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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A vitriolic entertainment, March 22, 2003
This review is from: Amerika Psycho: Behind Uncle Sam's Mask of Sanity (Paperback)
Best known for his ground-breaking work in "Oz" magazine half a lifetime ago and his amusing memoir of the era ("Hippie Hippie Shake"), self-declared futurist Richard Neville has collected his more vitriolic contributions to Sydney's "Good Weekend" magazine and republished them here. His consistent target is America's global selfishness. This is a nation whose starting point in any conversation about the environment is, in the words of Bush the Elder to the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, "The American way of life is not negotiable." The American way of life - the global pursuit of more of everything - is precisely THE PROBLEM we need to solve. And a nation which sacrifices its own and everyone else's long term future to protect the short term interests of the megacorporations that fund the Presidency is not morally equipped to be running the planet, Neville argues. He attacks America's self-congratulatory assertion of global dominance, and its pigheaded ignorance of the moral responsibilities that go with it. And no, playing "global policeman" in the Middle East is not one of them: masking a geo-political power/oil grab as "liberating the people of Iraq" is precisely the kind of transparent, hypocritical double-speak Neville abhors. He occasionally reminds us that his hatred is not for the American people, lovely as they are, but for two things: the American administration which (barely) represents them, and the seemingly disembodied forces of economic and cultural imperialism devouring in their name. But Americans could be forgiven for feeling more than a little insulted by these tirades: and many were, if the e-mail correspondence accompanying some of the essays is any indication. (But kudos to Neville for including them.) In no sense is this a well-researched academic volume. These essays are clearly no more than reworked magazine pieces, and the content and tone are precisely what that implies: they're long on ridicule and short on viable alternatives. The book has the kind of entertainingly preachy passages you'll enjoy reading down the phone to your friends, but which won't convince them unless they already happen to be post-materialist lefties like you. Neville's strident whining wears thin before the final page, and he clearly enjoys the sound of his own voice. But not without reason. He still has a talent for the economical phrase: "The American way of life is not negotiable. Worse - the American way of life is inescapable."
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The cruelty behind the mask, April 11, 2003
This review is from: Amerika Psycho: Behind Uncle Sam's Mask of Sanity (Paperback)
He writes about love, cruelty and the culture of greed, a kind of Noam Chomsky on ectasy. While warm towards American citizens and their radical roots, he despairs of their ignorance of the crimes perpetrated in their name. This is a passionate, minority view, one which looks like it could become mainstream as events unfold in the Middle East. I was charmed by its exuberance, moved by its passion, intrigued by its holistic view of the world ans surprised by its humour. Apparently Neville was something of an underground press celebrity in the sixties and this cheeky spirit shines through each page. Very relevant in times of random cluster bombing described as liberation, and the division of the world into good and evil. Strangely philosophical, highly recommended.
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4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A prophetic, witty indictment, April 10, 2003
This review is from: Amerika Psycho: Behind Uncle Sam's Mask of Sanity (Paperback)
The first chapter in this amazing multi layered polemic is based on an essay the author published in Australia several months before 9/11. A seasoned visitor to America, Richard Neville let loose his scathing cascade soon after President George W Bush dumped the Kyoto greenhouse agreement. This was announced around the time Gladiator won the Oscars, and Neville weaves together the impact of these two events on the consciousness of the wider world, a world that would increasingly resist and resent US political & cultural domination. When this piece was first published it caused a storm - Neville includes the hate emails - while now it seems prophetic. He suggests America is "the wildest rogue nation of all" and shreds our obessive materialism, the "triviliasation of desire", porno violence and the wars against the developing world. All this with humor & gusto. Having once written a book about a famous serial killer, The Life & crimes of Charles Sobhraj, Neville argues that the personality of a psychopath equates pretty closely to that of Uncle Sam. There are Chapters on Who Killed the Counter Culture, the enviro rape of Texas (guess who by?) and even the politics of romantic partnerships ("to love, honor & throw away"). The last Chapter, from the cave to K-Mart, brings together all the themes and projects into the realm of alternative possible futures - "the journey to whole Earth healing inches ahead...". This is a fast, easy read and I have since enjoyed following Neville's controversial futurist raves on his website <richardneville.com>. While I don't agree with all his judgements, he has inspired me to think about the world in a new way. Amerika Psycho is already a cult classic in my neck of the woods.
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