Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth [Hardcover]

Well, I, for one, was quite convinced. He points out that whilst the Right-wing constantly complain about a liberal media bias that:

1) All forms of the media jumped all over the Bill Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. They engendered and continued the painful and unnecessary scandal.

2) Right-Wing authors' books are widespread and they have platforms to express their views all over the US.

3) The Fox News Network is currently the largest network in the US. On top of that, networks such as MBC show not "liberal" but conservative bias.

On top of that he deals with the usual economic issues: "supply-side" economics vs Tax and Spend etc. Public spending, defecits and the like feature prominently in the book. Indeed some of the figures and arguments might be overwhelming for the casual reader. It is worth, perhaps, searching wikipedia for certain economic terms and the history of such economics whilst reading this book.

The author brings in the various other usual suspects in the right-wing vs. liberal debate: religion, military service etc. He methodically presents the "Lies" and then counters them with what he sees as the truth.

His book is a serious effort and, therefore, may end up seeming a little dry compared with the works of Al Franken and Michael Moore. He would probably be taken somewhat more seriously in the US than either Al Franken (who is denounced as a mere comedian and ridiculed for his Air America radio show) and Michael Moore (who is somewhat hated by the right-wing for Bowling for Columbine c.f. www.bowlingfortruth.com). I found the flow sometimes not quite fluid enough for steady reading and lacking a bit of structure jumping from pundits to economics to religion then back to economics. I think he could definately have worked on his structure a bit more for a more interesting read.

It's important to note that our cousins across the pond will accept this in different ways. Those on the right-wing will stubbornly refuse to accept any of it. They tend to be unable to handle criticism of Reagan (especially after his recent death) or the Republican party. This book will generally be acceptable to those who are "impartial" observers or somewhat liberal/left-wing. It's easier for British to read this without blowing our tops, generally being able to argue coherently and accept a plurality of opinion in politics.

It's definately worth reading this book if you're interested in contemporary American politics. If you want books dealing with similar topics, then "Rush Limbaugh is a big fat idiot" and "Lies and the Lying Liars who tell them" are good and humourous choices.

There really is a vast right-wing conservative conspiracy dedicated to undermining the values most Americans share. Trust me.
It exists. It is dedicated to destroying the America we know, and replacing it with a command-and-control morality to be
imposed on all by the religious leaders such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Tammy Faye Baker.

How do I know? Go to any supermarket and look at the National Inquirer or News of the World. There's a massive audience
for wacky ideas and silly publications; in every society, at least 10 percent of the population are chronic kickers and
conspiracy freaks. That 10 percent of the population is about 15 times the size of The Wall Street Journal circulation, one of
the prime right wing publications, so it's hardly surprising there's a massive audience waiting to be fed at the trough of the
right-wing propaganda machine..

Although the Journal is a profit-making operation, based on its superb and often penetrating business news coverage, the
survival of most of the right-wing zealots cited by Conason requires massive subsidies from very wealthy patrons. The New
York Times is supported by its readers and advertisers, based on the merit and truth of its news coverage; the conservative
Washington Times is supported by the Moonie Church, because it cannot otherwise attract enough advertisers or readers.

The same is true for many of the publications which make up the right-wing propaganda machine. The American people, even
that 10 percent radical right fringe which reads and listens to the conservative zealots cited in this book, do not financially
support such extremist smear tactics. It is why a few of the mega-rich, from the Buckleys to Scaife and the Moonie Church,
use their inherited wealth to subsidize the conservative media.

Conason does a superb jop of compiling the egregious lies of the conservative media, but he fails to assess the impact of this
propaganda blitz. Except for the 10 percent of chronic kickers, about the usual fringe ratio in every society, most Americans
don't believe such blatant nonsense. Look at the front page of the National Inquirer, ask yourself how many people believe its
stories, and remember it is a very profitable publication.

If the Inquirer can make money, then why does the conservative media need consistent subsidies from the ultra-wealthy who
were too lazy to earn their own wealth, too inept to conserve it, and too terrified of losing it to think rationally. No one frets
about the social or political impact of Inquirer readers, perhaps their conspirators-in-fantasy in the right-wing media are equally
impotent. Perhaps that issue deserves a book of its own.

Consider this: Some people will believe anything a Hollywood star says, simply because that person is a star. Those people
are called fans. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a current example; Ronald Reagan was a successful predecessor. Others will
believe anything the filthy rich have to say, simply because that person is filthy rich. Those people are the servant class. They
are the foundation of right-wing politics.

Until then, this book is a must-read for the 90 percent of rational Americans who think Rush Limbaugh and his copycats are
very talented bunco artists who've found a new way to amuse the crowd of gullible dupes who believe in Elvis, flying saucers,
televangelists and the suspicion that our whole society is a massive conspiracy.

As P. T. Barnum once said, "there's a sucker born every minute." Conason deftly pulls back the curtain on just what those
suckers will believe.