Great American Hypocrits by Glenn Greenwald

title with man in suit and cowboy hat being tipped over by a robotic armGreat American Hypocrites: Toppling the BigMyths of Republican Politicss (2008)

Glenn Greenwald is also the author of several other good books. All of which I plan to read.

 

Chapter 3 has a fun pun title: Tough Guise.

Central to the right wing mythmaking machine is the depiction of their machine is the depiction of their male leaders as swaggering tough guys in the iconic mold of an American cowboy and brave, steadfast warrior. Above all else, Republican leaders are invariably held up as exuding the virtues of traditional American masculinity — courage, physical strength, “regular guy” ness, and most of all, a willingness and ability to stare down America’s various and numerous enemies — in war, if necessary — and defeat them through superior strength.

Vital to this masculinity marketing campaign is the demonization of Democrats and liberal males as weak, sniveling, effeminate, effete cowards — spineless little creatures whose cowardice and lack of manliness make them laughingstocks. While right-wing leaders are the football players and swaggering touch guys, liberal males are the glasses -wearing nerds, the woman-controlled [!!!!], gender-confused, always -vaguely-gay loser who are as feminine and week as their women are masculine and threatening.

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The World as It Is by Chris Hedges

book jacket with small boy peeking over wall of a tent city of refugeesThe World as It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress by Chris Hedges (2001)

Okay, here is the fact. Everyone must buy and read and reread Chris Hedges’ books. The writing is passionate, the facts and logic of his statements are unassailable, and he is saying things that NO ONE ELSE IS SAYING because, no doubt of suppression by the people who are profiting from the status quo. But especially in his writings on the Israel vs. Palestine genocide and terrorism being waged and the lies behind it and ongoing playing of the Holocaust card that seems to be why the USA gives them 5 billion dollars annually, the freaking evangelical Christian’s give them a pass for once by invoking the “Judeo-Christian” beliefs as crucial — despite thousands of years of Christian persecution because the Jewish religion denies Christ as the Messiah so I am just mystified why they constantly get a pass on anything they do; oh wait, THE PALESTINIANS are Muslim maybe? My ignorance is showing because I am not sure. I will have to look it up.

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