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The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals
In this new, updated edition of a book heralded as a clarion call to the nation's conscience, William Bennett asks why we see so little public outrage in the fade of the evidence of deep corruption within Bill Clinton's administration.
The Death of Outrage examines the Monica Lewinsky scandal as it unfolded, from Clinton's denials that he had had sex with a young White House intern, to his testimony before the grand jury, to the nation's decision not to remove Clinton from office. Brick by brick, Bennett dismantles the wall of defenses offered by Clinton and his apologists, and casts the clear light of moral reason and common sense on a shameful chapter in American history.
The Death of Outrage examines the Monica Lewinsky scandal as it unfolded, from Clinton's denials that he had had sex with a young White House intern, to his testimony before the grand jury, to the nation's decision not to remove Clinton from office. Brick by brick, Bennett dismantles the wall of defenses offered by Clinton and his apologists, and casts the clear light of moral reason and common sense on a shameful chapter in American history.
170 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1998
16 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
William J. Bennett
131 books198 followersWilliam J. "Bill" Bennett is a politician and author who served in the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush administrations, as chief of National Endowment for the Humanities and later Secretary of Education under Reagan, and Drug Czar under Bush. He is a nationally well-known figure of political and social conservatism and authored many books on politics, ethics, and international relations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 31, 2007
I think this is the pre-hypocrisy version, issued before Bennett's massive gambling addiction was made public.
December 25, 2017
I wanted to agree with the author's theories, but I just couldn't. Although he described the Clintons' missteps well, I just found that we disagreed completely on their significance to American culture. Perhaps it's a matter of age or ethnicity, but the conclusions were simplistic, black-or-white, and sometimes just misguided. Bennett's views seemed to find the darkest in every move that Bill Clinton made, and while he repeatedly claimed that he was making intellectual arguments, they seemed to be motivated far more by conservative ideology, with an eye to attacking the politics of the left. While Clinton's actions were indefensible on a personal level, Bennett seemed to try to paint much of the Democratic politics with the same brush, which I found to be a bit of a reach. If the arguments of a book are actually intellectual, the premises and logic have to be better constructed - more intellect and less bias. Excellent, detailed effort, but I couldn't agree with most of the author's conclusions and how far they extended past the actions of Clinton himself. I read the book to provoke thought, but I find Bennett's writings (The Book of Virtues as well) to be outdated.
July 26, 2008
I'm a big fan of Bill Bennett and I was very frustrated during the Clinton years that no one was outraged at Slick Willy's bad behavior. Bennett talks about how wrong that is in this book and it was the perfect book for me at that time.
June 18, 2016
An erudite, cogent argument against the loss of shame and outrage in America.
I'm not one to read books on politics or on lusty politicians and their tawdry affairs. This book, sold for a dollar at an annex to my local library, caught my attention. I'm glad it did, for I read it in a couple of days. The book is about Bill Clinton. Yes, William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States of America. One whose personal shenanigans have redefined the American Presidency. One whose term gave birth to phrases such as "Bimbo Eruptions."
More specifically, the book delves into arguments and actions defending this politician, who came under independent counsel scrutiny while in office, and the author's response diligently refuting such arguments. William J. Bennett called the book "The Death of Outrage," and the book does read like a dying rattle of the contorted and suffocated social consciousness of a confused nation.
The author's passion, a structured approach to the subject matter, and the level of detail in the work all contribute to making it rather engaging. Clearly, Mr. Bennett holds deep feelings about Mr. Clinton escaping democratic, widespread condemnation, and richly deserved punishment. Here is a man who has abused power wherever he could, abused his influence over women, and abused the dignity of high offices he has held. A politician who tattooed "The end justifies the means" on all American minds (and bodies?) he is alleged to have groped. And yet he stands unaffected by any disapprobation: "This is a man immune to shame" writes Mr. Bennett. Could the author be right? His book does go a long way to shedding light on a festering infection on America's civic thinking.
But is it really outrage that matters? Can laws mandate ethical conduct? Or can the outrage of governed masses, or that expressed by the author, compel principled behavior in politicians? The author makes compelling arguments, albeit by interpreting theological passages, against the absence of judgment, and the quotidian advocacy of tolerance and love. Try telling parents of chronically ill-behaved children the same thing; they'd likely take the author's point of view.
Bennett's arguments come across at times as sweeping and preachy. He writes, for instance, "Human nature is fallen." True - in his case especially - for he has been outed as a compulsive gambler who has squandered large sums of money. But not true - in the general case, in all other religions and cultures that are part of this nation of immigrants. He claims, with ineffable, clueless confidence, that "...the words of the Declaration of Independence define much of the world's moral currency." He is perhaps not aware of (or conveniently ignores) the American poetess Phyllis Wheatley's words that referred to an inherent strange absurdity in the very same declaration, when she wrote about " ...the insistence upon liberty by the patriots and their [simultaneous] tolerance of African American slavery... "
At times wordy and verbose, Bennett laces his writing with the occasional hyperbole. One such that caught my eye: "...bordering on the intergalactic." His tenure as the Secretary of Education may be the cause. Nevertheless, I found the book easy to read. The hyperbole is - forgivable. The author delves into religion and theological interpretations near the end - presumably because such arguments are thrown in to defend the indefensible - which are easily skimmed over.
The one burning question that the book left me with is this: if sexual misconduct and questionable cover-ups by a politician can merit a $40 million+ investigation by independent counsel, and impeachment proceedings, why isn't the unilateral invasion of another country, slaughter of hundreds of thousands, and breaches of all international agreements on treatment of prisoners, all on evidently false pretexts, by another ex-US-president, not subject to similar and even greater scrutiny? Have we Americans lost all sense of shame, outrage, and self-consciousness?
A book, if read with an open and non-partisan mind, that can be of much value to those attuned to social consciousness and its refinement.
I'm not one to read books on politics or on lusty politicians and their tawdry affairs. This book, sold for a dollar at an annex to my local library, caught my attention. I'm glad it did, for I read it in a couple of days. The book is about Bill Clinton. Yes, William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States of America. One whose personal shenanigans have redefined the American Presidency. One whose term gave birth to phrases such as "Bimbo Eruptions."
More specifically, the book delves into arguments and actions defending this politician, who came under independent counsel scrutiny while in office, and the author's response diligently refuting such arguments. William J. Bennett called the book "The Death of Outrage," and the book does read like a dying rattle of the contorted and suffocated social consciousness of a confused nation.
The author's passion, a structured approach to the subject matter, and the level of detail in the work all contribute to making it rather engaging. Clearly, Mr. Bennett holds deep feelings about Mr. Clinton escaping democratic, widespread condemnation, and richly deserved punishment. Here is a man who has abused power wherever he could, abused his influence over women, and abused the dignity of high offices he has held. A politician who tattooed "The end justifies the means" on all American minds (and bodies?) he is alleged to have groped. And yet he stands unaffected by any disapprobation: "This is a man immune to shame" writes Mr. Bennett. Could the author be right? His book does go a long way to shedding light on a festering infection on America's civic thinking.
But is it really outrage that matters? Can laws mandate ethical conduct? Or can the outrage of governed masses, or that expressed by the author, compel principled behavior in politicians? The author makes compelling arguments, albeit by interpreting theological passages, against the absence of judgment, and the quotidian advocacy of tolerance and love. Try telling parents of chronically ill-behaved children the same thing; they'd likely take the author's point of view.
Bennett's arguments come across at times as sweeping and preachy. He writes, for instance, "Human nature is fallen." True - in his case especially - for he has been outed as a compulsive gambler who has squandered large sums of money. But not true - in the general case, in all other religions and cultures that are part of this nation of immigrants. He claims, with ineffable, clueless confidence, that "...the words of the Declaration of Independence define much of the world's moral currency." He is perhaps not aware of (or conveniently ignores) the American poetess Phyllis Wheatley's words that referred to an inherent strange absurdity in the very same declaration, when she wrote about " ...the insistence upon liberty by the patriots and their [simultaneous] tolerance of African American slavery... "
At times wordy and verbose, Bennett laces his writing with the occasional hyperbole. One such that caught my eye: "...bordering on the intergalactic." His tenure as the Secretary of Education may be the cause. Nevertheless, I found the book easy to read. The hyperbole is - forgivable. The author delves into religion and theological interpretations near the end - presumably because such arguments are thrown in to defend the indefensible - which are easily skimmed over.
The one burning question that the book left me with is this: if sexual misconduct and questionable cover-ups by a politician can merit a $40 million+ investigation by independent counsel, and impeachment proceedings, why isn't the unilateral invasion of another country, slaughter of hundreds of thousands, and breaches of all international agreements on treatment of prisoners, all on evidently false pretexts, by another ex-US-president, not subject to similar and even greater scrutiny? Have we Americans lost all sense of shame, outrage, and self-consciousness?
A book, if read with an open and non-partisan mind, that can be of much value to those attuned to social consciousness and its refinement.
August 6, 2012
While reading the book I had to constantly remind myself that I was not reading about Obama. Lying, corruption, failure to obey oath of office, etc.
Bennett states in his conclusion “Law is the keystone of American society and political culture. If it does not apply to small matters concerning this President, the day will come when the public will be asked to believe that it should be ignored in large matters concerning some other President. . . . The rule of law, whether applied to matters trivial or grand, is the central magic of the American governmental experience. To abandon it today will lead to peril tomorrow.”
Bennett speaks of the death of outrage. That people are no longer outraged by what others, in this instance President Clinton, do, i.e., lying under oath and to the public, cheating on his wife, etc., as long as he takes care of, according to Clinton, the work of the people. “To abandon it today will lead to peril tomorrow” are profound words as we see today it has lead to President Obama feeling that he can do anything whether legal or illegal, unconstitutional, lying and trying to surrender sovereignty to the UN which is controlled by dictators, butchers and Communists. It has gotten progressively worse from Nixon to Clinton to Obama.
Bennett goes on to say, “Here is my hope. American citizens know better – and they will demonstrate that indeed they do know better. Americans will realize they are being played for fools by the president and his defenders. They will declare, with confidence, that a lie is a lie, an oath is an oath, corruption is corruption. And truth matters. And that is my hope also.
Before brushing aside his conclusions, ask yourself, “Am I more politically astute than Bennett.”
Bennett states in his conclusion “Law is the keystone of American society and political culture. If it does not apply to small matters concerning this President, the day will come when the public will be asked to believe that it should be ignored in large matters concerning some other President. . . . The rule of law, whether applied to matters trivial or grand, is the central magic of the American governmental experience. To abandon it today will lead to peril tomorrow.”
Bennett speaks of the death of outrage. That people are no longer outraged by what others, in this instance President Clinton, do, i.e., lying under oath and to the public, cheating on his wife, etc., as long as he takes care of, according to Clinton, the work of the people. “To abandon it today will lead to peril tomorrow” are profound words as we see today it has lead to President Obama feeling that he can do anything whether legal or illegal, unconstitutional, lying and trying to surrender sovereignty to the UN which is controlled by dictators, butchers and Communists. It has gotten progressively worse from Nixon to Clinton to Obama.
Bennett goes on to say, “Here is my hope. American citizens know better – and they will demonstrate that indeed they do know better. Americans will realize they are being played for fools by the president and his defenders. They will declare, with confidence, that a lie is a lie, an oath is an oath, corruption is corruption. And truth matters. And that is my hope also.
Before brushing aside his conclusions, ask yourself, “Am I more politically astute than Bennett.”
August 5, 2016
This book was written in 1998 and deals primarily with the Lewinsky scandal. It focuses on the public's apathy towards the President's legal, ethical, and moral failings. The book is segmented into chapters on Sex, Character, Politics, Ken Starr, Law, and Judgment. Each chapter begins with some common defenses the Clinton apologists would espouse about the Lewinsky affair. Bennett then answers each with his usual no-nonsense approach. A lot of his opinions center around the fact that the public really doesn't seem to care about what our elected officials do while in office. If the economy's good and we're not at war, then we can look the other way. He also does a good job in comparing and contrasting Lewinsky and Watergate. Not so much the actual crimes committed, but the underlying behavior and character flaws in the two men.
This would have been an excellent read in late 1998 while this topic was fresh. At this time, at least for me, this has been hashed and rehashed. I knew (or at least had heard) a lot of the debunking of the Clinton defenders. It was good to see things from a sociological point of view. How an accepted behavior can lead to a "dumbing down" in what's expected of future leaders.
This would have been an excellent read in late 1998 while this topic was fresh. At this time, at least for me, this has been hashed and rehashed. I knew (or at least had heard) a lot of the debunking of the Clinton defenders. It was good to see things from a sociological point of view. How an accepted behavior can lead to a "dumbing down" in what's expected of future leaders.
May 1, 2009
This is a well-researched and well-argued little book on the Clintons by a former Democrat. In their defense, the couple are no more than a perfect product of the self-absorbed, anything-goes wing of their generation. But Clinton assaulted more than innocent (and not-so-innocent) young ladies when he forced the "it's a private matter" defense down the collective throat of the American public.
When you are the President, there are virtually NO private matters. And certainly nothing happening in the Oval office is a private matter. When Clinton added "oral sex" to the vocabularies of our grandmothers (my wife's grandmothers were flustered when they read it in the paper and didn't want to to ask), and when he gave middle schoolers an excuse to engage in same with impunity---because the President says it's not sex---he took the nation to a new low. This was a kind of lowering no one bargained for on election day. Even his detractors could not have really imagined that it would be his morality that would sink us, rather than his policy.
Some say Ken Starr is to blame for the whole thing. Perhaps an open-minded reading of this book will persuade them otherwise.
**P.S. Some of the above may not perfectly reflect the book, as I read it long ago.
When you are the President, there are virtually NO private matters. And certainly nothing happening in the Oval office is a private matter. When Clinton added "oral sex" to the vocabularies of our grandmothers (my wife's grandmothers were flustered when they read it in the paper and didn't want to to ask), and when he gave middle schoolers an excuse to engage in same with impunity---because the President says it's not sex---he took the nation to a new low. This was a kind of lowering no one bargained for on election day. Even his detractors could not have really imagined that it would be his morality that would sink us, rather than his policy.
Some say Ken Starr is to blame for the whole thing. Perhaps an open-minded reading of this book will persuade them otherwise.
**P.S. Some of the above may not perfectly reflect the book, as I read it long ago.
December 1, 2009
Does being the president of one of the most powerful countries in the world mean that you are also above the law? In his book The Death of Outrage, Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals, Bill Bennett tackles this question, and many others, as he explores, and responds to, the various defenses of President Clinton during the Ken Starr investigation.
Within each of the six chapters (Sex; Character; Politics; Ken Starr; Law; Judgment), Mr. Bennett provides the most common arguments used to defend president Clinton and his behavior, and then responds to each of those arguments.
Although clearly biased against Bill Clinton, I found the book to be well-written. Despite the fact that the Clinton scandals are well behind us, the lessons contained within Mr. Bennett’s responses were relevant then, and remain relevant today.
I would recommend this book to any thinking adult, whether they supported Clinton or not, simply because of the relevance of the lessons in Mr. Bennett’s well-thought out responses.
Within each of the six chapters (Sex; Character; Politics; Ken Starr; Law; Judgment), Mr. Bennett provides the most common arguments used to defend president Clinton and his behavior, and then responds to each of those arguments.
Although clearly biased against Bill Clinton, I found the book to be well-written. Despite the fact that the Clinton scandals are well behind us, the lessons contained within Mr. Bennett’s responses were relevant then, and remain relevant today.
I would recommend this book to any thinking adult, whether they supported Clinton or not, simply because of the relevance of the lessons in Mr. Bennett’s well-thought out responses.
February 13, 2013
By far the most conservative take on the Clinton/Lewinski affair that I have read. It is also the most scholarly and well-researched one. Most interesting were the comparisions he made to the Nixon/Watergate situation, of which there were many.
I wish he would have explored the outcome for a similarly situated business executive who decided to have a relationship and sexual contact with a subordinate employee in his office.
Bennett also wrote a long essay in another publication about why the Supremes were wrong when they decided that Clinton needed to deal with the Paula Jones lawsuit and be deposed WHILE IN OFFICE so I was interested to read his take on the entire episode. BTW, the Constitution specifically exempts the president from the necessity of dealing with personal lawsuits while in office and I agreed totally with Bennett that the Supreme Court decision was wrong.
I wish he would have explored the outcome for a similarly situated business executive who decided to have a relationship and sexual contact with a subordinate employee in his office.
Bennett also wrote a long essay in another publication about why the Supremes were wrong when they decided that Clinton needed to deal with the Paula Jones lawsuit and be deposed WHILE IN OFFICE so I was interested to read his take on the entire episode. BTW, the Constitution specifically exempts the president from the necessity of dealing with personal lawsuits while in office and I agreed totally with Bennett that the Supreme Court decision was wrong.
July 10, 2008
I was very disappointed. I'm a conservative and the title caught my attention, but the book misses the mark compaired to its title. It could have been such a wonderful essay on the moral decline of our whole nations, its school system, and morality in general. William Bennett for all of his now realized personal faults is a brilliant man. But this book quickly turns into just another political rant against Clinton. I agreen with the general premise of the the book and I do think Clinton was wrong for the country as far as moral leadership goes. But I was disappointed because this book just rehashes what a thousand other I hate Clinton books had already goes over. Im not Clinton fan, but the book could have been so much more important than it turned out to be.
June 10, 2008
Sometimes I go through a real non-fiction phase. I read this during one of those phases. I just felt the need to be more informed about what was going on during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. The context of the information feels dated, and I was disapointed when Bennett himself fell prey to the moral temptation and ambiguity which he accuses Clinton of; nevertheless, the concept that we are in an age where we experience the "death of outrage" or, in other words, our tolerance and acceptance has led us to lose our moral values, is a timeless (and timely) one.
August 11, 2008
I always felt Bill Clinton was a liar and could never understand why he wasn't impeached. His lies and actions were just as bad as Nixon's and yet he is still around. He was treated like a little boy caught doing some miscief rather than the President who I believe should be held to higher standards. I was outraged!
October 26, 2016
Lays bare the morally broken reasoning used by Bill Clinton's defenders during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Since much of it also applies to Watergate and the scandals of Trump and Hillary Clinton, it is almost a guidebook to political scandal - and therefore the late 2010s.
More:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2016/10...
More:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2016/10...
February 1, 2008
I'd love my friends on the Left to read this to read this. Anytime they ask me why I despise, distrust, and just plain disregard liberals, then I could simply say "Remember on page...?"
February 19, 2008
"Detailed response to the many ludicrous but effective defenses of Clinton
December 7, 2009
Loved this book!! What an eye opener. If you enjoy this book you might also appreciate Barbara Olson's book which is also on the Clintons.
August 9, 2009
On target but not popular.
November 8, 2009
Discusses Bill Clinton and the assault on American ideals.
September 25, 2010
Very good book. About the American change of attitude - "if it feels good, do it" idealogy brought on by the 60's. It was good, but kind of sad.
May 18, 2013
Reasonable job at summarizing the facts and effect of the Clinton Presidency. He documents a lot of lies and stands for character.
October 2, 2013
Since Hillary may be the next Democrat nominee for the presidency, I thought it would be a good idea to remember what happened when her husband was in office. The press damn sure won't talk about it.
February 26, 2017
Love William J. Bennett's assessment on our culture. Dead on accurate. A must read for anyone who calls themselves a Christian.
May 20, 2017
I don't agree with everything he says, but I do appreciate the fact that he can actually articulate a position. Some of today's current losers could take a lesson from him.
December 18, 2017
short, sweet and thought provoking. pick it up and let me know what you think!!
May 19, 2019
A bit repetitive, but all things considered a fun, nostalgic reminder of when Bill Bennett still had dignity.
March 4, 2020
Bennett is an excellent writer, and I have to agree with many of his arguments from when he wrote this back in 1998. Liberals and conservatives alike ought to read this book, regardless of its age. It is arguably as relevant today as it was in 1998, when it was written.
Why, then, the low rating?
Because the book seemed to herald the death of Bennett’s outrage. He’s flipped his standards head over heels and now defends the very behavior he condemned in the Clinton era.
I find it odd that many liberals today are using Bennett’s arguments to attack President Trump. Likewise liberal defenses of Bill Clinton that Bennett criticized on pages 13-15 of this book are today being used by Republicans to defend President Trump’s similarly scandalous behavior.
I’m marking the book down for that inconsistency. Bennett can’t apply his standards judiciously or consistently, given his current support of President Trump. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander” is an aphorism he ignores.
There is no greater indictment of Bennett’s (and the GOP’s) hypocrisy than chapter six and the postscript. In the latter Bennett provides ten charges against President Clinton—all cogent—that damn the current administration and its supporters. Page 117 cites the Epistle of James call to expel an adulterer from the church. Yet we see our current Adulterer In Chief surrounded by televangelists in half a dozen photo ops as they lay hands on him and give prayerful thanks. Selah.
But for all that, this is worth reading if we want to know how a leader ought to act. There are untarnished sources, however.
Why, then, the low rating?
Because the book seemed to herald the death of Bennett’s outrage. He’s flipped his standards head over heels and now defends the very behavior he condemned in the Clinton era.
I find it odd that many liberals today are using Bennett’s arguments to attack President Trump. Likewise liberal defenses of Bill Clinton that Bennett criticized on pages 13-15 of this book are today being used by Republicans to defend President Trump’s similarly scandalous behavior.
I’m marking the book down for that inconsistency. Bennett can’t apply his standards judiciously or consistently, given his current support of President Trump. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander” is an aphorism he ignores.
There is no greater indictment of Bennett’s (and the GOP’s) hypocrisy than chapter six and the postscript. In the latter Bennett provides ten charges against President Clinton—all cogent—that damn the current administration and its supporters. Page 117 cites the Epistle of James call to expel an adulterer from the church. Yet we see our current Adulterer In Chief surrounded by televangelists in half a dozen photo ops as they lay hands on him and give prayerful thanks. Selah.
But for all that, this is worth reading if we want to know how a leader ought to act. There are untarnished sources, however.
May 20, 2024
This book was written in 1998 or so, before the culmination of the Monica Lewinski thing. Bennett was pretty much disgusted by the whole thing, and the longer Clinton stayed in power, the worse it made our country look. The Dems and everyone in the White House were forced to first lie, then justify the actions of Clinton. And then the country half the country had to end up justifying or minimizing his actions, etc. without anyone including Republicans showing any outrage. (hence the title). All I know is I dang sure remember Rush Limbaugh being outraged. Many Republicans were outraged, just not the ones in power in the Congress. It was a literal shame. As it turns out, he was impeached but not convicted. Disbarred for lying under oath.
February 11, 2023
This is a very old book (1999), yet, as relevant as it was then. What comes to mind reading it is how Orwellian can America be. The author sums up what our collective can tolerate as our morality fades. It is the American Litmus test when considering digital deception organizations like the Washington Post & CNN.
November 1, 2019
I read this book in the wake of all the Clinton scandals. I found it well worth my time and something which put the escapades in Washington in a broader framework.
April 10, 2021
Mr. Bennett tells it like it is. No holds barred
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews