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155 of 166 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Eye Opening, Easy Read, November 15, 2001
This review is from: The New Thought Police: Inside the Left's Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds (Hardcover)
As someone who used to listen to Tammy Bruce every weekend when she had her show on KFI in Los Angeles, (I actually emailed her regularly and often got nice responses.) I was happy to hear she had written a book. It was the way I heard about it that surprised me. While flipping the dials, I heard Dr. Laura talking about this great new book. I can't say that I ever would have figured that Tammy's most vocal supporter would be Dr. Laura. This support may explain why the book was sold out at eight stores I visited the week it was released. (Thank goodness I had Amazon.) There have been plenty of books written about Political Correctness and those who would control our speech. What makes Bruce's' book different is that she is not a right wing thundercloud shouting down the opposition. As a lifelong feminist and President of LA N.O.W for nearly a decade, she has a long history as a champion for `liberal' causes and has been an outspoken advocate for traditionally `left leaning' issues. In spite this lengthy pedigree, or perhaps because she actually believes in her causes, Bruce is appalled by the tactics of the left and the new "thought police" who carry out the marching orders. "The New Thought Police" is an easy read. I finished it in less than a day without much effort. The reason for Dr. Laura's strong support is quite clear early on when Bruce devotes an entire chapter to the criticism and threats faced by Dr. Laura after her comments angered the `gay establishment.' A lesbian herself, Bruce may disagree with Dr. Laura, but is quick to point out that the propaganda used against her national TV show was filled with lies. As Bruce points out here and throughout the book, the left has adopted the policies that used to be used against them. (In this case, passing out hateful fliers in Dr. Laura's neighborhood as anti-abortion foes have done with doctors for years.) I loved the candor of this book. Tammy pulls no punches and lands most of strong left and right crosses she throws. Her description of the evolution, or de-evolution of the women's movement is particularly eye opening. Likewise, her attacks on the "Misery Merchants" who use racial tension to line their own pockets is hard hitting. It's one thing to hear Rush Limbaugh attack Patricia Ireland or even to hear Larry Elder call out Jesse Jackson, but when Bruce does it, it packs more of a wallop. Missing from the book is an explanation of what happened to Bruce when she left KFI. The last any of us heard, she had been fired for some comments she made about Camille Cosby after the wife of the famous comedian wrote a letter blaming American racism for the death of her son. Mrs. Cosby was never called to task for her racist letter, but when Bruce refused to apologize, she was fired. At least that's the story we all heard. A better explanation of that chapter would have been wonderful. The book does lose some steam near the end when Bruce teeters precariously on a razor thin line between activism and thought control. After calling into question the efforts to shut down Dr. Laura, she relates with great pride how she led a charge against Brett Eaton Ellis' novel "American Psycho." Her descriptions of direct sponsor action back up her point, but the fact that she laughs at giving out the private number of Ellis' publicist and encouraging hateful phone calls just smacks of self justification. I also didn't care for a crack she made about people who would watch pornography. (Something about these being the kind of people we wouldn't want to have over for dinner.) In all "The New Thought Police" is a well written look at the PC culture of today. Yes, it focuses mostly on such attacks coming from the left, but we've got plenty of books on the sins of the right. Hearing it from Tammy Bruce is bound to open a lot of eyes, and unfortunately for her, close a lot of doors if the "Thought Police" have anything to do with it.
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102 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Corrine Corinna where you been so long, December 3, 2001
This review is from: The New Thought Police: Inside the Left's Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds (Hardcover)
Tammy Bruce is a Classical Liberal, one who extols the true virtues of an American culture that has brought a rising tide of wealth to all of its people. In this new book she speaks out against the heavily laden dogma of the Socialist Left that hides behind the labels of NOW, the NAACP, and multiculturalism, the avatar of academic political correctness. She avers that these groups have sought to hoodwink the public while turning America's universities into a bastion of intellectual thought suppression worthy of East Germany under Soviet occupation. As a true Liberal she voices her support for individualism versus the Groupthink multiculturalism so popular in Hollywood, the media and academia. Her thoughts emanating from her experiences as catalogued in this book are given additional and sustained gravitas due to her credentials as a pro-choice, lesbian feminist who was president of the National Organization of Women from 1990-1996. The book is a quick read, but the thoughts she outlines are the result of intense and calculated consideration. She correctly sees through all the popular ruses of the Socialist Left which are right out of the Leninist-Stalinist playbook. She points out how a very small number of people (5 or 6) were able to orchestrate the campaign to remove Dr. Laura Schlessinger from the airwaves. She deplores the smears and lies of Molly Yard, Patricia Ireland and Ellie Smeal of NOW who, along with their minions, practice a form of assault on free speech and free thought while abetted by the same culprits, the major media, academia and Hollywood. She relates how these women have even attempted to silence her. As a true feminist she comes down hard on Jesse Jackson and Bill Clinton with obvious good reason. She even calls out the Gay establishment for pretending to be one thing but in fact being another. She accuses these representatives of the New Thought Police of abandoning their original mission in favor of a Socialist agenda that is the opposite of the principles upon which America was founded. She's so refreshing that it makes you want to stand up and cheer. I have seen her on the Fox network and she speaks as clearly and articulately as she writes which makes her an attractive spokesman for freedom lovers everywhere. In this book she attempts to refute the many misrepresentations that America is bombarded with daily by our trusted network news anchors. It's noteworthy that former CBS reporter Bernard Goldberg's new book "Bias", about network Leftism at CBS, is ready to debut. It reflects an expanding market that he and Ms Bruce address and it highlights a backlash from real Liberals across the nation that is in full force. In addition, the events of 9-11 have exacerbated the rancor of the people and it seems that this position is echoed in the continuing success in the ratings of the Fox network. Read this book and know that there are many on the Left and the Right who despise the Anti-Americanism that Tammy Bruce so effectively exposes. She understands Left-wing McCarthyism when she sees it, and America could use more like her.
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87 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Real Life Populism and Honesty, October 23, 2001
This review is from: The New Thought Police: Inside the Left's Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds (Hardcover)
You've got to read this book. I live in Chicago and first heard about Tammy Bruce during the O.J. Simpson trial in Los Angeles. I'm not a feminist but I really appreciated her zeal about making sure domestic violence wasn't overshadowed by Simpson's "dream team" talk of racism. With this book I have found out why I liked her in the first place--she cuts through all the nonsense about social issues put out by the left, like multiculturalism and hate crimes. And, as a Dr. Laura fan, I was thrilled to see a chapter devoted to the true story behind the gay groups attacks on her. I've been waiting for someone to stand up for Dr. Laura. Bruce does a great job exposing the gay groups real agenda. In general, that's what makes this book so good--Bruce comes from the inside and has some pretty surprising stories about what the Left "establishment" as she terms it, is really like. But be prepared--this book is not just a political attack--I reads more like a manifesto about true progressive politics and radical individualism, their importance and how we can improve our lives by trusting ourselves and our intentions as Americans. At the same time, it was fun, had great humor, real life stories and all the while educated me politically. What a dream. I also particularly liked her chapter about what it was really like in NOW, and their double-standards. Probably the most surprising thing she reveals is that NOW took money from the Clinton administration during the Jones and Lewinsky scandals (which finally made clear to me why they were so hypocritical about sexual harassment when it came to Bubba). You might not agree with everything she writes, but after reading this book I'm looking at everything just a little bit differently, even with more personal confidence and optimism. This is a great read, I learned stuff, enjoyed it and rediscovered someone who is sorely needed in the political world. This book should put Tammy Bruce back on the political map. I highly recommend it.
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