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His other book, '110 People,' is great, too. I really enjoyed this book. Good humor with facts and opinions.
Looks good and came quickly. I bought as a gift - have not seen it well.
Funny, how many people are like me, once a democrat, now an independent like Bernie."But rest assured that the true believers will never budge. That's their story and they're sticking to it." Hmm. ".who's been mugged by reality."-Bernard GoldbergI first saw Mr. In their world, George Bush is worse than the terrorists. What'll the world come to if we start apologizing for terrorists and reading them, enemy combatants, their Miranda rights. Goldberg on the O'Reilly Factor which I now regularly watch. So, obviously, I liked what he said enough to want to start reading some of his books.
But he doesn`t stop there as he takes on the media, world leaders, media stars, movements and any other phenomenon on the world scene that he feels warrants a light beam.The author, a liberal turned conservative in his mature years, spent most of his journalistic career at CBS News and now writes with a no holds-barred outlook. His disgust with politicians in both parties is interpreted as too eager to please, and that "members of Congress are nothing more than glorified errand boys and girls." "Money in the hands of Washington politicians is like crack or heroin in the hands of a drug addict."This book is a collection of essays on popular subjects of the American political scene. It should be about what's good for Americans." That in a nutshell is how Goldberg feels how Americans should be governed.
His major beef is with those who view themselves as sophisticates and their contempt for America and the values on which this country has been founded. As such, the book's chapters seem a little disjointed and off balanced in the sense that the author starts a title by picking up a thought process, and running with it. In addition to exposing the media and the politicians, he sheds a bright light on global warming, illegal immigration, race, separation of church and state, pork barrel spending, and many other controversial topics.For instance, he faults the mostly liberal media with being less interested in reporting macabre killings of Americans abroad than finding faults with Americans at home.
".this shouldn't be what's good for Republicans or Democrats. Although the book's title indicates an unhealthy view of both political parties in America, he addresses larger issues which affect America, and subsequently political behavior by both parties. If your are looking for an independent view on the American scene, where American news reporting has denigrated into agenda-reporting from fact-reporting in the last couple of decades, then this book by an unencumbered journalist will afford you that opportunity.
He then proceeds to zero in on how politicians on both sides of the aisle have governed on self-preservation rather than nation-building. This book is full of zingers, some of which are salty and may raise the readers` eyebrows.
This is probably the best of the many "political books" that I've read in the last few years.If you're wondering what is wrong with politics and politicians today;look no further, the author Bernard Goldstein,explains it from A to Z. Another thing that surprised me was that ,although he understands the "Left" bias in the media as well as anyone; that when he was in the process of putting this book together,that he did not seem to anticipate the media involvement of taking the Democrat Party nomination away from Hilary Clinton and their involvement in getting Obama elected. If you have become disenthused with either the Democratic or Republician Party;you should really do yourself a favor ,and read this book and think about what Goldstein is trying to tell you.Unless you are satisfied with what the entrenched politicians,of both parties,have delivered;you are probably going to agree with him.If you have not followed politics very closely,you are going to be enlightened. He seems to overlook the fact that it was the "left" and not the "right" that led the charge of the Anti-war Movement,Anti-War demonstrations in the streets of America,totally obstructed the President during the height of the war(L.B.Johnson,a Democrat,not a Republican).And don't forget,it was John Kerry who led the Veterans against the War,threw his (actually someone elses)war medals over the fence at a White House Anti War demonstration,testified against American atrocities,and even authored a book "The New Soldier",which by the way was kept away from the public when he ran for President.
When Goldberg talks about Multiculturalism creating "foreigners who just live in America" rather than assimilation;he is right on the mark.In Canada ,new arrivals are not even encouraged to assimilate and become Canadians.The want their Citizisnship Papers and all the entitlements that go with them while maintaining their foreign Ethnicity, culture and loyalty. He can't be faulted,as neither did anyone else,most of all the Democrats. If you doubt Goldberg's concerns about Multiculturism,all you have to is to look north to your Canadian neighbour.Likewise, the major political parties in Canada have lost their focus.If you think Conservativeism and Free Enterprise is floundering in the U.S.;these concepts are becoming extinct in Canada,where we walk the tightrope between Liberalism and Socialism. Too bad we don't have a journalist who will write the story about Canada as Goldberg has about the U.S. The Left have taken Canada down the path of Bilingualism & Biculturalism,Multiculturalism,Weak-kneed and ill-equipped concept of Peacekeeping vs a well-trained and equipped military,Socialized Medicine ,massively expensive and loaded with problems.These leftists look to Europe and its Socialist governments for enlightnment rather than Free Enterprise. With an extensive background in Journalism,and someone who has an intimate knowledge of politicians and media personalities,he is in as good a position as anyone to tell it like it is.While for many years ,he was a Democrat,he no longer slavishly follows the doctrine of the left.That is not to say ,that he has adopted the Republician doctrine either.He tackles every issue head on ,gives the left position as well as the right position;then tells what is wrong with each,how each "side" has lost their way,and then tells why,and then proceeds to show what position is in the interest of the people,rather than the politicians or the media.
While the Democrats are still wondering what happened,Goldberg has already made up for his oversight with his latest book. It takes more than a piece of paper from the government to be an American or a Canadian.There was a time when many Americans and Canadians had no "papers".They were the people who loved their country,were loyal to it,fought and died for it.That was Then.This is Now.To far too many people, Citizenship is a matter of convenience ,only to be used at their discretion,and on their terms. While I generally agree with much of what Goldberg has to say;I don't fully agree with him when he says that the "right " were just as guilty of not supporting the President and country during the Viertnam War as the "left didn't support the President and country in the War on Terror. It is Kerry and Jane Fonda who are honored in the war museum in Hanoi,this is hardly the "Right " not supporting the Vietnam War.Maybe Goldberg,who was a Democrat at the time, saw things in a different light in those days.
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