Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History

by Andrew P. Napolitano, Ron Paul (foreword)

YOU'VE BEEN LIED TO BY THE GOVERNMENT We shrug off this fact as an unfortunate reality. America is the land of the free, after all. Does it really matter whether our politicians bend the truth here and there? When the truth is traded for lies, our freedoms are diminished and don't return. In Lies the Government Told You , Judge Andrew P. Napolitano reveals how America's freedom, as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, has been forfeited by a government more protective of its own power than its obligations to preserve our individual liberties. "Judge Napolitano's tremendous knowledge of American law, history, and politics, as well as his passion for freedom, shines through in Lies the Government Told You , as he details how throughout American history, politicians and government officials have betrayed the ideals of personal liberty and limited government." -Congressman Ron Paul, M.D. (R-TX), from the Foreword

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, American History, Law, Government, Audiobook

349 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 2010

About the author

Andrew Paolo Napolitano is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He is a political and senior judicial analyst for Fox News Channel, commenting on legal news and trials. Napolitano started on the channel in 1998. He is a Libertarian and a strong advocate of the Constitution, viewing it as a contract that must, according to rule of law, be interpreted the way its authors intended or else be invalid. He therefore asserts that the Federal government has a very limited set of powers, that it is exceeding, and that the Bill of Rights limits its valid actions in all circumstances.

Reviews

[Pierre · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am torn between loving and hating this book. Judge Napolitano clearly explains important premises of constitutional law and makes very good points about the hypocrisy of our constitutional system, but then makes bizarre leaps of logic to justify his conservative libertarian agenda.

I give major props to Judge Napolitano for criticizing severe governmental abuses of power, like the trampling of the 5th Amendment by destroying the meaning of "public use" when the government takes your property and his clear denunciation of the use of torture by the government against terrorists.

However, Judge Napolitano strange and bizarre beliefs about State's Rights border on treasonous.

Firstly, his bizarre attack against the 17th Amendment is disturbing. He argues that allowing the direct election of Senators is unconstitutional because it strikes at two of the core values of the Constitution: representation of state legislatures in a bicameral legislature and the States' check and balance against Federal power.

However, his argument that "The 17th Amendment disenfranchises States" is a deeply flawed argument that can be refuted with just a bit of historical knowledge.

First, his logic fails because the constitution allows amendments, and the 17th Amendment was passed by 36 States (out of 48) and only Utah voted against it. The constitution is a social contract, and the social contract can be changed by the procedure agreed upon when it was originally adopted. The only time a change of this nature would be repugnant to the constitution would be a complete change from a representative and democratic form of government - ie. electing a king for life, dissolving Congress, and permanently suspending habeaus corpus. Tweaking the system to move closer towards direct democracy is a move in a positive direction.

Second, the old system of electing Senators was profoundly broken. Politically bound state legislatures failed to elect Senators; for example, Delaware failed to elect Senators from September 1839 to January 1841.

It is also important to note that 29 states were already electing Senators directly by procedural means when the 17th Amendment passed. Only fringe leftists and rightists seriously believes that direct election of either the President or the Senate has undermined our constitution.

Lastly, his screed against Abraham Lincoln on page 246 as a tyrant is so unbalanced from a historical point of view that it would be laughable if it didn't echo letters to the editor from the 1860s.

In conclusion, I liked this book, even with its serious flaws. Because of the logical, philosophical and historical errors, I would only recommend this book to close minded die hard Republicans who think that everything the USA does is right, or to savvy lawyers/historians/politicians who need to know how modern libertarians and republicans think.

[JS · Rating 4 out of 5]

My father-in-law will be proud. After nearly a decade, I’ve finally read this book, and I thought it was pretty good. I do not agree with all of his points. I assumed because he was on Fox News that he was just a typical Republican. But no. He goes after Republicans and democrats with nearly equal scorn. Some of his stuff seems more partisan than it ought to be, which kind of diluted his fact-based points. But, his points on civil libertarianism, and especially on the drug war and the presumption of innocence, were great. I also enjoyed his piece in judicial activism, in which he had an unexpectedly interesting take. His bits on the 17th amendment and the Fed and wars were also interesting.

Overall I was impressed with the book. I like to read stuff that challenges my weird amalgamation of political beliefs. And while there was some overlap with my beliefs, this book definitely challenged some me. I would recommend to anyone no matter their partisanship or belief system

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting perspective, a great read if you like to read things that challenge the status quo

[Chickadee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano does not believe that the government is anyone’s friend.

In his latest book, Lies The Government Told You, he takes his readers on a very informative journey in exposing various lies that he believes Americans have bought into. A little unsettling is Napolitano’s warning (on page 295) that his readers should be very careful when reading THIS book, because it could set someone up to be monitored by the government for suspicious behavior.

I can only imagine that if merely reading a book like this makes one a target in the government’s eyes, how much more incriminating it must be to WRITE a book like this? The author seems to truly know his stuff so I’m sure he thought long and hard before putting himself out there and exposing this information. If you’re not into politics then this book might not hold your interest. It’s a pretty deep read with tons of facts and information.

The author writes about seventeen lies, one of them being “all men are created equal.” American history buffs will already be well aware that four out of the first five American Presidents (George Washington included) owned slaves. However, what about the The Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment which gives the government the right to take away private property for “public use”? This includes YOUR home, even if you’ve paid it off.

What about Populism and Progessivism? When did these views develop and how have they affected our current government?

Why is FEMA so disorganized and chaotic? And why are they still allowed to operate, though FEMA has proven to be unprepared and severely lacking in disaster response?

What about the $40 billion dollars a year taken from American taxpayers and used to foot the bill for the war on drugs? In the midst of a failing economy, why are Americans forced to continue to pay for these types of ineffective programs?

Lie #12 is “Everyone Is Innocent Until Proven Guilty”. Napolitano shows example after example of how the government has wrongly accused, convicted and imprisoned innocent Americans and gotten away with it.

Not only does the author cover historical events like the founding of our country and Pearl Harbor – he also addresses current events like the General Motors bailout, comparing it to the near failure of Amtrak in 1971.

Interesting, thought provoking and definitely for those who agree with Napolitano’s view of the government.

[Donmakles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judge Andrew Napolitano wasn't joking when he wrote this one. Especially when he starts with:

"All men are created equal" - that's a lie because they themselves own slaves!

The largest and the fastest growing religion in the world is not what we all think of as a traditional religion. It is not Christianity, it is not Islam, it is not Scientology, and it is not even the militant Church of Atheism. The largest and the fastest growing religion in the world is the Church of Statism: the worship of the state where subservience and conformity to the government are the main doctrines.

This book will definitely trigger statist militants from both sides of the political spectrum: “We have one Big Government Party. It has a Republican wing that prefers war, deficits, assaults on civil liberties, and corporate welfare; and a Democratic wing that prefers war, taxes, assaults on commercial liberties, and individual welfare. Neither wing is devoted to the Constitution.”

The United States has been the beacon of freedom since the late 18th Century, but the more the government adopted and integrated the Old World ideologies of warfare and welfare statism the more it violates what their Founding Fathers had fought for. This book is more than just about libertarianism... it's about the true nature and history of the American government.

“Freedom is the default position. Everything the government does takes away some of our freedom... That's why we have a constitution, to restrain the government.” ~Judge Andrew Napolitano

“Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it's wrong.” ~Dr. Ron Paul

“I have certain rules I live by... my first rule, I don't believe anything the government tells me.” ~George Carlin

“We don't create governments just so we can have a government. We create government to secure individual rights. When governments are destructive to those ends, we have the right to alter or abolish them, including redrawing their arbitrary border lines. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for us to make such changes, after the rebellion you see in retrospect how nationalism is only useful insofar as it advances freedom. When it does not, government is the cancer and revolution is the only cure.” ~Austin Petersen

[Ailith Twinning · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The government has a long (its entire?) history of capitulating to the rich, the aristocratic, the slavers and the multination corporations and monopolies!"

Yes, yes it does.

"Get rid of the government!"

Oh. . for fuck's sake. No.

We need democracy, not to replace corporate inverted totalitarianism (check Woldin or Chomsky for starters) with overt corporate fascism (corporations are simply unchecked and the contract rules - and I would remind you that slavery began in contracts), or, worse yet, libertarian anarchism (see the Third Reich's treatment of certain conquered lands re: Black Earth by Timothy Snyder). You twit.


Meh -- I find it's pretty easy to agree with almost any politically active person on what bad shit is happening, basically everyone hates the way the country works right now; it's the *reasons* those things are bad, and even moreso the solutions to it, that divide. And I wouldn't touch this guy with a 39 1/2 foot pole. Cause, yeah, he's a Grinch.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if "I liked it" is the correct way to respond to a book of this nature. The information is good, but very disheartening. There is little to enjoy, but it is important to make much of this information available.

The author shows how the federal government, from almost the beginning, has been grabbing power that it was never intended to have. He mentions plenty of figures from both major political parties, and covers people from the founding of the country to the present. He condemns the actions of multiple branches of government as well, and non federal agencies such as the federal reserve. He criticizes people like Obama and Bush, but also people like Lincoln and Hamilton, and shows how their actions increased the power of the federal government by taking away power from the states and individuals.

It is very easy to be pessimistic after reading this book. Worthwhile read but frustrating read.

[Marcas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent polemical history from Judge Napolitano. He unveils the true nature of the state with wit and nuance. Despite its rhetoric, the US government has stripped American citizens of civil liberty after civil liberty, while wreaking havoc around the world.

Sadly, many other governments are in the same tyrannical boat - Ireland included. I hope we can learn from the judge, as many points carry over despite their American specifics.

Napolitano's book is a fascinating accompaniment to Wilfred McClay's Land of Hope and lays a very different emphasis to McClay's conservative tract. I enjoyed both but I am probably closer to Andrew, politically.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legal history is interesting. Some parts are extremely disturbing. As usual the judge has ample court cases and historical records to draw on for his conclusions

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Given the topic I wasn't expecting an action-packed fun ride, but it lacked entertainment value even for its genre. Just kind of eh.

[Cathy Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter your political persuasion, there is plenty to irritate on how both parties of the government have operated throughout our nation's history. Fascinating book.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be required reading in every elementary school in America.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Lies the Government Told You” is a political book, but in addition it’s not an easy book to swallow for either Democrats or Republicans. It’s a book written by a libertarian mind, to illustrate the problem with the way the American government has been formed since its creation almost 250 years ago. More importantly it calls out many of the hypocrisies and inconsistencies that the government has exhibited over that time, and more importantly Andrew Napolitano ignores the Letter after everyone’s name. This isn’t a book for a Republican to bash Democrats, or Democrats to bash Republicans but rather someone who believes heavily in the constitution to call out all those who have betrayed it, and lied to the American people.

As a note I should say I see myself allied with the libertarian philosophy more than any other, and can agree with Napolitano about the importance of the constitution and don’t believe there’s ever a reason for the “Noble lie” at least not as exhibited in this book. Beyond that though Napolitano does a good job of explaining this for the uninitiated, about the importance of the constitution, and the fact that the political officers in the government are meant to work for the people, not control/subjugate/or lie to them.

With that though I have to say that no matter what your political leaning, if you’re willing to keep an open mind, you’ll find some illuminating discussion and perhaps come out with a new understanding of how our government really operates. I write this as the charleston massacre aftermath is continuing and yet finished it shortly before the massacre, and yet instantly I was able to start applying many of the discussions in the book to what political officers were doing. Sadly it was an expected result, and yet at the same time, I feel like the first thing to do is to identify the patterns before we can ever hope to try to fix them.

The book has many interesting passages, a few early on will show how even our greatest two presidents have blatantly lied to the populace. But it also discusses the quite subtle but very important difference between our declaration of independence which said all men are created equal, and our constitution (including that lovely passage about how certain people were only counted as 3/5th a person, and of course a whole half of our country didn’t even exist in it’s eyes).

In fact as I write this review I think of one interesting “lie” that wasn’t mentioned. When our 43rd president, William Jefferson Clinton told the country that he did not have sex with the woman, and the reason I point it out is to illustrate what this book is about. It’s not about the obvious bullshit that all politicians discuss, this isn’t every small mistake the government makes, instead “Lies the Government Told You” ignores the petty and the meaningless lies, and instead focuses on the most serious, the most important, and the most dangerous lies our country repeats and then violates.

As for my score I give this book a solid 5/5 for a single reason, while I agree with the premise it’s not enough to earn a high ranking. Instead what earns the “love it” is not only does Andrew Napolitano give examples of everything he discusses, he discusses those examples to at least illustrate to the reader what the example means, why the example is important and what the example changed. I bring this up because I recently read Ron Paul’s Liberty Defined, which was nothing more than a primer on Paul’s position for the 2008 election. However Paul’s book committed the sin of constantly referring to a number of references with nothing more than a name, or a court case. Napolitano goes further, he cites the court case, and the importance, but in addition every single quote or statement is directly attributed not only to the person who made it but to the time and place, and ties it all together.

As a closing thought I’d like to say that what “Lies the Government Told You” really is, is a man taking his government to task for its failings, but what’s important is that even though Napolitano is a Fox news correspondent, I know many people would write him off for that, but in reality one of his biggest targets in this book is George Bush Senior, as well as Dick Cheney. He might not go quite as far as some people in name calling, but it’s refreshing for someone to step back and look at our government as a whole and call it out on all levels and all political affiliation and really illustrate one of our core problems that have been going on for almost 250 years. For that I’ll gladly give this book all 5 stars.

[Suzanne Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge admirer of Judge Andrew Napolitano and was delighted to be offered his new book for a Vine review. Lies the Government Told You is no quick read, because the judge goes into detail about the myriad of things we learn in school that are not true all the way to Constitutional amendments that are troublesome. And he does it in detail, so be prepared to move through this book a few pages at a time.

The best summary of Lies the Government Told You comes straight from Judge Napolitano’s website.

“The government’s lies have become our country’s heritage, passed down generationally and accepted over time as status quo. We allow our leaders to regulate, under false pretenses, every area of our supposedly free lives: What we eat, how our money is spent, how we protect ourselves. The basic tenets of living in a free society–the primacy of the individual and limited government–are violated routinely and with little objection from those most affected.”

“Judge Napolitano traces the deterioration of American freedom year by year, event by event, from the birth of the U.S. government to the economic and military crises of today.”

Judge Napolitano sets out to expose lies the public has bought into and which the government perpetuates. As a Constitutional lawyer, Judge Napolitano knows whereof he speaks. You will find his book both fascinating and inforgettable. The judge is bi-partisan, so lies and hypocriscy on both sides are exposed as he writes of seventeen perpetuated by the government of the Unites States.

One of the most troubling to me is the “Takings Clause” of the fifth amendment, whereby the government can, by right, seize your property, even if you’ve paid it off, for “public use.” (Lest you think I kid, this is going on right now all over the country!) Don’t miss the story of the federal Reserve which is not Federal but was an organization started by an elitist group of bankers.

The judge discusses the origins of Populism and Progressivism and shows how they affect our current government, and subsequently, us. FEMA and its ill-preparedness for disaster response is yet another target in his well-written tome.

You will learn about the founding of our country, events such as Pearl Harbor and the General Motors bailout and you will see the lies exposed and also the disrespect the current administration holds for our Constitution. If you hold views similar to Judge Andrew Napolitano, I urge you to add the masterful work to your library. And if you don’t, why not educate yourself by reading an unbiased report from a Constitutional scholar?

Two thumbs up on this one.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good to read the works of a legal analyst who is no mere pundit and actually has significant judicial experience. Judge Napolitano, a libertarian, provides plenty to consider regarding the current state of our laws and constitutional history, and rallies readers to be aware and wary of governmental paternalism.

While some of his views are ripe for heated debate -- on successfully interpreting the Second Amendment to the Constitution, for example -- he does challenge readers to really think more broadly and deeply about our current American reality versus the common mythologies that we have digested since childhood and almost unquestioningly accepted as gospel.

The further you read along in this book, the more Napolitano reveals the frightening world we've inherited from our ruling class.

Must read chapters are those about:
...the loss of our gold monetary standard, and the Federal Reserve being the creation and sole domain of private bankers who "run" the country to this day;
...personal income taxation (representation seemingly immaterial to the tentacles of power) as originally a "temporary" measure of the Civil War, unapologetically revisited during the First World War, solidified with the Sixteenth Amendment and resurrected for good yet again during the Second World War;
...going to war: from flawed domino theories to our Prohibition on drugs;
...the damning, incontrovertible cases against the Bush administration for subverting the Constitution to justify a self-proclaimed war and profoundly illegal uses of torture;
...the not-so-free-as-you-thought U.S. market economy and the financial collapse of the last few years;
...and the irrefutable unconstitutionality of the so-called "Patriot Act" that Bush bequeathed to the nation and that Obama, the civil rights-minded attorney, has -- astoundingly -- maintained as law without even any remote sign of redress.

Quotables:

"There is only one reason that the government takes away freedoms: Freedom is an obstacle to...the lust to dominate."
Andrew Napolitano

"We have one party, the Big Government Party. There is a Republican version that assaults our civil liberties and loves deficits and war, and a Democratic version that assaults our commercial liberties and loves wealth transfers and taxes."
Andrew Napolitano

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money...the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of their property until their children wake up homeless...."
Thomas Jefferson

[ѦѺ™ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano minces no words when he boldly enumerates 17 lies that the government of the United States of America manufactures and continues to perpetuate to its citizens. he traces its roots from the Declaration of Independence in July 4, 1776 to the present Obama administration. he supports his claims by mentioning, detailing and cross-referencing historical records, court decisions, state and federal laws, reports and other anecdotal evidence.
if the bastion of democracy and the champion of freedom could allegedly get away with these lies, what then can one say of other governments whose democratic principles are modeled after those of the United States? what does one do now? what options does one have? where does one go or turn to if the institution that he relies on to protect his rights is the very same one that denies and infringes upon them?
corruption in government and other institutions is certainly a world wide phenomenon. despite what history has repeatedly shown and taught us, we have never truly learned its lessons.
indeed with power comes great responsibility. it is a responsibility to preserve the truth and not twist nor conceal it, to create and not destroy, to promote life and not a culture of death.
this book and its contents is certainly an eye-opener for me. though i am taking everything with a grain of salt, it is still disturbing to say the least. truth, they say, is stranger than fiction but after reading Lies The Government Told You, i amend that to truth is really scarier than fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: i received a copy of Lies The Government Told You from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program.i did not receive any payment in exchange for this review nor was i obligated to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one for booksneeze.com.

Lies The Government Told You by Judge Andrew P Napolitano is a well written book that pulls no punches. He takes you through some of the most believed lies through the ages and disproves each and every one of them. I won’t go through them all here because that would defeat the purpose of getting the book and reading it. However, if you feel that you know the American government, after reading this book, I can tell you that you really don’t.

One of the biggest lies told is that Abraham Lincoln fought to end slavery. That isn’t quite true. It may be the way your American History teach wants you to think of it, but its not. Did you know that before the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, Lincoln had issued a Preliminary Proclamation on September 22, 1862 that stated that he would abolish slavery in the south if they continued to attempt to secede from the Union. Lincoln only saw abolishing slavery as a means to an end. He did it because he felt that by abolishing slavery in the south, the freed slaves would join the ranks of the Union army to fight against their masters. When the Emancipation Proclamation was released, it only applied to the Southern states. Slavery was not abolished in the north by this action.

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson, a big proponent against slavery in his time had 200 slaves at the time her wrote the famous line “All men are created equal”? Apparently, he really didn’t believe what he wrote. He had proposed many laws in order to free the slaves, yet he didn’t do it himself until he passed away. In his will, he had written in to free 5 of his slaves upon his death. Really? 5 out of 200?

Apparently, our country was founded on politicians lying to us and it continues to this day! I really suggest reading this book as it will open your eyes to the lies that this country was founded upon and still continue on today.

[Patrick S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of Judge Napolitano's for many years now. He's been a fascinating legal consultant on many main stream media programs and he's been a great guest speaker at places like the Mises Institute. He's a radical former judge from New Jersey in the sense that he maintains an original reading of the Constitution and knows the history behind those readings.

In this book, he does what he does best. He takes a look at many of the legal cases of the pat 250+ years of America and applies the original understanding of the Constitution to them. The "lies" in this book come from common sayings we hear about from politicians. Judge Napolitano draws from legal cases and the play out of American history to show that most of the sayings are mere platitudes. I have to say that this book was a great read because of several reasons. First, he covers so many subjects and many of them might sound difficult to dispute the original saying (aka "lie") as there are many of them that cover legal aspects. He does a great job of stating not only the legal ruling reason but what the real legal ruling should have been and what the moral backing for it should have been. Another reason this was so great was because he communicated well the natural law ideology. He doesn't make it a left vs. right divide but he condemns both political parties and applies what the original ideology of the Framers of the Constitution would have been. I would be nitpicking to say that his coverage on slavery was a little light and since he covers it first I was nervous that the rest of the book might not be as deep. Not so. Judge Napolitano's voice can be heard throughout this book and so many lines and cases were very familiar.

This is a great book covering an originalist's understanding of the Constitution, of historical legal rulings, and of common rhetoric we take for granted as "truth". Final Grade - A

[Jason Mccool]

The Judge sets out the case against the government in this latest book on liberty, our constitution, and a government that has been straining at the chains the constitution imposes on it for far longer than I had realized. He delves into laws, and in particular, court cases, that have dealt significant blows to freedom in this country, going back to shortly after the founding of America. He takes us on a tour of natural law, and it's partial expression in the English common law tradition, and it's real celebration in the inalienable rights espoused by our founding fathers.

Be forewarned, though: many of the court cases described will make your head explode. They'll destroy any confidence you had in the existence of "common sense", except as exemplified in many of the dissenting opinions. And they will awaken you to just how much freedom has been lost to the slow but steady onslaught of "libido dominandi", the lust to dominate. While some of his opinions surprised me and challenged my ideas, he makes very well-reasoned arguments for everything, always putting freedom foremost, even when it means the freedom to do wrong. However, he also stresses personal accountability far stronger than most these days.

Overall, a very good book that is a tremendous resource for any well-informed citizen and for any would-be public servant. The scope of it - from the Sedition Act of 1798 to the Patriot Act of 2001, from gun rights to medical marijuana, from imminent domain to the Federal Reserve, from the "war on drugs" to the "war on terror" - is a good mix of breadth and depth, as he hits many of the low points of government, bringing them to light, so that hopefully, a new generation can turn back the tide of government control over every aspect of your life.

[Birgit · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is often quite a difference in the approach of American authors, and those from other countries, when it comes to critical works on US politics. With this in mind I started reading Andrew Napolitano's book Lies The Government Told You and was hooked from the first page.
Well researched and comprehensibly written, he leads through 17 chapters each dealing with different aspects of how the US government has been bending, often even breaking, the laws it should abide to. Taking the reader from the Declaration of Independence straight into the present, it will be shocking for both American and international readers, to see that far too often certain words, even laws, aren't worth the paper they've been written on. The author knows what he's talking about, and he's not afraid to voice it, despite the fact that the government itself can't be amused about his assessments.
While I found the chapters "All men are created equal", "Every vote counts" and "America has a free market" the most compelling, I also appreciated learning more about other areas of personal and economic freedom. While I personally don't agree with everything Napolitano writes (Europeans simply have a different approach to carrying weapons), he undoubtedly did a fantastic job with this book.
In short: A highly informative book for everyone who dares to question the truths the government offers, but also for those who simply want to dip into US history!

[Rohith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"we must recognize that we do not have a two-party system in this country; we have one party, the Big Government Party. There is a Republican version that assaults our civil liberties and loves deficits and war, and a Democratic version that assaults our commercial liberties and loves wealth transfers and taxes."

Based on the title, this book is supposed to be under "conspiracy theories" section. Unfortunately, this belongs to the "History" section.

Usually, scientific community abandons a hypothesis if it finds empirical evidence against the hypothesis. Sadly, "More Government would be better for humanity" hypothesis refuses to die despite empirical evidence against it, even among the self proclaimed rationalists and intelligent people.

There is a moral obligation on everyone of us to not support oppressive, regressive ideas. This book makes an excellent moral case against the idea of excessive government power. It does this by demonstrating through first principles of how governments create a problem (ex: financial crisis) with unreasonable laws (forcing banks to give loans to people who cant pay) and eventually blames capitalism/free market for the woes of the people.

The brilliance of this book is that it will definitely make even the hardcore government regulation advocate to think twice before supporting a law. That is sufficient for now :)

[Becca Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really interesting book I read easily this weekend. Judge Napolitano goes through 17 points that many Americans take as a fact or right, and gives case by case examples of how those rights have been violated or taken away by the US government throughout history.
For example, the myth or lie that "All Men Are Created Equal" or "Every Vote Counts" or "We Are Winning THe War On Drugs", to name a few.)

While this might not sound interesting, and the topic might be a turn-off for some, I found it really approachable (even though most points are argued by explaining court cases or supreme court verdicts).
It's funny how our government has changed so drastically from the original intention of the nation's founders...and don't get me wrong, he points out LOADS of reasons why these men were no saints.

From slavery through the Patriot Act and touching on a lot in between, it's a good read that I think most people would find some eye-opening information in this book. I certainly did. (The bit about George Washington and his teeth shocked me...don't want to spoil it.)

Also, Napolitano looks like a wolfman and kind of frightens me in that way. Nonetheless, he's obviously a smart man who's great at arguing and articulating his point.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was left with a mix of emotions after reading this -- but mainly a hopeless feeling of "what can *I* do about ANY of this?" I was glad for the straight facts of the book. Napolitano does not shy away from explaining the law and its consequences, regardless of how one might feel about it. And that straightforwardness is refreshing. His apparent refusal to pick a side (other than his staunch refusal to stray from the Constitution as the basis of our laws) also makes him seem like more of a reliable source than many political writers.

Though I believe being educated about our government and the way it likes to twist and warp laws to its own purposes is useful -- a more aware public might be more difficult to lull into complacency than an ignorant one -- many of the things this book goes over are things we can't do anything about at this point. At least not realistically. We can try voting for representatives we hope will genuinely do what they say they'll do and not find ways of subverting systems we trust to protect our lives, but that's just politics.

I enjoyed the book, and maybe I'm just too cynical, but I don't see any point to it other than educating those curious about why and how we live in such a paranoid society these days.

[Joe N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book everyone should read it!



Although I do think he should have researched a little more on a few parts. For example in chapter 8 he does a good job at explaining economics and everything, but fails to cite most of his material especially when talking about the birth of the Fed. It sounds to me like he pulled most of it from G. Edward Griffin’s book “The Creature from Jekyll Island”



Also on page 152 he says “The only president to issue an Executive Order beginning the process of abolishing the Fed was President John F. Kennedy.” I find it hard to believe that JFK was “beginning the process of abolishing the Fed” because he was an “internationalist” and “he had attended the Fabian London School of Economics.” (The Creature from Jekyll Island, p. 570)



Last of all on page 161 he gives a quote (a good one I might add) credited to Thomas Jefferson. Unfortunately there is no original documentation to support that Jefferson ever said this. Sadly this error has been and continues to be perpetuated.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Lies The Government Told You, Judge Napolitano provides many excellent legal examples of how the government has managed to strip away rights that the average American citizen probably believes that we have. The Judge covers how the US Constitution is abused by the government and how the country's citizens are less free because of the abuse.

The evidence provided is depressing, horrifying, and enraging. I enjoyed the book because it gave clear evidence of things I presumed to be true but could not prove. The reader is shown how the courts have distorted laws in their interpretation and have created many laws that are unconstitutional.

My primary critique of the book is the the Judge occasionally let his obvious passion spill over and cause him to jump to some conclusions. It may be that he has more evidence to support these logical jumps, but I sometimes did not see it. Aside from some overzealousness, I think the book is great food for thought for anyone who wants to know more about the US government takes as much power as it can.

[goddess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I basically had a love/hate relationship with this book. Some parts/chapters were right on the money (i.e. the free market, 2nd amendment, etc.) But some had me scratching my head.....such as the chapter on torture. If he thinks waterboarding--even tying someone up--is torture, he needs to re-evaluate what constitutes actual torture. I also didn't care for his harsh treatment of Abraham Lincoln, using the word "tyrant" several times. In the biographies and accounts I've read in regards to our 16th president, this type of language is NOT what I would use to describe him.

So, some of Napolitano's arguments were spot on--with great explanations and detailed accounts on how this country has strayed from the actual meaning and interpretation of the Constitution. Some accounts quite frankly left a bad taste in my mouth. Having watched Napolitano (and being overall impressed with him) on FoxNews, I was a little disappointed in this book.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am a hard left wing, progressive democrat, but this book is awesome, the books describes how the federal government has taken away our personal god given rights as put in the constitution, this books also makes shocking claims at how the greatest presidents of all time FDR single handily caused the attack on pearl harbor as a way to get america revved up for WWII,it also makes the case for why president george W Bush is the worst president in the history of the united states for his gross violations of international law, particularly when it came to torture,

while this book doesn't shave my entire belief in social democracy and the idea that government is the solution to all our problems, it has made me think twice about what our congressmen and senators and even our president and supreme court justices are doing in our name

if you are look for a good read, the Judge Napolitano's book is a excellent choice

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is packed with facts, examples and is overwhelming at times with all that the government is doing to us. Obviously, the author has libertarian leanings and reacted against most government intervention. Not withstanding that he is a judge and has a thorough understanding of the legal issues he discussed. I was amazed to see how the government ignores the Constitution and has taken away our rights, and not only the government but the judiciary. I thought the Supreme Court was doing it's duty to honor the Constitution but it has eroded it in many ways. So many things we take for granted like being innocent unless proven guilty are not the case. The government can imprison us, with convicted criminals, take away our property, our house without having to prove guilt. Certain Americans feel they live in a police state and they are right. Everyone should study these things and do something about them.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is the United States Government really here to protect us? Ask yourself that question when you see another recall for a FDA approved prescription drug that was deemed safe and then pulled off the market because of serious injury or death. "Lies The Government Told You" covers this issue (Lie #10) as well as 16 other lies that have been told to us over our lifetime.

Written by Judge Andrew P. Napolitano, who not only is a judge, but a nationally recognized expert on the US Constitution, this book is not only well written, but an informative and engaging read. Judge Napolitano not only covers the lies, but shows us what we, as citizens, can do to correct things. This is a book that every American, young or old, should read!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The judge is challenging conventional wisdom in this book. Like his Tv show he takes the libertarian view on most things finding little right with the direction of the government.

The constitution is there for our protection but the Judge exposes the dangerous distortions, and out right disobedience by the many hacks in congress and the Presidency. Neither party is safe from scorn.

If you follow politics closely and know what the constitution says there won't be a lot here that will surprise you but the judge does cover things in the book that a lot of people will find new to their thinking. Read if you just woke up and realized America is in trouble, but if you've been engaged for the last 8-10 years probably can skip it.