Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got it Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First (Hardcover)

This book focuses on the reactions of liberals in America to various communist governements. The author argues that because these communist states were so brutal (which is a very valid point) anyone who defended them in American society was a "useful idiot." The term apparantly was used by Lenin to describe people in the West who were blind to the "realities" of Communism.

The book's historical accounts are very readable, and interesting. The main argument however is that because Communist states were so evil the American's who opposed them must, by default, be good. Following this logic any Americans who spoke out against these good anti-communist policies (a group of people described as anti-anticommunists) are by default wrong.

This book is well worth reading, but the arguments are far from convincing, and her conclusions are weak. Furthermore a blind acceptace that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction already seems rather outdated and naive.

These are the same people who treat Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro as "mad geniuses" yet they have the audacity to SCREAM about poverty and civil rights in the US. Huh? One of the more disturbing stories in the book (disturbing only because of its timeliness) is John Kerry's amazing "flip flop." Here's a guy I thought actually had a brain and a heart. Now, I'm not so sure. John Kerry was a decorated Vietnam Vet who came back from that war and joined the anti-war movement. He even threw his medals away in a defiant gesture against the war. That's all well and good -- I have no problem with someone who learns from a personal experience and changes his mind. What I find objectionable, and what Ms. Charon takes great pains to point out, is that no sooner had the anti-war movement in this country subsided than Mr. Kerry was now, suddenly, a great war hero exuding pride about his military and (alas!) with all his medals intact. So, he's anti-war when the country is predominantly anti-war, but he's "pro-miliary" when patriotism is in vogue? Pretty disgusting.

Like another enlightened reviewer, I am awaiting the sequel.

This book is actually useful as an illustration of the delusional power of ideology. Charen's attempted trashing of leftist views involves her deploying some highly dubious assertions, which simply don't accord with historical accuracy. For instance, the suggestion that American soldiers were not "particularly nasty" to Vietnamese peasants, and that South Vietnam was a viable democratic state (other than an artificial creation borne of the US supporting French colonialism after 1945). (Read George C. Herring's 'The Longest War' for a reasonable account of Vietnam, or else John Pilger's brilliant analysis in 'Heroes'.)

I have given sections of this book to my History students after we have discussed aspects of the Cold War so that they can see how contemporary right-wing Amerians think, and they are truly shocked. It reads as plausible argument, but it's only when you read proper history books that you can see how insidious it really is. The frightening thing is that so many Americans are willing to be taken in by this rubbish. But that's the power of ideology for you!
['ideology': ideas serving as weapons for social interests. (Berger & Luckman 1966: The Social Construction of Reality, p.18)]