I had not intended to review this book yet, but the previous posting today on Michael Moore stirred me to do so. Schweizer, famous for writing the book "Reagan's War" (which I have also read and enjoyed)on Reagan's transformation from FDR liberal to anti-communist crusader as an actor, seeks to shed the light on liberal hypocrisy. And he hits a home run, fraught with humor, anger, and pages of research references that show he has researched and documented his charges against the liberal elite.
The author makes this salient point: while there are hypocrites on both sides, it seems when the Lefties betray their ideas, they actually gain from the process. On the reverse, Conservatives who have failings of values (for example Rush Limbaugh and drugs; that CA congressman Duke Cunningham; etc.)these are personal failings that result in loss, not gain. When libs like Pelosi and Kennedy betray their values, they are hurting those they claim to care about as well as enriching themselves. The conservatives engage in self-destruction, while the Left seems to engage in blatant hypocrisy for personal gain and wealth.
Schweizer takes on several liberal icons, from Mikey Moore, to George Soros, to Ted Kennedy, to even so-called common man Ralph Nader. He provides us with example after example where, by their words and their deeds, the liberals are saying "Do as I say, not as I do." They want a double standard. There is the much ballyhooed charge on Michael Moore, but here are a few others, and I assure you, they have ample evidence to back them up:
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who proclaims her support for unions, yet the luxury resort, the vineyard and the restaurants she partly owns are strictly non-union. While she advocates tough new laws enforcing environmental regulations on the private sector, the exclusive country club she partly owns failed to comply with existing environmental regulations for the past eight years – including a failure to protect endangered species.
Noam Chomsky has made a reputation for calling America a police state and branding the Pentagon "the most hideous institution on earth," yet his entire academic career, writes Schweizer, has been subsidized by the U.S. military.
Barbra Streisand is another proponent of environmentalism, yet she drives an SUV, lives in a mansion and has a $22,000 annual water bill. In the past, she has driven to appointments in Beverly Hills in a motor home because of her aversion to using public bathrooms.
Ralph Nader plays the role of the citizen avenger – the populist uninterested in wealth and materialism, pretending to live in a modest apartment. In fact, he lives in fancy homes registered in the names of his siblings.
I especially love Chomsky, the man who hates the US military, and who gets paid by the Pentagon, who made his fortune on Pentagon work. Read the book for the "Chomsky defense." It is blatantly ridiculous and retarded at the same time. No, retarded would be insulting to those with mental handicaps.
Schweizer is not just engaged in showing hypocrites, but in asking this salient question: if the paragons of liberalism ignore in their own lives the basic tenets, then what, pray tell, is the worthwhileness of liberalism? If its own proponents so blatantly and guiltlessly betray these deep seated beliefs and values, then what is the point of following an ideology that its proponents by their actions show doesn't work for them?
Schweizer shows an abundance of liberal hypocrisy, including Al Franken not hiring blacks while chiding the GOP, Ted Kennedy, advocate of gun control, having armed guards, and many others who advocate removing tax deductions for estates, etc., but who use the very "tax shelters for the rich" they condemn to shield their money.
It is not only a damning portrayal of those Schweizer exposes, but a damnation of the practicality of liberalism as well. I highly recommend it.
