No One Left to Lie to: The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton: Amazon.co.uk: Christopher Hitchens: Books

Amazon.co.uk Review

The most vocal critics of Bill Clinton's presidency tend to be conservatives--think, for example, of William J. Bennett's The Death of Outrage--but there are those on the Left who are fed up with Clinton as well. Among them is journalist Christopher Hitchens (most prominently associated with The Nation and Vanity Fair), who has produced a slim but vehement volume outlining how "Clinton's private vileness meshes exactly with his brutal and opportunistic public style". No One Left to Lie To is the story of a man who took the Democratic presidential nomination and, having achieved office, began enacting welfare reform and anticrime legislation that surpassed the ambitions of all but the most ideologically loyal Republicans--and routinely plundered the GOP platform for other policy ideas as well.

Hitchens is particularly damning on Clinton's tendency to resort to divisive racial politics when it suits his purposes, as when, in the course of the 1992 presidential campaign, he refused to lift a finger to save a mentally retarded African American from state execution so he could appear tough on crime, then shortly afterwards hijacked a Rainbow Coalition conference to criticise rap artist Sister Souljah for the benefit of the attendant press. When he needs the black vote, though, Clinton will allow himself to be trumpeted as the most racially sensitive president in American history--if not, in Toni Morrison's memorably ludicrous phrase, "our first black president". Furthermore, the man who once connived his way out of the draft has become a chief executive so willing to use military air strikes as a means of foreign policy that, in the author's view, the United States is now a "potential banana republic".

Of course, there is plenty of vitriol directed at Clinton's conduct with regard to Monica Lewinsky (the woman with whom he admitted, under duress, to having had an "inappropriate relationship" consisting of multiple incidences of oral sex) and Kathleen Willey (who alleges that the leader of the free world merely fondled her breasts and forced her to touch--albeit shielded under some layers of clothing--his tumescent penis). In Hitchens's view, however, the sexual controversies are only the most prominent aspect of Clinton's shameful character, a moral condition that must be considered in toto. The book is short, with an argument that runs to only about a hundred pages, but that's still more than enough room for Hitchens to serve up comprehensive, blistering indictment suffused throughout by his dark wit. He sums up the failure of those fixated on Clinton's adultery to fully investigate his cronyism and financial shenanigans: "it's not the lipstick traces, stupid," Hitchens warns, "it's the Revlon Connection". --Ron Hogan, Amazon.com --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"You don't buy Christopher Hitchens's new book because you want to find out whether Bill Clinton is really as terrible a liar as some people say he is. You buy it because you know he is a terrible liar, and the invitation to have a pungent fellow like Christopher Hitchens confirm every prejudice you ever had on the subject, plus a few you might not even have known you had, is an invitation you cannot resist." -- Louis Menand, New York Times Magazine "The smartest guy I've seen on TV ... the Rosetta Stone of scepticism ... the Mark McGwire of sceptics ... he makes me look like a cheerleader." - Dennis Miller, Dennis Miller Love "By far the best of all the books on the Clinton era." - Edward Said, Al-Ahram Weekly "Christopher Hitchens is a remarkable commentator. He jousts with fraudulence of every stripe and always wins. I regret he has only one life, one mind and one reputation to put at the service of my country." - Joseph Heller "If Christopher Hitchens is a Marxist, I want to be one, too." - Florence King, National Review

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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful

Was there really a rapist in the Oval Office? 25 Jun 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Christoper Hitchens seems to enjoy demolishing the reputations of great public figures and this book is no exception. In a short account, Hitchens makes various attacks on Bill and Hillary Clinton's personal and political characters including, most sensationally, the claim that Bill Clinton may be a rapist.

'No One Left To Lie To' is very well written, and Hitchens draws upon all of his resources to direct a stylish, witty and concise polemic at the Clintons. He does not try to be impartial, merely fair, and he makes no apologies for the constant stream of hate that he has for the Clintons and some of their allies.

As for the allegations themselves, each one is thoroughly investigated - sometimes to the point where he can become a little too pedantic in loooking at what people did and did not say in response to these claims (which can be a problem when you are dealing with politicians. You don't need Christopher Hitchens to point out that politicians rarely answer the questions that they are asked!).

The central problem is that Christopher Hitchens bases many of his key allegations (including the rape allegation) on what people don't say rather than what they do, and on pointing out how different circumstantial evidence points to his conclusion. Very rarely does he actually offer any hard proof for what he claims.

However, his political accusations are well presented and might give those on the Left pause for thought - Hitchens, a former Marxist and staunch defender of the Left shows how Clinton has betrayed his supporters through "triangulation" which effectively means adopting some of the opposition's policies to neutralise their opposition.

Overall, 'No One Left To Lie To' is an absorbing read, and while it doesn't prove Bill Clinton guilty of everything claimed within, it certainly raises many questions you haven't heard before.

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

Now if this is not true.... 21 May 2009

By George Hedge

You would sue the life out of someone who wrote this about you. If it is true, you would probably ignore it. This speaks volumes for me.

I always felt the need for a both when ever I saw Clinton and now I know why. The passage on Hilary Clinton's healthcare program is mind blowing, and his analysis of 'triangulation' (Blair seems to have read this playbook) is brilliant.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

Very well written, and exposes the monster behind the man. 3 Sep 2009

By Mr A Cahill

Format:Hardcover

Even before I read this book I never trusted Clinton. There was just something slightly creepy about him, a cold, power hungry, ruthless look in his eyes, the way he spoke, as if he wanted to control everything. A demeanour which suggested an unscrupulous, nasty side to his character. This book just confirmed everything I thought and more. How so many people still trust and like this guy, and go to all his and hilary's speeches, cheer them, and applaud them, is beyond me. From the atrocious execution of a disabled black man, to the constant lying and triangulation, the way in which he used the democrat party to implement very right wing policies,the failure to answer questions properly, the horrible chauvaunistic attitude towards women, viewing them as objects rather than people, to the taking of money for his party from extremely dubious people, this book exposes it all. I think it has been clear for a long time now that the Clintons have no principles whatsoever, and that the only people they really care about are themselves. Hitchens superbly argues that the way in which the left defended him was a big sign of degeneration, he is witty, smart, perceptive, and sticks to the point. The book is short, and I would have liked it to have been longer, but despite its length, its impact is still massive. Buy this and be shown a side to Clinton you've never seen before.