Elizabeth Dobson từ Krasnoye Pole, Samarskaya oblast', Russia

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06/18/2024

Dữ liệu người dùng, đánh giá và đề xuất cho sách

Elizabeth Dobson Sách lại (11)

2019-04-21 05:31

Tự Truyện Một Người Tu Thư viện Sách hướng dẫn

Sách được viết bởi Bởi: Thích Hạnh Nguyện

Jay Feldman has done a great service in writing this book. He writes of how politicians and community leaders have often stirred up controversy where it didn't exist and used minority groups as convenient scapegoats. The book covers actions done by Democrats and Republicans from the early 1900s up to the present. It's shocking how much the government created mountains out of simply nothing in order to further policy goals (e.g. supporting World War I), consolidate power (Hoover at the BI and FBI), generate money (part of the reason why loyal Japanese-Americans were forced off their rich agricultural property during World War II), etc. Even worse, the media whipped it the hatred and hypocrisy, time and again. And not just some controversial rag but the New York Times, Washington Post, etc. Bloodthirsty calls for silencing alternate opinions by all means necessary flew out of the so-called Free Press. Back then, these papers were right up there with today's Fox (Faux) News. At first, I was a little overwhelmed by Feldman's example after example for each situation he covered. However, after awhile, I realized that this was one of the major accomplishments of the book. Overwhelming evidence that what happened was not an aberration. The constant scapegoating, federal spying and outright lies by Members of Congress and the Administration were not simply a sign of the times. Over and over again, he shows how individuals at the time told their superiors that the end result the boss wanted simply wasn't true and could not be supported by facts. The superiors outright ignored their confidants (not some anonymous grunt miles away but their direct aides and often high-government official aides) and pushed forward with some of the most undemocratic, un-American actions I've ever read. Attacks on teachers, labor unions, minority groups, peace groups, women's rights, civil rights, etc. went on nonstop since the early part of the 20th Century. Whole movements were undermined and destroyed by FBI disinformation campaigns (under the various COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Programs), including many leftist parties that were not coordinating with global communist but were fighting for better wages, safer working environments and respect. The mind boggles at what would have happened if socialist parties had a chance to develop in this country. Would they have grown into the social democratic parties we see in Europe that provide safety nets and make sure that their citizens aren't one illness away from poverty? The irony of most of what was happening was that while saying that they were working to protect the Constitution and fight against world authoritarianism, various federal, state and local governmental forces practically turned the United States into a police state, with the outright support of the media and often certain sections of the population. We've always been able to pull back from the precipice, but Feldman ends the book by noting that we must be ever vigilant, for there is a tipping point. I originally thought of giving Manufacturing Hysteria four stars since I thought the epilogue that touched on the Bush II era was more of a sketch than a real contribution. If you paid attention during the last decade, you know what he would be writing, but it doesn't stand up to the quality and depth of the rest of the book. However, overall, this is an excellent book and worth reading and keeping close at hand as America continues growing up.

Người đọc Elizabeth Dobson từ Krasnoye Pole, Samarskaya oblast', Russia

Người dùng coi những cuốn sách này là thú vị nhất trong năm 2017-2018, ban biên tập của cổng thông tin "Thư viện Sách hướng dẫn" khuyến cáo rằng tất cả các độc giả sẽ làm quen với văn học này.