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The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom
NEW EXPANDED EDITION OF THE CLASSIC BESTSELLER!
"David Kupelian is one of the most thought-provoking and iconoclastic writers I know." — SEAN HANNITY
"Every parent in America needs to read this book. David Kupelian skillfully exposes the secular Left's rotten-apple peddlers in devastating detail." — MICHELLE MALKIN
"If you really want to understand the adversary's thinking and help turn the tide of battle, read this book!" — DAVID LIMBAUGH
Millions of Americans today embrace ideas and behaviors that would have horrified all previous generations. Why?
Why have thousands of years of Judeo-Christian moral standards – the very foundation of Western Civilization – been demonized and criminalized? Why are America's families disintegrating and her schools and colleges poisoning the minds of our youth? Why is our culture becoming ever more bizarre, corrupt, degraded and deranged? Why are 3,000 innocent American children aborted daily? In this widely acclaimed exposÉ, veteran journalist David Kupelian reveals the brilliant marketing strategies that have turned America upside
"Within the space of our lifetime, much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped, and sold to us as though it had great value. By skillfully playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity, and tolerance, these marketers have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which every other generation has regarded as grossly self-destructive?in a word, evil."
Now, in a new and expanded edition of his culture-war classic, David Kupelian continues to expose the ever-more audacious marketing campaigns and grand deceptions that threaten the very future of America.
"David Kupelian is one of the most thought-provoking and iconoclastic writers I know." — SEAN HANNITY
"Every parent in America needs to read this book. David Kupelian skillfully exposes the secular Left's rotten-apple peddlers in devastating detail." — MICHELLE MALKIN
"If you really want to understand the adversary's thinking and help turn the tide of battle, read this book!" — DAVID LIMBAUGH
Millions of Americans today embrace ideas and behaviors that would have horrified all previous generations. Why?
Why have thousands of years of Judeo-Christian moral standards – the very foundation of Western Civilization – been demonized and criminalized? Why are America's families disintegrating and her schools and colleges poisoning the minds of our youth? Why is our culture becoming ever more bizarre, corrupt, degraded and deranged? Why are 3,000 innocent American children aborted daily? In this widely acclaimed exposÉ, veteran journalist David Kupelian reveals the brilliant marketing strategies that have turned America upside
"Within the space of our lifetime, much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped, and sold to us as though it had great value. By skillfully playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity, and tolerance, these marketers have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which every other generation has regarded as grossly self-destructive?in a word, evil."
Now, in a new and expanded edition of his culture-war classic, David Kupelian continues to expose the ever-more audacious marketing campaigns and grand deceptions that threaten the very future of America.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
February 25, 2012
Oh boy...where to begin. This is one awful, knee-jerk reactionary book from right wing author, Daniel Kupelian. In this work, he manages to rail against multi-culturalism, people who dress in saggy pants and youth pastors who talk in jive. I don't even know where to begin in talking about how pathetic this whole work is.
Going into this book, I thought the work would be an interesting read. After all, the title "The marketing of evil" implies the author exploring how the media (or perhaps different groups) package messages in order to try and get the ideas into the American mainstream. If this actually was the main thrust of the book, I would have found it more interesting.
However, the author proceeds to go on a far right tirade against the usual suspects: gays, America being a Christian nation, abortion, multiculturalism, the media being liberal, public schools collapsing, the break down of the family, and how rock n roll is evil.
In all honesty, there are a few interesting parts. The chapter about gay rights revolves around how two well-educated homosexuals from Harvard completed a blue print for making gay people more mainstream and acceptable in the work "After the Ball". The author quotes extensively from this book. The interesting part of this chapter is the strategy for how they did this. If the book would have followed this pattern, then it would have fared much better.
The rest of the book certainly demonstrates how Mr. Kupelian lives in a box of his own philosophy. He complains that "liberal elites" in schools now bash Christopher Columbus and the founding fathers and make them out to be bad people. I'm sure this is probably the case in some quarters but what exactly is Mr. Kupelian arguing? Does he not want the truth about our founding fathers told? That most of them owned slaves or that slavery was a huge part of the beginning of America and is enshrined in the Constitution. I would argue, as a Christian, that the truth always needs to be told as devoid from agendas as possible (this may be impossible but we have to make an effort).
The author also insists this is a Christian nation. America is NOT a Christian nation. We have religious freedom and Christianity undeniably had an influence in our country's history but there is no way our government is Christian or should be Christian. (For a great book on this topic, see "American Gospel" by Jon Meacham).
The sad thing is that I probably agree with some of Mr. Kupelian's points. I'm committed to a pro-life position. Biblically, I view homosexuality as a sin (but politically believe that people should be free from government interference in their family lives). I just in so disgusted with how this information is presented with shoddy research, obviously biased sources, and not even compelling arguments. It is really that bad.
The most disturbing thing of all is that Mr. Kupelian seems to imply that anyone who thinks differently than him is evil. A part of some evil conspiracy that is taking over America. This guy needs to stop drinking the Kool-aid.
Going into this book, I thought the work would be an interesting read. After all, the title "The marketing of evil" implies the author exploring how the media (or perhaps different groups) package messages in order to try and get the ideas into the American mainstream. If this actually was the main thrust of the book, I would have found it more interesting.
However, the author proceeds to go on a far right tirade against the usual suspects: gays, America being a Christian nation, abortion, multiculturalism, the media being liberal, public schools collapsing, the break down of the family, and how rock n roll is evil.
In all honesty, there are a few interesting parts. The chapter about gay rights revolves around how two well-educated homosexuals from Harvard completed a blue print for making gay people more mainstream and acceptable in the work "After the Ball". The author quotes extensively from this book. The interesting part of this chapter is the strategy for how they did this. If the book would have followed this pattern, then it would have fared much better.
The rest of the book certainly demonstrates how Mr. Kupelian lives in a box of his own philosophy. He complains that "liberal elites" in schools now bash Christopher Columbus and the founding fathers and make them out to be bad people. I'm sure this is probably the case in some quarters but what exactly is Mr. Kupelian arguing? Does he not want the truth about our founding fathers told? That most of them owned slaves or that slavery was a huge part of the beginning of America and is enshrined in the Constitution. I would argue, as a Christian, that the truth always needs to be told as devoid from agendas as possible (this may be impossible but we have to make an effort).
The author also insists this is a Christian nation. America is NOT a Christian nation. We have religious freedom and Christianity undeniably had an influence in our country's history but there is no way our government is Christian or should be Christian. (For a great book on this topic, see "American Gospel" by Jon Meacham).
The sad thing is that I probably agree with some of Mr. Kupelian's points. I'm committed to a pro-life position. Biblically, I view homosexuality as a sin (but politically believe that people should be free from government interference in their family lives). I just in so disgusted with how this information is presented with shoddy research, obviously biased sources, and not even compelling arguments. It is really that bad.
The most disturbing thing of all is that Mr. Kupelian seems to imply that anyone who thinks differently than him is evil. A part of some evil conspiracy that is taking over America. This guy needs to stop drinking the Kool-aid.
January 6, 2010
Well - This one is just making me mad. An exposé of how we are systematically and methodically fed the lie that good is bad and bad is good. This was a good one to read after the one mentioned above. In light of the fact that the Jesus Of Suburbia book encourages us to live a life that will be “read” by unbelievers, I can’t just get mad. I have to pray for (and be salt and light to) not only the ones who have been deceived but for the deceivers as well.
From Amazon:
“The Marketing of Evil reveals how much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped and sold to them as though it had great value. Highly skilled marketers, playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America’s founding regarded as grossly self-destructive—in a word, evil.”
From Amazon:
“The Marketing of Evil reveals how much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped and sold to them as though it had great value. Highly skilled marketers, playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America’s founding regarded as grossly self-destructive—in a word, evil.”
September 10, 2023
AmblesideOnline year 12 book. This is definitely not a favorite but I do think there is important information in it. I would definitely say pre-read this one. I didn’t always agree with the author’s tone or even all of his conclusions but I do think we need to be very conscious of our worldview, were it comes from, and whether it is Biblical or not…and also whether or not our actions logically follow the worldview we claim to have. The last chapter was the best in my opinion because he got at the heart of things. If we aren’t truly saved and seeking to live in a way that honors and glorifies the one true God then we will end up looking just like the world and buying into things that displease Him.
January 20, 2016
The author is connected with World Net Daily, an extreme right-wing propaganda mill. According to Kupelian, "evil" is anything that goes against the status quo, or ancient traditions. The details he presents are hardly convincing.
Gay rights is seen as a boogeyman that will destroy society (even though none of the states or nations that have adopted marriage equality have fallen down a cliff of "immorality". And even if population decline is a result (which it isn't),
The author attempts to debunk what he views as the "myth" of church-state separation. There is no myth. The American founding fathers were unequivocal about the harm that religious conflict led to in the middle ages, which was precisely where they fled. If David wants a theocracy so badly, he should move to Saudi Arabia.
The selling of sex (prostitution, sex toys, etc) is asserted as "evil" without a shred of evidence. There is, however, a considerable body of evidence showing the opposite, namely, that as pornography becomes more widely available and people stop living under a repressive umbrella of sexual repression, sex crimes will markedly fall. This was irrefutably proven in a study entitled "Pornography, Public Acceptance and Sex Related Crime: A Review". If anything, punishing children for looking at erotic material and a strict religious upbringing with arbitrary rules and punishments will lead to sexual predators.
The 60's generation. Do I detect jealously from the availability of free love and mutual respect?
Destruction of marriage is linked to abortion, same-sex marriage and no-fault divorce, says Kupelian. What he fails to realise (or can't be bothered researching) are the unquestionable benefits of no-fault divorce over the previous system (fabricated wrongdoings used as wedges to liberate oneself from an unhappy or abusive marriage). I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he wanted to make women property.
As for the benefits of no-fault divorce, here are just a handful: " In every state that adopted no-fault divorce, whether unilateral or by mutual consent, divorce rates increased for the next five years or so. But once the pent-up demand for divorces was met, divorce rates stabilized. Indeed, in the years since no-fault divorce became well-nigh universal, the national divorce rate has fallen, from about 23 divorces per 1,000 married couples in 1979 to under 17 per 1,000 in 2005.
Even during the initial period when divorce rates were increasing, several positive trends accompanied the transition to no-fault. The economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers of the University of Pennsylvania report that states that adopted no-fault divorce experienced a decrease of 8 to 16 percent in wives' suicide rates and a 30 percent decline in domestic violence.
t's true that unilateral divorce leaves the spouse who thinks the other's desire to divorce is premature with little leverage to slow down the process or to pressure the other partner into accepting counseling. It allows some individuals to rupture relationships for reasons many would consider shallow and short-sighted.
But once you permit the courts to determine when a person's desire to leave is legitimate, you open the way to arbitrary decisions about what is or should be tolerable in a relationship, made by people who have no stake in the actual lives being lived. After all, there is growing evidence that marital counseling can repair some marriages even after infidelity, which New York has long accepted as a fault sufficient to end a marriage. But that does not mean New York should reduce its existing grounds for divorce even further.
A far better tack is to encourage couples to mediate their parting rather than litigate it, especially if children are involved. In a 12-year study of divorcing couples randomly assigned to either mediation or litigation, the psychologist Robert Emery of the University of Virginia and his colleagues found that as little as five to six hours of mediation had powerful and long-term effects in reducing the kinds of parental conflict that produce the worst outcomes for children. Parents who took part in mediation settled their disputes in half the time of parents who used litigation; they were also much more likely to consult with each other after the divorce about children's discipline, moral training, school performance and vacation plans."
Source: The New York Times, Divorce, No-Fault Style Published: June 16, 2010
Selling of unrestricted abortion (the flip side would be enslaving women to their biology. Furthermore, Kupelian's position would mandate blood and kidney donations from the living.
Role of Christianity in America - more attempts to weasel out of the first amendment. Freedom of religion cannot exist without freedom FROM religion. Would he make similar cases for religions that he personally does not subscribe to?
Gay rights is seen as a boogeyman that will destroy society (even though none of the states or nations that have adopted marriage equality have fallen down a cliff of "immorality". And even if population decline is a result (which it isn't),
The author attempts to debunk what he views as the "myth" of church-state separation. There is no myth. The American founding fathers were unequivocal about the harm that religious conflict led to in the middle ages, which was precisely where they fled. If David wants a theocracy so badly, he should move to Saudi Arabia.
The selling of sex (prostitution, sex toys, etc) is asserted as "evil" without a shred of evidence. There is, however, a considerable body of evidence showing the opposite, namely, that as pornography becomes more widely available and people stop living under a repressive umbrella of sexual repression, sex crimes will markedly fall. This was irrefutably proven in a study entitled "Pornography, Public Acceptance and Sex Related Crime: A Review". If anything, punishing children for looking at erotic material and a strict religious upbringing with arbitrary rules and punishments will lead to sexual predators.
The 60's generation. Do I detect jealously from the availability of free love and mutual respect?
Destruction of marriage is linked to abortion, same-sex marriage and no-fault divorce, says Kupelian. What he fails to realise (or can't be bothered researching) are the unquestionable benefits of no-fault divorce over the previous system (fabricated wrongdoings used as wedges to liberate oneself from an unhappy or abusive marriage). I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he wanted to make women property.
As for the benefits of no-fault divorce, here are just a handful: " In every state that adopted no-fault divorce, whether unilateral or by mutual consent, divorce rates increased for the next five years or so. But once the pent-up demand for divorces was met, divorce rates stabilized. Indeed, in the years since no-fault divorce became well-nigh universal, the national divorce rate has fallen, from about 23 divorces per 1,000 married couples in 1979 to under 17 per 1,000 in 2005.
Even during the initial period when divorce rates were increasing, several positive trends accompanied the transition to no-fault. The economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers of the University of Pennsylvania report that states that adopted no-fault divorce experienced a decrease of 8 to 16 percent in wives' suicide rates and a 30 percent decline in domestic violence.
t's true that unilateral divorce leaves the spouse who thinks the other's desire to divorce is premature with little leverage to slow down the process or to pressure the other partner into accepting counseling. It allows some individuals to rupture relationships for reasons many would consider shallow and short-sighted.
But once you permit the courts to determine when a person's desire to leave is legitimate, you open the way to arbitrary decisions about what is or should be tolerable in a relationship, made by people who have no stake in the actual lives being lived. After all, there is growing evidence that marital counseling can repair some marriages even after infidelity, which New York has long accepted as a fault sufficient to end a marriage. But that does not mean New York should reduce its existing grounds for divorce even further.
A far better tack is to encourage couples to mediate their parting rather than litigate it, especially if children are involved. In a 12-year study of divorcing couples randomly assigned to either mediation or litigation, the psychologist Robert Emery of the University of Virginia and his colleagues found that as little as five to six hours of mediation had powerful and long-term effects in reducing the kinds of parental conflict that produce the worst outcomes for children. Parents who took part in mediation settled their disputes in half the time of parents who used litigation; they were also much more likely to consult with each other after the divorce about children's discipline, moral training, school performance and vacation plans."
Source: The New York Times, Divorce, No-Fault Style Published: June 16, 2010
Selling of unrestricted abortion (the flip side would be enslaving women to their biology. Furthermore, Kupelian's position would mandate blood and kidney donations from the living.
Role of Christianity in America - more attempts to weasel out of the first amendment. Freedom of religion cannot exist without freedom FROM religion. Would he make similar cases for religions that he personally does not subscribe to?
April 14, 2023
Put on your seat-belts with this book! This book is important, and does not shy away from any issue. Kupelian takes a no-holds-bar approach to his book. There is punch after punch of things that society has thrown out over the last 6 or 7 decades and how they have taken ahold and are causing Christians to not stand up against them, and much worse than not standing up against them, we have welcomed them into our homes, our hearts & churches. He ends the book rather abruptly and maybe in a rather simplistic way, but that’s perfect because God’s way is simple. But no one said it was easy.
This is an AO Y12 book, and I’m glad because 😅 I imagine many deep conversations will happen when reading with your child/teen. I listened to this on audiobook so I don’t know if this was the extended version that AO talks about. And it’s rather short. I started it today, on 2.5 speed and was able to finish it.
Kupelian comes from Greek and Turkish immigrant parents/grandparents and his perspective on how exceptional America is is something I don’t think many Americans comprehend. It is not something we can grasp unless we travel to other countries, I would agree wholeheartedly. And it’s wonderful to have heard his grandmother’s perspective after having quite the ordeal to get to this nation.
This is an AO Y12 book, and I’m glad because 😅 I imagine many deep conversations will happen when reading with your child/teen. I listened to this on audiobook so I don’t know if this was the extended version that AO talks about. And it’s rather short. I started it today, on 2.5 speed and was able to finish it.
Kupelian comes from Greek and Turkish immigrant parents/grandparents and his perspective on how exceptional America is is something I don’t think many Americans comprehend. It is not something we can grasp unless we travel to other countries, I would agree wholeheartedly. And it’s wonderful to have heard his grandmother’s perspective after having quite the ordeal to get to this nation.
January 28, 2017
Evil
There's a lot of scary but true statements in this book. But at the age of almost 84 I'm not sure what I , a women without a car or much money can do to change the situation. I pray Christians everywhere will wake up to what is happening in our country.
There's a lot of scary but true statements in this book. But at the age of almost 84 I'm not sure what I , a women without a car or much money can do to change the situation. I pray Christians everywhere will wake up to what is happening in our country.
July 26, 2016
A very sad book by a very sad man. Distorted information, misleading ramblings, and writing that isn't even wrong. At least I now have a greater understanding of the misguided thought driving some of the push back on equality, education, and science. I do thank Mr. Kupelian for his unintentional book recommendation, After the Ball by Hunter Madsen. My hope is that readers have enough critical thinking skills to recognize why this book is one bad argument after another. Probably the worst book I've ever read.
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The_Fine...
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The_Fine...
March 27, 2018
I wasn't going to review this book until I read a half dozen of the scurrilous reviews. In recent decades America has been swamped in increasingly corrosive propaganda. This book addresses that issue. I was born before World War II and know about the promotion of evil: the Nazis were experts at it and I saw the first US Army photos taken of the Nazi Concentration Camps--notably a lampshade made from the skin of a Jew. I spent 6 years working in the midst of terrorist wars in the Southern Cone of South America, saw innocents slaughtered in the streets by pseudo-progressives of the Castro-funded ERP in the 1970's and early 1980's. And I'm a former Marine who saw the hideous things the North Vietnamese did in South Vietnam BEFORE our war started there. After being up to my upper lip in the swill of the present world order, at age 35 I walked away from the sewer and turned to Christ. My eyes were opened to the sewage passing as avant garde morality and the near universal corruption of American youth. Dr. Charles Stanley teaches a wonderful adage: "You reap what you sow, later than you sow, more than you sow." We are now reaping the consequences of the "Sexual Revolution" of the 1960's and 1970's and several generations of "hook-up" sexuality. The Nazis burnt all books they didn't like. I'm glad we haven't yet fallen that far.
December 16, 2016
It is very clear that this book IS the real marketing of evil, hidden behind the extreme christian cultism which is pretending to be rational and objective. If I believed in Satan, I'd say Satan himself wrote this book. It is so irrational, misleading, corrupt, hateful, and corrupt. The autor writes essays about what's wrong with America this days. And everything is going wrong because people of America are not cristian cultists like himself, offcourse. He goes on how media is distorting and corrupting minds of the youth by promoting sinful behaviours like homosexuality, sex, rock music, abortion, communism (yes, I'm not joking), anti-american worldviews and evolution, lol. The saddest part is that some of the issues he presents in this piece of shit are in fact real world problems, like the oversexualisation of youth, but he presents those real problems in such a lunatic way that he wipes out all the credibility of other people who try to adress them. Not to mention how disgustingly hypocritical the author is. He goes on long rambles on how America is the only pillar of light and justice in modern world from it's founding, and how other cultures are mere savages and animals who only now how to kill and not how to love and respect all creatures, but in the same way, while counting corpses of modern non-christian and non American regimes' victims, he never mentions nor acknowliedges once slaughters like crusades, genocide on native american indians on which christians founded america, and so on. Moreover, his argumentation can be reduced to: that and that is a sin, because God said so, and I know it because the Bible said so. Of course, those God's commandments apparently don't apply to American christians at all. Further, besides many disgusting hateful and racist views presented here, this cultist imbecile even goes on about how evolution is conspiracy, and about how communist infiltrators are plotting to crush christianity via media. And the media is evil for the sake of evil itself, he doesn't even explain why he thinks media would have the interest in promoting i. e. homosexuality. On few pages he hints that profit is the thing that is behind media leftist liberal propaganda. But how exactly are media profiting by promoting homosexuality he explains nowhere, and hints instead that Satan's will is in fact behind media doings. And all the arguments he presented against modern media, literally all of them, can be turned back against this book of his, but he seems to have an intention to write it for the most uneducated classes of people so he counts on them not noticing that. This is a really disgusting piece of cultist propaganda that is reducing the opportunities for expressing the concern about some real problems he in fact mentions, because every argument and worldview that can be connected to views of brainwashed lunatics like the author of this books are immediately discredited, and I can se why. Seems to me that the main motivation behind writing of this disgusting piece is jelousy - author mourns for the days when christianity's iron fist ruled the free thought, maimed, killed, burned the opposition and was undisputed tyrant of peoples lives. Today, authot thinks media has the same tyrant role. And he is jelly.
This piece of garbage should be in fact read by all just to see one fading tyrant ideology collapsing because of imbecility of it's own arguments and "righteous" hatred that fuels it.
This piece of garbage should be in fact read by all just to see one fading tyrant ideology collapsing because of imbecility of it's own arguments and "righteous" hatred that fuels it.
September 21, 2012
Another profoundly impacting book that will change how you see the world around you. The author does a great job of exposing how in one generation we have gone from being people who uphold traditional values to see evil repackaged and now defining our society. Things like abortion, homosexuality have been marketed - slick campaign's costing lots of money to deliberately make the unthinkable acceptable. Both these things are anti-life and the social cost and the lives lost are beyond counting. David Kupelian asks us to look at ourselves and ask these questions: "how does child molesting become 'man-boy love'? How does crushing a babies skull become a constitutional right? How has America embraced a culture of death?" I think this book is a must read for anyone wanting to find out what is actually happening in society today and a call to all people (and Christians in particular) to stand up for the truth against pervasive lies. For those who rejected Christianity and the foundation it gave to a sound society then you have what you wanted a world without God! We are going to reap a whirlwind of consequences as a result of this as society will continual to deteriorate around us. We cannot claim ignorance of how and why with a book like this available.
October 2, 2013
Kupelian's book provides a pretty thorough "breakdown of the breakdown" in American culture over the last 60-70 years, though the title is somewhat misleading. Over and over, Kupelian discusses the fact that powerful people in media, academia, and politics have been trying to to build their vision of utopia since the turn of the last century. But by bringing up the word "marketing," I had expected there to be a discussion not only of the aims and tactics, but an introduction for the layman to how those tactics are designed to work. Instead, the book tends more towards personal jeremiad than explanation.
May 7, 2024
Absolutely critical to understanding the intentionality behind the sinful infiltration of our culture and our values. It’s not merely political stances of liberalism vs conservatism, but an injection of immorality into anything that has ever resembled godliness. Must read. I may read it again this year
November 4, 2024
As much as I don't want to give a schoolbook anything above 2 stars, this one was really easy to pay attention to and got information across well. Whereas I would never pick this for myself, it's a simple book about complicated things, but the author did a good job of getting those points across without being too mean.
October 9, 2017
My only real point of critique is that some of the illustrations have been overused so as to become valueless. (I do wish that Christian writers, as they make scathing and insightful comments about the wretchedness of 'Christian' entertainment that apes the world, would stop using either Ozzie and Harriet or Leave it to Beaver illustrations. They were just television shows.) Some of the depth of cultural instances of depravity were unknown to me before I read this book. I was not aware that most of the 'sexual science' promoted by zoologist Kinsey was so patently false. I was unaware of the story of the Beltway snipers (2002), because that story is not referenced nearly as much as the attackers of 9/11. I was aware of the attack on the family as a social unit, but unaware that feminists within Harvard University Press hated the idea of marriage so much that they sabotaged 'The Case for Marriage', written by self-described liberals from the University of Chicago, showing that married couples have an advantage of healthiness, happiness, and better finances over singles. I will not hear the phrase 'human potential' in the same way ever again, nor will I forget about the 1918 Soviet legalization of no-fault divorce by postcard; what a wretched invention. I was aware of the pro-porn 'studies' from Scandinavian countries, but unaware of the bug-chasing cultic undercurrent of homosexual culture. I had no idea that this might exist, but it does make sense that a secret desire for death (mostly promoted by an attraction to anything dark and destructive) will eventually become blatant and open; good becomes evil, evil becomes good, and death becomes desirable instead of a hated enemy. I completely agree that the difference, between the Boy Scout organization and the complicit leaders of the Amchurch subculture within the Catholic church leadership, is that the Boy Scout leaders pushed predatory men out of their leadership while the Amchurch enablers worked to silence any rumors about predatory priests. Both organizations have suffered for their choices, increased by the hatred leveled against them daily. (Aside: I find it completely ludicrous that people will often praise the idea of the sexual revolution as an example of the changeability of social morality, and yet be stunned at the growing trend of a neighborhood 'nice guy' (or girl) molesting or abusing a child, a teacher violating a student, or an uncle seducing teens in his own family. If there are no limits, there are no limits - to anything.) The clincher in this book comes in Chapter 9, on the marketing of unrestricted abortion; I'm glad that at least one of the founders of NARAL was courageous enough to eventually declare the lies that he and his colleagues perpetrated, from completely made-up statistics to the cynical pro-abortion slogans promoting death for some and choice for others. The solid summary remains the same: Americans have been sold a package of lies, but they have bought it through a combination of diabolically clever arguments that appeals to our love of self. People who are already sold on the idea of lifelong commitment involving real sacrifice do not fall for such tactics very long. Without the insight of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to push back the tide of evil that has engulfed our nation.
October 25, 2016
This was a thorough examination of socio-cultural movements that have reshaped our current world. The author takes aim at the fact that what was once considered good is now bad and vice versa. He conducts a strategic examination and revealing that savvy marketing, perception and redefinition have colored opinion and facts. He comes to the conclusion that as society has removed all mention or connection with God, immorality, violence, perverse behavior, callousness, a libertine lifestyle and situational ethics have all taken over. It harkens to the Old Testament passage of Isaiah 5:20-21 (New International Version):
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and
clever in their own sight."
The puppet masters have been revealed and it is time for Christians to be confrontational and pro-active. The deplorable condition of society can be healed but the author strongly feels that this can only be achieved by returning to truth and basic principles of decency found in the bible.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and
clever in their own sight."
The puppet masters have been revealed and it is time for Christians to be confrontational and pro-active. The deplorable condition of society can be healed but the author strongly feels that this can only be achieved by returning to truth and basic principles of decency found in the bible.
January 31, 2008
For my money, this is THE definitive examination of our age. Deviance, immorality, violence, selfishness, and a host of other problems are the results of our not holding firm to the foundational and operational truths that allowed us to become the most benevolent, richest, most generous nation in the history of the world. Moreover, the notes of indivual accountability now fail to resolve among the chorus of "if it feels good to me then I'm going to to it." If you reap what yoou sow, then it is a bitter harvest indeed.
March 13, 2009
This was one of the most difficult books I have ever read but not because of the density of language or poor writing. I tend to check out footnotes in non-fiction books and this author has his tight and right. The final chapter on the selling of abortion was chilling. I recommend this book only to people who like to fact-check and want to pull back the curtain on a great many lies.
July 3, 2012
Again, an amazing book that I highly recommend to every American!
September 27, 2017
This is a well-researched work helping the reader understand the cultural shifts in public opinion on moral issues. I read the 2005 version of this book, written some ten years before the controversial "Obergefell v. Hodges" Supreme Court decision, but one could see how the cultural trends were already headed for that destination. These issues are still moving Western culture over the cliff of morality. The author had a decent representation of Christianity (though biblically off in a few areas), but his strength was in revealing how many are seeking to uproot all biblical values from society. Recommended.
July 30, 2022
What or Who determines right ✅ and wrong
The book covers multiple topics: abortion, covert aggression, transgenderism, racism, slavery, shaming 😑, lies "re-imagining" 😑, marketing, marriage, and how abortion providers change. And many others. There are multiple and useful resources. There may be some oversimplification but not enough to discredit the book significantly. The overall points are severally and jointly valid. The reality severely discredits the political fabrication and lies to ignore the obvious failures of socialist financial pitfalls and purported freedom.
The book covers multiple topics: abortion, covert aggression, transgenderism, racism, slavery, shaming 😑, lies "re-imagining" 😑, marketing, marriage, and how abortion providers change. And many others. There are multiple and useful resources. There may be some oversimplification but not enough to discredit the book significantly. The overall points are severally and jointly valid. The reality severely discredits the political fabrication and lies to ignore the obvious failures of socialist financial pitfalls and purported freedom.
December 4, 2019
A lot of the stuff in this book is really good, and backed up by solid evidence, but there is a fair amount, especially the introduction, that is written in a fear-mongering style designed to get people upset. Some of the content in the book also seems a bit outdated (Mr. Kupelian expounds the evils of MTV for almost an entire chapter). Overall, a very interesting, if slightly shocking read, but you kind of have to tune out the fear-mongering language.
November 2, 2007
It's truly eye opening.
February 28, 2014
Excellent! I highly recommend it.
June 1, 2017
had some good points....not on board the whole "America is the saviour of the world" or "if we could only get back to the 1950s we be ok again" mentality....😑😑
January 3, 2024
Absolutely amazing, scary, but useful. Marketing is a very useful tool
October 8, 2015
As far as survey books go, Kupelian hits one out of the park. Every single agenda-driven cause in the last 50 years is laid bare and dismantled into component parts. He shows how much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been repackaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped and sold to them as though it had great value by highly skilled marketers (beginning with two Harvard graduates back in the late 70s-early 80s).
These marketers, playing on intrinsic national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America’s founding regarded as thoroughly self-destructive. However, just as our physical bodies can build a tolerance, we also build up tolerances for things that last century would have been unspeakable, resulting in spiritual calluses.
When, as a nation and a culture, we are systematically, methodically, unabashedly fed the lie that good is bad and bad is good, Kupelian asks us to look at ourselves and ask these questions: "How does child-molesting become 'man-boy love'? How does crushing an infant's skull become a constitutional right?"
Marketing is the application of the knowledge of human psychology to the task of persuasion. And what psychology has taught the marketing world is that the most powerful persuasion of all takes place not through above-the-board appeals to reason but by directly targeting the emotions.
If the book stumbles a bit, it's when the author REPEATEDLY insists the USA a Christian nation. America is NOT a Christian nation. Christianity UNDENIABLY influenced our country's history, and Biblical principles and morality seeps from the every word of the Constitution and our nation's laws, but there is no WAY our government is Christian, nor does the Christian worldview hold sway over the general populace. There are many, many, many true, Bible-centered, Christ-believing Christians in our land, but to say that the country is a Christian one is to say that we are a theocracy--in other words, ruled by God. That eventually happens (Rev. 20:1-6, and not in the USA), but we aren't there yet.
In the meantime, regardless of one's political leaning, the main concept of Kupelian's book--protecting yourself from manipulation--is more than just a cautionary tale; it's a nightmare we can and MUST wake up from. We can't afford to continue to swallow the blue pill and go back to sleep; we have to use the minds we were given by divine fiat--our God-imaged minds--and think for ourselves.
It's time to give up the life of pride--the impatient, vain, self-serving, pleasure-seeking, egotistical, and utterly faithless part of us that has made all of us such absurdly easy targets for con-men throughout the ages.
Pinocchio's Fox is alive and well and is still selling us on the joys of Pleasure Island.
These marketers, playing on intrinsic national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America’s founding regarded as thoroughly self-destructive. However, just as our physical bodies can build a tolerance, we also build up tolerances for things that last century would have been unspeakable, resulting in spiritual calluses.
When, as a nation and a culture, we are systematically, methodically, unabashedly fed the lie that good is bad and bad is good, Kupelian asks us to look at ourselves and ask these questions: "How does child-molesting become 'man-boy love'? How does crushing an infant's skull become a constitutional right?"
Marketing is the application of the knowledge of human psychology to the task of persuasion. And what psychology has taught the marketing world is that the most powerful persuasion of all takes place not through above-the-board appeals to reason but by directly targeting the emotions.
If the book stumbles a bit, it's when the author REPEATEDLY insists the USA a Christian nation. America is NOT a Christian nation. Christianity UNDENIABLY influenced our country's history, and Biblical principles and morality seeps from the every word of the Constitution and our nation's laws, but there is no WAY our government is Christian, nor does the Christian worldview hold sway over the general populace. There are many, many, many true, Bible-centered, Christ-believing Christians in our land, but to say that the country is a Christian one is to say that we are a theocracy--in other words, ruled by God. That eventually happens (Rev. 20:1-6, and not in the USA), but we aren't there yet.
In the meantime, regardless of one's political leaning, the main concept of Kupelian's book--protecting yourself from manipulation--is more than just a cautionary tale; it's a nightmare we can and MUST wake up from. We can't afford to continue to swallow the blue pill and go back to sleep; we have to use the minds we were given by divine fiat--our God-imaged minds--and think for ourselves.
It's time to give up the life of pride--the impatient, vain, self-serving, pleasure-seeking, egotistical, and utterly faithless part of us that has made all of us such absurdly easy targets for con-men throughout the ages.
Pinocchio's Fox is alive and well and is still selling us on the joys of Pleasure Island.
March 2, 2020
Well, this could be the first time I've given a non-fiction book five stars.
I had to read this for a class, and I decided to log it for the heck of it, and then I realized I actually wanted to share my thoughts on this eye-opening book.
It's slow, but it's non-fiction and that's to be expected. I'm not sure though if I've ever been this focused on the information a purely informational book was trying to convey to me. It truly opened my eyes to how far society has fallen, what has been accepted as normal today (that would have been scorned and shunned in days past) and how if nothing changes, if nobody stands for the truth, society's condition will only worsen.
This book describes how evil, how man's selfish desires, have wormed their way into the normalities of society. When I was younger I, in all seriousness, used to think to myself, "It sure is a good thing that evil things don't happen today like slavery, the World Wars, and terrorist attacks." Little did I know that my thoughts were shaped partly by my childhood innocence/ignorance and the sheltering nature of my parents (we have never had access to the news in our house).
Evil is everywhere, even if we choose not to acknowledge it to justify our sins. I just thought that this book was incredibly eye-opening and honest, and I think it is very important that we are not deceived by the ideas society is imposing upon us.
I had to read this for a class, and I decided to log it for the heck of it, and then I realized I actually wanted to share my thoughts on this eye-opening book.
It's slow, but it's non-fiction and that's to be expected. I'm not sure though if I've ever been this focused on the information a purely informational book was trying to convey to me. It truly opened my eyes to how far society has fallen, what has been accepted as normal today (that would have been scorned and shunned in days past) and how if nothing changes, if nobody stands for the truth, society's condition will only worsen.
This book describes how evil, how man's selfish desires, have wormed their way into the normalities of society. When I was younger I, in all seriousness, used to think to myself, "It sure is a good thing that evil things don't happen today like slavery, the World Wars, and terrorist attacks." Little did I know that my thoughts were shaped partly by my childhood innocence/ignorance and the sheltering nature of my parents (we have never had access to the news in our house).
Evil is everywhere, even if we choose not to acknowledge it to justify our sins. I just thought that this book was incredibly eye-opening and honest, and I think it is very important that we are not deceived by the ideas society is imposing upon us.
November 23, 2021
Rarely do I read a book that increases my level of anxiety. Rarely am I so conflicted by a message that I decide to skip the process of writing a blog post for it. You see, writing these blog posts are a part of my process for understanding and incorporating what I read into my consciousness. I purposefully broke that process in early 2013 when I didn’t write my post about The Marketing of Evil. The fundamental premise of the book is that we’re being manipulated as a culture to a different set of values. Two years after having read the book I don’t know that I’ve reached a conclusion as to whether we are or aren’t being manipulated. I also haven’t figured out whether I think those manipulations have an evil purpose as the book implies or if the manipulations are just the natural outcome of learning more about how we think.
Click here to read the full review
Click here to read the full review
May 26, 2008
This book was written by David Kupelian, who is the managing editor of WorldNetDaily.com. He does an incredible job of describing the toxicity of our current culture, the drift from virtue, the decline in unity and love of God, Family and Country, and the massive damage done by minority groups. Beyond thoroughly highlighting, demonstrating, and laying bare the problems manifest in America today, he goes further to bring hope for the future through practical things families, communities, and cities can do to improve the future and a challenge to actively strive to bring about that better future.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to see and understand the reasons behind, and the layout of purposeful attacks on families, virtue, and freedom that have thus far been debilitating on society, and the hope and instructions for reclaiming that love of God, Family and Country our nation was founded upon.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to see and understand the reasons behind, and the layout of purposeful attacks on families, virtue, and freedom that have thus far been debilitating on society, and the hope and instructions for reclaiming that love of God, Family and Country our nation was founded upon.
November 7, 2023
Holy crap! What a depressing book. It was full of visuals of the human race that shocked and disgusted me. It was as if the light of reality was clicked on and hundreds of horrors displayed themselves to see.
I think that such a book can be beneficial so people are aware that we are living in such a horrid world and not living under the delusion that everything is sunshine and rainbows. However, it is extremely heavy and will not be easy to face.
Such a book should come with warnings that it is not a light read but actually extremely heavy. Almost to the point of a burden.
It’s caused me to lose so much faith in humanity and I don’t view that as a good thing. I feel disgusted and horrified…
However, I gave this book three stars as a salute to the author who captured all of these things incase one did want to be aware. The book was well written and thoroughly researched. As much as I hated reading it I do acknowledge that it is somewhat of a masterpiece.
I think that such a book can be beneficial so people are aware that we are living in such a horrid world and not living under the delusion that everything is sunshine and rainbows. However, it is extremely heavy and will not be easy to face.
Such a book should come with warnings that it is not a light read but actually extremely heavy. Almost to the point of a burden.
It’s caused me to lose so much faith in humanity and I don’t view that as a good thing. I feel disgusted and horrified…
However, I gave this book three stars as a salute to the author who captured all of these things incase one did want to be aware. The book was well written and thoroughly researched. As much as I hated reading it I do acknowledge that it is somewhat of a masterpiece.
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