

A compelling indictment of the Bush Administration's cynical, antidemocratic manipulation of the media In this devastating analysis of American politics today, a former Democratic campaign advisor pulls back the curtain on the pervasive political manipulation of the mediaand reveals just how fragile our democracy is. From political ads and talk shows to mainstream media reporting, Glenn Smith shows how American political discourse is now dominated by carefully scripted images and rhetoricmost of which benefit the Republicans and their corporate allies. The result is public apathy toward politicsand a real threat to American freedom. To reclaim our nation, Smith argues, we must revitalize politics at the grassroots leveland liberals must realize that religion and spirituality are not antithetical to a progressive agenda. For anyone troubled by manipulative political advertising, selfaggrandizing celebrity pundits, and the undiminished role of money in politics, this necessary book lays out the full scope of the problemand points the way toward solutions. Glenn Smith (Austin, TX), a former journalist and political consultant, managed MoveOn.org's Defending Democracy Campaign. He is currently managing DriveDemocracy.org, a spinoff of MoveOn, and a consultant to the Rockridge Institute, a progressive think tank.

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Contraportada:

PRAISE FOR THE POLITICS OF DECEIT

"From straight out of the frontline trenches of political warfare, some genuinely original thinking, a few laughs and a glimpse of a better world. Can?t ask for more than that."
?Molly Ivins, columnist and author, most recently, of Bushwhacked

"Glenn Smith goes beyond the hype, with deep, eye-opening insights into the history-making possibilities of online activism. Having run political campaigns the old way, Smith is no starry eyed idealist, yet projects a thoughtful and optimistic vision for democracy in America. The Politics of Deceit is a must-read."
?Wes Boyd, cofounder, MoveOn.org

"Glenn Smith has documented how a radical conservative minority has achieved political domination in America largely through deceit?carefully crafted, well-funded, systematic deceit. In doing so, they have fragmented American?s sense of unity, and weakened our position in the world, our military, our economy, our environment, our health, and our educational system. Worst of all, they threaten our very freedoms. The Politics of Deceit is a call to action, grass-roots political action. It is time to be citizens again."
?George Lakoff, Senior Fellow, The Rockridge Institute
author, Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think
professor, University of California at Berkeley

Nota de la solapa:

Today, Americans face a tyranny built upon contemporary political practices that devalue personal and communal responsibility as well as overall participation in the political process. Life-and-death political discussions and decisions are now limited to a virtual world of illusion and coercion. No politician has so cynically wielded these manipulative political practices as has George W. Bush.

In The Politics of Deceit, political insider Glenn Smith reveals why our political customs threaten democracy and freedom with extinction, and illustrates how we can ultimately fix these problems. Among the most hopeful developments is the cultivation of new interactive media, including the successful efforts of MoveOn.org and other online groups. Smith skillfully argues that our shrugging acceptance of the politics of manipulation doesnt mean our political practices are right or just. Their very structure lends advantage to politicians like George W. Bush, who would mislead rather than lead, and who believe their own power is more important than the health of democracy.

This thought-provoking book digs deep to raise questions that others are afraid to ask, and shatters the two-way mirror that separates "we the people" from the democratic institutions and mechanisms of power that are supposed to serve our interests, not the interests of those in power. Youll become familiar with important issues that can and will affect your life, including:

• How the reliance on manipulative advertising leads to deceit
• How public dialogue has become a monologue of monied interests
• The failure to address citizens in their full humanity
• How President Bush gets away with his manipulation of the "embedded" press
• How vital new citizen action can promote and protect a more democratic society and the possibility of freedom for all Americans

Through anecdotes from history and contemporary politics, The Politics of Deceit offers realistic recommendations for a democratic renewal. Youll receive an insiders view of what must be done to protect the future of liberty, including the reversal of numerous political practices such as the power of money over argument in the public sphere, and the disproportionate amount of spending on advertising over grass-roots recruitment and public discourse.

Democracy and freedom cannot survive if we continue to accept our current political situation. Nothing short of a revolution in the way we practice politics in America will keep freedom and democracy from disappearing behind the two-way mirror of our self-absorbed, vain, and impoverished political habits. The Politics of Deceit will open citizens eyes to the ways they are being manipulated, and point to ways every American can participate and make a difference in a renewed democracy.

Über diese Auflage

• Verlag: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0471667633
• ISBN 13: 9780471667636
• Einband: Tapa dura
• Anzahl der Seiten: 246