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Banana Republicans: How the Right Wing is Turning America Into a One-Party State
The best-selling authors of Weapons of Mass Deception examine the right-wing conspiracy that is sweeping America, explaining how the Republican party and its mouthpieces in lobbying groups, the legal system, and the media are undermining dissent and destroying American pluralistic politics. Original. 40,000 first printing.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
264 pages, Paperback
Published May 24, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 27, 2008
Banana Republicans: How the Right Wing is Turning America Into a One-Party State, Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, Jeremy Tarcher/Penguin, 2004
This book looks at how the Republicans, now in control of every major part of the federal government (Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court and the mass media), are now working to maintain and strengthen that hold through manipulation of the American political culture.
Republicans have worked hard, and very methodically, for at least the last 20 years, to build the conservative movement. It now ranges from conservative think tanks, like the Heritage Foundation, to K Street lobbying firms, to right wing media (especially talk radio). Starting from the grass roots, Republicans have become very good at getting their message to the public. The weekly Republican "must attend" meeting in Washington is run by tax opponent Grover Norquist. It is there that the message of the week is chosen. Democrats are nowhere near as organized.
Even inside the Republican Party, moderation and disagreement are squelched, and traditional oversight agencies are stripped of their influence. The National Cancer Institute's website was altered to say that abortion increases a woman's chance of getting breast cancer, even though actual research overwhelmingly shows the opposite. The CDC's website has been altered, in that information showing that condom use is effective in preventing AIDS has been removed. This is in line with the Christian Right's opposition to sex education.
Woe unto that person or group who uses their constitutional right to oppose the war in Iraq. Tennessee State Senator Tim Burchett has advocated the deportation of war critics. Who can forget the experiences of the Dixie Chicks? A number of recently published books equate liberals with hating America, and generally betraying the nation. Ann Coulter has called Democrats the Treason Party. It has now become popular among Republicans to label any dissenter, whether environmentalist or senior citizen, as a terrorist.
This is an excellent book from Rampton and Stauber. The brains behind PR Watch, they have created another Must Read look at how the US Government really works. This is highly recommended.
This book looks at how the Republicans, now in control of every major part of the federal government (Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court and the mass media), are now working to maintain and strengthen that hold through manipulation of the American political culture.
Republicans have worked hard, and very methodically, for at least the last 20 years, to build the conservative movement. It now ranges from conservative think tanks, like the Heritage Foundation, to K Street lobbying firms, to right wing media (especially talk radio). Starting from the grass roots, Republicans have become very good at getting their message to the public. The weekly Republican "must attend" meeting in Washington is run by tax opponent Grover Norquist. It is there that the message of the week is chosen. Democrats are nowhere near as organized.
Even inside the Republican Party, moderation and disagreement are squelched, and traditional oversight agencies are stripped of their influence. The National Cancer Institute's website was altered to say that abortion increases a woman's chance of getting breast cancer, even though actual research overwhelmingly shows the opposite. The CDC's website has been altered, in that information showing that condom use is effective in preventing AIDS has been removed. This is in line with the Christian Right's opposition to sex education.
Woe unto that person or group who uses their constitutional right to oppose the war in Iraq. Tennessee State Senator Tim Burchett has advocated the deportation of war critics. Who can forget the experiences of the Dixie Chicks? A number of recently published books equate liberals with hating America, and generally betraying the nation. Ann Coulter has called Democrats the Treason Party. It has now become popular among Republicans to label any dissenter, whether environmentalist or senior citizen, as a terrorist.
This is an excellent book from Rampton and Stauber. The brains behind PR Watch, they have created another Must Read look at how the US Government really works. This is highly recommended.
December 2, 2008
I read this awhile back...This was just a few years ago.
Times seemed to have suddenly changed. Actually many of
the mean vicious S.O.B.s in the book will most likely turn
up again...The book deals partly with the Clinton years. The
rightwing war against Obama will most likely be much nastier
than the war against the Clintons.
Times seemed to have suddenly changed. Actually many of
the mean vicious S.O.B.s in the book will most likely turn
up again...The book deals partly with the Clinton years. The
rightwing war against Obama will most likely be much nastier
than the war against the Clintons.
April 28, 2018
One of the problems with resolving to discard one book a day, is that it is with great regret that this book comes up for discarding. I think by now we know the score. This book won't change anybody's mind, but it may be illuminating reading for those who wish to have details of how the Republican Party is going bananas.
June 30, 2011
I must admit, I am a sucker for Rampton and Stauber's writing. I've never really been "wowed" by anything they've written, but it is usually well-researched (albeit in a one-sided way). Nothing world-changing in what they write, so it does little more than add fuel to fires that are already burning.
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February 21, 2010Banana Republicans: How the Right Wing Is Turning America into a One-Party State by Sheldon Rampton (2004)
March 3, 2015
witty and whatnot, but authors really are at their best discussing the PR industry as it relates to consumer protection. (their thoughts on the PR of warfare are worthwhile , too.)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews