Customer Reviews

Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America

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2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(106)

 

 

Regardless of your political persuasion, or your opinion of Ann, you should read this book. It's a work that you will either love or hate. There's little in between.

This book's style is not unlike the style in her previous best sellers. But 'Guilty' seems in some places to have an even sharper point to the stick she taunts the liberal establishment, and more so the mainstream media with.

Her research is meticulously accurate, and she shows no mercy to anyone who stands in her path.

As one of my liberal friends who read the book put it "although I totally disagree with her, I must admit she has more stones than any guy I've met". If her style is confrontational, her points are backed up by well documented facts. She does her own research,so there's no one to blame for any factual errors, if you can find one. I've yet to see anyone document any misstatement of fact in her books, no matter what Media Matters claims. She makes no apology for the points she makes, or the way she makes them.

If you're of the conservative mindset, you'll probably love this book even more than her previous works. If you're more liberal, you'll be more enraged. She forces the reader to confront issues with her take no prisoners approach.

That frequently provokes strong reactions from both sides, but it also facilitates a dialog that many are too timid to confront. And it's a dialog that is long over due.

That's what good books do. You might not agree with some of it, or any of it. But if it makes you think, and it promotes the discussion of issues, it accomplishes a purpose beyond just being entertaining. Though it is a very entertaining work as well.

I got the Audiobook so I could listen to it during my long commute. I liked it. While I'm not the biggest Coulter fan, I thought she hit the nail on the head when it comes to the liberal mentality and the biased in the news media. Some of these so called reporters and MSM outlets aren't even subtle about their biases anymore, they're that bold and brazen. She focuses a lot on how they propagate lies about Republican candidates even when they're deemed not true, yet ignore or barely report on the Democrat's misbehavior. She also does a good job of dissecting the liberals use of the "victim" status to further their agenda.

She does her research and everything she said can be looked up and verified.

I find it humorous people feel the need to give her a one start rating without actually reading the book or listening to the audiobook. Amazon needs to have a better rating system like you can't rate the piece unless you buy it from Amazon or something.

The truth hurts. Apparently it hurts quite a bit based upon some of the silly one star reviews on Amazon. I read through several of them and it is pretty clear that those spewing the most vitriol have not read the book.

On the other hand, I did read it. This is a solid and well researched treatment of Ann Coulter's subject: Liberals who claim to be victims while actually victimizing others. It is thoroughly footnoted.

Before reading this, I had heard some media commentary on it and most of that seemed to be focused on Coulter's thoughts on single mothers. She certainly has strong thoughts on the problems caused by this issue, but she also has lots of hard data to support her contentions. She talks about how they "are not only 'unsung heroines,' as the title of a recent book puts it, they are perennial victims - the unwitting victims of sex with men they're not married to."

Ms. Coulter calls them 'phony victims'. She strongly advocates that rather than raising children alone, women place them for adoption. She says that a failure to do so 'they consign their children to starting life with second-class status'. Her position is rather hard core, much more so than my own, but she makes a solid case for it.

Citing crimes and other societal problems, she asks the reader to 'imagine an America with 70 percent fewer juvenile delinquents, 70 percent fewer teenage births, 63 to 70 percent fewer teenage suicides, and 70 percent to 90 percent fewer runaways and you will appreciate what the sainted single mothers have accomplished.'

Although many readers will likely have a more moderate view of this issue, Coulter certainly provides lots to ponder. Her thoughts are certainly not just confined to single mothers. She explores many other areas. One of those that is particularly good is media bias. She paints a very clear picture of the huge difference in treatment of conservatives versus liberals in the media. Although liberals are almost always treated with kid gloves, they howl and loudly proclaim their victim status after even the most gentle questions given to them. Two of the cases that she looks at extensively are the mistreatment of Sarah Palin and the amazing differences in media treatment given to George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Another very important area that she reviews is the so-called 'Fairness Doctrine'. There is nothing fair about it as Ms. Coulter clearly proves. It is simply a violation of free speech, the First Amendment, and virtually every principle upon which America was founded. This insidious policy which Ronald Reagan killed has many supporters on the left who are trying to resurrect it. It is a way to control the speech of those who are in disagreement with the party in power and it only applies to radio. It does not apply to TV shows, magazines, newspapers, movies, etc. Rather than compete in the marketplace of ideas, the liberal elites want to silence the opposition.

This is a very good book and should be read by anyone who is concerned about problems in society and possible solutions.

If you like Ann Coulter's writing style this is another great volume to add to your collection. If you don't it is still worth reading to actually listen to the points that she makes in the book. I was skeptical of the author at first, but she does her research. You may not like what she has to say but you can't question her facts. Keep it up Ann! You keep writing, and I'll keep reading.

Love her or hate her, Ann always brings up the controversial things no one else has the courage to do. For all the liberals who posted here, none of you refuted any of her arguments with statistics of your own, which makes you just as full of hot air as you all claim she is. You also conveniently leave out of your comments the fact that Ann does make exceptions - probably for every woman who posted here about their own single-mother experience. If you had read her book, you would know that she isn't speaking about EVERY single mother. Let's face it, society is a mess today. I might not always agree with Ann's assessments, but she puts forth very clear, unmuddled explanations for this mess and tries to find a way to alleviate it. We all wish we could give every poor, uneducated, person, no matter WHAT their status, a home and food on the table. And then we go out and buy our 4br/3bth houses and BMW's for the driveway and shop at the local (expensive) natural food store. I see this everywhere I go. There is so much money in this country - so many expensive cars and houses lived in. Would any one of these liberals give up their big house and $40,000 car to give a home to a poor family? I don't think so. Personally, we all know that Oprah, queen of the downtrodden, has enough money in her possession to single-handedly stop most poverty. She talks a good story, but continues to live up to a very expensive standard.

At least Ann tries to point out how we can STOP some of the sad things going on in America today without any of us having to give up our backyard, heated pool and fancy restaurants. Don't do it to begin with - don't get pregnant, don't get the mortgage you can't afford, be careful if you have to have sex not to expose yourself to Aids and stds, don't believe everything you read in the media, don't go find someone who seems better than the spouse you already have, etc. She also, I know, does NOT espouse abuse for any reason. Liberals need to stop whining, and look around them. They need to stop being so sensitive and start looking at "real" solutions to problems. Throwing money at problems in this country never works. Increasing liberties for abortion, undocumented aliens, and throwing more money into welfare does NOT work. These things have been tried (go read the chronicles of the short but scary Jimmy Carter era) and do not work. We cannot make all things equal in this society without losing our identity as the greatest country in the world. There will always be inequities, no matter how much money or discourse the intelligentsia throw at it.

Ann can be blunt and seemingly unsympathetic at times (OK - lots of times), but the essence of what she says has merit. There are dozens of books out there right now by conservatives talking about and trying to find answers to these issues. Before you denigrate Ms. Coulter as many of you have here, perhaps you should read a few of the other books as well that are less "in your face." Education is never one-sided and I have read many "liberal" books in order to research my own philosophy.

Also, we'll never know the peace that liberals so desperately say they want in this country until we can have courteous, intelligent discussions with no name calling. The meanness I have seen toward conservatives and especially the religion of Christianity by the left in this country sometimes leaves me speechless. I turn you all to the media behavior behavior toward Sarah Palin and ask you to put it up against the media behavior toward Michelle Obama and ask you to honestly assess the difference.

Ann Coulter in this book and in all of her books says it as she sees it. No spin, no politics, no holds barred. For that she is vilified by many people. I would rather see this intelligent woman write with less vitriol, but that would not get her noticed. I might not always like her deliverance, but her message is right on.

Over the years, Ann Coulter has made a name for herself by pointing out the inconsistencies inherent in liberal "arguments". In her latest book, "Guilty", Coulter argues that the mainstream media has allowed the Democratic party to spin things in their best interest - and created victims where none really exist.

It seems that everyone these days has a story of hardship and hope. Politicians must come from humble origins to be taken seriously. But how true are these stories? And how much does the media create hardship where none has existed?

The Clintons got a taste of the power of the mainstream media when Hillary ran against Barack Obama in the Democratic primary. Previously, the couple had been the sweethearts of the American press. However, when Obama came along, the media jumped on his bandwagon and Hillary was left in the dust. Suddenly, the media bias toward specific candidates was working against a Democrat.

Not only do liberals claim to be victims when there has been no wrongdoing, they will stoop to anything to get their way. Barack Obama had his opponents thrown out of the Illinois senate race when he first ran for office over "scandals" that turned out to be a whole lot of nothing. They create fear over an invisible "Republican Hate Machine" that simply doesn't exist. And by doing this, they have created true victims, people who really have suffered from these things.

Ann Coulter can be brash and unapologetic, but she is usually right. This book is her best yet, a true reveal of the insanity that goes on behind the scenes of the Democratic party. And for those of you who don't like Coulter, don't read her books. You're not going to be happy with what you see.

"Write for your reader", my English teacher used to say. Ann Coulter clearly absorbed that message. I would say that she writes "at" liberals and "for" conservatives.

Once again she has compiled information (with references)that somehow was overlooked by the national media. I found her chapter on "single moms" to be particularly interesting when linked to the national hoopla surrounding the unwed, unemployed, welfare mother of six (now fourteen!) children in California.

I would recommend this to conservatives who are looking for facts leavened with humor, or liberals willing to consider what "change" might actually be good for the country.

Most books like these, generally speaking, are more about the author than anything else. This one is refreshingly different.
In this book Ann wakes you up to some realities that have been coming to light in subtle ways. This is stuff that you don't stop to think about and then all of a sudden our whole moral base erodes before you know it.
She points out that people who make some really stupid decisions in their life like to turn things around and make themselves victims of sociaty
I like her blunt direct approach at getting her point across.

Honestly I believe Ann Coulter brings a lot of good points to the table, but in such a manner as to destroy the possibility of actually influencing American politics and culture through her writings. The constant interjection of side points and comments requires the reader to have much more knowledge than most Americans possess, and certainly vastly more than commanded by the "useful idiots" she castigates. If this book is designed to wake up the electorate or effect change in the body politic, then it fails miserably. Rather it comes out as a never ceasing mix of truly eye-blinking facts followed by off-point snide remarks, regardless of their accuracy, and then some humorous comments that often are funny only to the extremely well-informed. In this format, the book is self-defeating.

Take for example the comments concerning Bill Ayers on page 90. Coulter makes several telling points concerning the Ayers' concentration on his terrorist days as being the highpoint of his life (and unfortunately giving him a pass on his current activities in training new followers dedicated to the destruction of the US), but then says as a correction that "Ayers is a professor of education, meaning that he is less qualified to teach than the entire population of the United States." I found this comment extremely funny, although it is an exaggeration (education professors are probably less qualified to teach than only about 90% of the population.) However, the mass of readers will not understand the truly abysmal standards in teaching education that exist in the US today and why that comment is both true and hilarious. When one teaches entire courses in how to make lesson plans or how to cut out paper dolls for teaching aids and then gives everyone an "A" grade if they attend all class sessions, then surely that person is at the bottom of the curve. But the comment detracts from the subject at hand and confuses the average reader.

It seems that everyone is focusing on the massive problem of single motherhood that is having catastrophic effects on the health and future of the US and that Coulter covers in Chapter Two. Apparently many liberal readers or persons who have single mothers as friends simply cannot get past the idea that the CHOICE to have a child while single, not marry the father, and not give the baby up for adoption is narcissistic and truly devastating to the child's eventual welfare. For a better understanding of this phenomenon see "Promises I Can Keep - Why Poor Mothers Put Motherhood Before Marriage" by Edin and Kefalas, and "Unequal Childhoods" by Annette Lareau. In spite of Coulter's comments that many interpret as "mean spirited", her criticism of the ennobling of single motherhood by fleckless liberals (who evidently wish to construct a vast underclass that they can control and act paternalistic towards) is on point. The reader should closely examine the case of the "octomom" to see a very extreme example of pathology in this problem.

The main theme of the book that the adoption of "victim" status to attack possible critics -- even when no one is victimizing the individual -- is well worth comprehending and a subject for futher research. My favorite chapter is the sixth that focuses on (in part) the absolutely dominating far-left (not just liberal) bias in the meadia which is the primary force for disinformation and propaganda in the US today. Fake stories attacking Republicans receive top billing, and true stories about Democrat malfeasance are ignored by the main-stream media. The evidence is overwhelming that this is the case as Coulter points out, but again her constant comments and obscure side points damage the presentation. I can understand why the "Guilty" parties rage against this book -- not only for exposing the truth to a very large measure, but also because the author's writing style makes them look both evil and silly. Let's choose just one -- evil or silly. And the author makes a seminal contribution when she objects to using the word "courageous" to describe every little statement made by a liberal that might be unpopular to people paying taxes and working for a living.

In short I recommend this book but wish the author had confined herself to a scholarly style without the snide (but accurate) remarks and humor than tend to undermine the message with those not already in the choir. One is tempted to assume that the author uses this style to aggravate and annoy, rather than to inform and act as a catalyst to effect change. One is even tempted to assume that the continued malfeasance by liberals and the far-left is important so that more books like this one can be produced. I doubt that the reader benefits nearly as much as the author due to her chosen style.

Ann Coulter is a joy to read, for those of us who are in the right. She is smart, witty, and enjoyably nasty. She does her homework without being a boring grind. Her books have plenty of substance; she doesn't rant much; she has a lawyer's reasoning ability and the timing of a good stand-up comedian. She doesn't talk down to her readers, and makes politics, and political invective, entertaining.

The extreme reactions to her - major newspapers failing to carry her, or the harpies of The View shouting her down - just show she's right how intolerant the faction of alleged tolerance, actually is. Coulter is no more nasty on the right than Frank Rich or Maureen Dowd are on the left; that op-ed pages typically regard her as too controversial while Rich or Dowd are somehow mainstream, is a crime against thought.

In "Guilty" she takes apart the liberal reliance upon victimhood to advance its cause, and suggests, to the contrary, that liberals are the victimizers, a refreshing thought.

The underlying theme of all her books is media bias: how the mainstream media takes the liberal line hook, line and sinker, how it fails to cover the left with the same scrutiny and savagery with which it covers the right, and how it repeatedly fails to notice that the liberal king (well, co-facilitator) is wearing no clothes. Except maybe when they're admiring Michelle Obama's arms or Barack's beach photos.

The chapter on single motherhood and the plague it represents is excellent. Single motherhood is the fount from which a disproportionate number of social ills spring; as Coulter frequently points out, various economic and educational achievement disparities between blacks and whites disappear when single motherhood is taken into account.

She's such a joyous warrior. I admire her total chutzpah in arguing that U.S. history's major assassins - as liberals whine about the constant supposed threat to Obama's life - were almost all, in the broad scheme of things, creatures of the left. Is it a stretch to paint John Wilkes Booth - an actor, opposed to the violence Lincoln visited upon the South - as a liberal? You be the judge. But ask why history tends to launder out Charles Guiteau's having grown up in the Oneida Community, a free-love commune in Western New York (the women didn't much like him, Coulter writes; his nickname was "Charles Gitout". I grew up in Western New York, even won a contest on local history as a student, but was never taught about this.) The first major act of Palestinian terror in the U.S. was RFK's assassination; that, too, goes down the memory hole. JFK conspiracy theories usually gloss over Oswald's marriage to the daughter of a KGB colonel. She was allowed to marry him and they were allowed to emigrate, but the KGB had no plans for him? Occam's razor could use a good stropping here.

I use the word "chutzpah" above because I'm Jewish. Unlike my liberal brethren, I take no offense at Coulter's remarks about Jews and others who accept Christianity as being "perfected". I understand what Coulter is getting at: you're allowed to believe your own religion, and you are not compelled to find all others the equal of yours. If you did, why would you devote yourself to yours in the first place? The best diversity stance for a truly religious person to take is, other religions may have something to offer, but mine is a little better, which is why I'm proud of it and think it's worth living by. I think that about my religion; and I don't begrudge Coulter the right to think it about hers.

Jews who allege this to be anti-Semitic violate the commandment against false accusation. Making weak or unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism dishonors the memory of every Jew who ever actually suffered from it, and feeds resentment of Jews in the present day. I'd rather have one Ann Coulter on Israel's side, than a thousand liberal Jews whose "support" of Israel is so totally diluted as to render it no support at all - by their misgivings about its right to self-defense and to statehood; by their bottomless concern for those poor Palestinian victims, and by their appeasement of genuine anti-Semitism on the left.

But without false charges of anti-Semitism, and sexism, and racism, and bigotry - could liberals ever fool enough voters?