Customer Reviews

The Official Handbook of the Vast Right-wing Conspiracy 2006: The Arguments You Need to Defeat The Loony Left This Election Year

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

It's amazing how much sense this book makes.

Growing up I always considered myself intellectual and freethinking liberal. I joined MassPIRG in college (Ralph Nader was a personal hero) and organized fund raisers for famine relief. Then I grew up, got married, had a couple of kids and all of a sudden the people I had associated with in college started looking a little kooky.

I actually read The Constitution and discovered that there was nothing in there about making sure other countries around the world liked us. There is a clause guaranteeing freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. The government as designed by our founding fathers did not include a responsibility to feed and clothe people who don't work by taking money from those who do. The military is there to protect us in times of peace and war; and maintaining a strong force in times of peace may have something to do with the peace continuing.

Within the past two years I began listening to talk radio and agreed with more than I didn't. (I will never be referred to as a "ditto-head".) When Air-America came on I tuned in via the internet (no broadcasters in my area) and was shocked to hear nothing but character attacks, name-calling, and a complete lack of rational discussion. Just as was described in this book.

Read this book and see how easy it is to pop holes in the opposition's arguments when all they have is a bag of hot air.

After you finish this handbook, a copy of Stein's "How I Joined The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy And Found Inner Peace" would be a nice companion piece.

I think you can tell from the title that this is not going to be a book of nuance, subtle argumentation, or an exploration for common ground between conservatives and liberals. While there is a great deal of good information for new and young conservatives wanting to get a handle on the comments and arguments he or she hears on the major media news shows, the New York Times and Washington Post and papers that run their articles, MTV, at their school, and so forth, it is not going to provide much beyond entertainment for experienced conservatives who follow their politics closely. So, here is a way to get brief and cogent responses to the statements your liberal friends parrot at you (no matter how sincere they might be).

There are twenty-seven chapters and each covers a topic of current interest. Within each chapter a series of liberal talking points or arguments (called Liberal Lunacy) are presented one by one and answered. Quotes from big time liberals are given and each chapter ends with talking points from the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (VRWC). Again, it is pointless to criticize this book for being sardonic, for not giving liberal arguments the kind of respect or even presented in a way approved of by Al Franken, that is not its point. It is a book by a conservative for conservatives. It is unsurprising that fans of Air America or the Daily Kos would reject this book with fervor just as those liberal organs are passionately ignored throughout the Red States.

On page 238 there is a humorous chart that compares a VRWC Survival Kit against a similar Liberal Survival Kit. It is an example of the tone of the whole book. For example, the conservatives would want a 9 mm Beretta while the liberal would want scented candles. Or the member of the VRWC would want run flat tires while the liberal would want Birkenstocks. The book then has a VRWC Action Kit, which has lists of names of conservatives (many talk show hosts or columnists), conservative magazines, think tanks, web sites, and conservative books.

This is not the most nuanced argument for conservative views you can find, but so what? It isn't meant to be. This book is fun, and provides support and information for conservatives who want to be more sure of their footing when getting hit about the head and shoulders by liberals who feel their views are simply the mainstream view because they can point to the NY Times, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, Time, Newsweek, and so forth, when in fact these are all too often only publishers of the liberal point of view (and even more nakedly than Fox News is conservative - though they will never admit it).

Anyway, the book is a lot of fun and informative - if you are a conservative. If you are a liberal you will likely just get upset and why let it ruin your day? Now, if you find yourself starting to question some of your liberal assumptions and want to get a handle on the other side, this would be a great place to take a look at the conservative side of things, and then use the list of sources at the back for further reading and you will find yourself switching sides pretty quickly. And, in my view, that would be a great move.

Great read. Simply put, nothing put forth by liberals (which is nothing more than a pseudonym for communist / socialist) will ever pass a litmus test for common sense.

Mr. Rivera-garcia is a prime example. Every law in existence is an infringement upon individual civil liberties in the interest of maintaining a stable society. The lazy (with a z not an s) are the ones who expect government to be responsible for providing citizens' every need and want - a la Castro, Dictator, Slave Master - rather than cherish the social and financial independence from government control that so many died to establish. Liberals are spoiled children who insist that someone support them, but expect freedom to run amok at will with no restrictions upon their behavior. Much like the "down with the evil corporation establishment" fools at Woodstock 40 years ago, who in the same breath complained because the food, medical, and other facilities were insufficient to accommodate the crowd. Where did they think food, medicine and port-o-potties came from - the sky? From the production lines of their "evil corporation establishment." Liberalism = Ignorance = Danger.

Though I count myself as a fairly well read conservative I found the "Cliff Note" format of this conservative primer a nice review of many topics that aren't raised in everyday conversation. I've passed it along to my 19 year old as a light read to help her as she is formulating her political basis. The liberal stand is certainly well represented in her collegiate suroundings.

I don't feel that this is meant to compete with Coulter, Horowitz, D'Souza and other indepth intellectual/historical think-tank type authors. But for the new student of conservatism or the not-so-well-versed, it can provide some snappy retorts to irritating leftist statements.

Irrefutable facts on everything from the myth of global warming to the scourge of feminism make this book hard to put down until you've read, highlighted and dogeared the thing. Much more concise and lively than anything put out by most other conservative writers (Mona Charen excepted; she's brilliant, too).

If you want a book that will get your blood going and provide you with plenty of ammunition the next time some mush-head Commie liberal starts up with some sad plank of their party platform, this is for you.

This book is an excellent read. With perfectly valid arguments against just about every liberal myth you can think of, this is the perfect book for arguing with all your liberal friends and co-workers. In addition to this, Mark W. Smith clearly cites all his sources, so you know you arent being force-fed lies and misinformation (as some of the other reveiws of this book would have you believe). And the author also recommends several other excellent books, most of which focus on a specific topic, so you can find more in-depth stuff if you need it. The only reason i would consider giving this book a four is because most of the arguments dont go into as much depth as they could, although it certianly goes into enough. Overall, this book is an excellent base for anyone who is getting into politics, or just wants to debate politics with their lefty friends.

I absolutely loved this book. It's easy to read, concise, and has a summary after each chapter as a quick reference guide to its talking points. I especially enjoyed the chapter on the 2000 election. I learned facts that should shut even Al Franken up!

This book is great. It's a quick read and it's perfect for the "neo-con." Simply, it was a collection of liberal talking points with the rebuttals from the Conservative perspective. It will make you think and it will make you laugh.

I would recommend this book to someone who doesn't read a lot of political books. It covers just about everything the liberals will throw your way. The writer makes many references to other books I have already read. He does not go into depth or site a lot of sources like Hannity, Morris, Coulter, and Savage do, but it is still an informative read.

And the bonus is that you get a free VRWC card at the end. I keep mine in my wallet!

This book is a quick, easy read and does indeed provide many good arguments to support the right-wing agenda. However, Smith too often falls back on arrogance and self-righteousness to bolster his position.

The book is written in the form of arguments liberals might make, followed by the VRWC rebuttal. And on several occasions, Smith follows three great rebuttals with a fourth that amounts to "Yeah? So what." He sets up a liberal complaint and then concedes that there is no good response. The problem is, there are good responses to be found. They're just not in Smith's book. He does a disservice to the right by including these "because I say so, that's why" non-arguments.

This is a good book to help you get your bearings; it would likely serve as a great intro for young republicans. But this is no substitute for serious conservative thought.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The author really doesn't tell me anything new about political conservatism, but he does bring a myriad of issues together under one cover. Smith's writing style is entertaining and enlightening. For people with more of a leaning to the left, this title shouldn't be seen as a piece of trash or propaganda, but as an informative description of the positions of the political right. Although I admit to being a political conservative, I'd enjoy reading a similar volume summarizing the views of the political left!

Among the many politically right-leaning books on the market today, this one is a must-read!