Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I really loved this book. It does a great job of giving you a framework through which to dissect the ridiculous arguments spewed on Fox and talk radio. It actually gets to be somewhat comical listening to conservative pundits once you realize that they use the exact same argument for virtually every issue:
1) Slippery slope. If we allow gay marriage, we'll have to allow human-toad marriage!
2) Conspiracy. George Soros, the ACLU, ACORN, and the "liberal elite" are beyond everything and have a secret plan to take away your rights!
3) Persecution as a mask for intolerance. I'm not homophobic, but if we legalize gay marriage, priests who refuse to marriage same-sex couples will go to jail. I'm standing up for the priests!
4) Zero sum. If we give more healthcare benefits to the poor, it will destroy healthcare for the rich. And its socialism.
It's also amazing to me to see how the same arguments have been used through history, whether its based on interracial marriage, communism, or equal rights. Arguments that we would consider ridiculous today ("I'm not racist. I want segregated schools because its best for both blacks and whites") are the basis for the flawed arguments we hear today.
Of course, tea partiers and hard-line conservatives won't read this book, but that's not the author's point. His point is to help everyday Americans (dare I say, "real Americans") de-construct persecution politics and either combat it or at least not fall under its spell. There's nothing wrong with Republican or conservative values, but there is something wrong with the way pundits are using racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and conspiracy theories to manipulate us for their own gain.
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