Understanding the F-Word: American Fascism and the Politics of Illusion [Paperback]

David McGowan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 21, 2001

By offering a radical review of the last one hundred years of US history, this work is intended as a counterpoint to the rampant revisionism of the flurry of books glorifying the "American Century". Beginning with the rather bold and decidedly controversial assertion that the current political system in place in the United States at the dawn of the twenty-first century is fascism, the first part of this book attempts to justify that claim by first defining exactly what fascism iscorrecting various widely-held misconceptionsand then analyzing how closely we as a nation conform to that definition. Also included is a review of some of the hidden history and key events of World War II. Part II offers a retrospective of the twentieth century American presidential administrations, to demonstrate that the steady and inexorable march towards overt fascism was a defining characteristic that remained unchanged. The final section looks at the still very much alive eugenics movement, and analyzes the role played by the psychiatric establishment in validating the fascist state. This book will surely find no shortage of detractors, but if read with an open mind, it just may change the way you view the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David McGowan is a freelance writer/researcher living in the Los Angeles area and the author of Derailing Democracy (Common Courage Press, 2000). He also maintains a Website - the Center for an Informed America - featuring news, commentary and analysis of an alternative nature. You can visit him at http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (June 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595186408
• ISBN-13: 978-0595186402
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,193,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where are we heading?, September 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Understanding the F-Word: American Fascism and the Politics of Illusion (Paperback)

I ordered this book not long before the events of September 11 after reading the authors previous book. As I struggled to make sense of the events of that tragic day, I picked it up and began reading it and found it difficult to put down. I think that I now have a better perspective on where this 'war on terrorism' is heading and why. Please read this book as an antidote to what we are being told by our politicians and our press. We are on a very dangerous course. We will all pay a very high price for the actions now being taken. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars US political system - the Sad, Sad facts, November 4, 2002

By 

Steveddd "steveddd" (Miami Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding the F-Word: American Fascism and the Politics of Illusion (Paperback)

A Must Read! I discovered this book, when reading articles on the David McGowan's web site, The Center for an Informed America. Chapters 3, 7, 10, 28 and 29 from this book are available there as well as the author's regular newsletters offering alternative viewpoints on current events.

This book is not going to be popular, given the controversial title with many Americans. It is sure to draw criticism (or be ignored) by "the Right", the Republicans and Democrats alike. But within the pages, the author makes a compelling case that what we have in America today - looks, smells and feels an awful lot like fascism.

The release of the book couldn't possibly have been better timed, on the eve of the 9-11 attacks. When one considers that this book was actually written on the verge of the 2000 Presidential debacle, one gets the feeling that author David McGowan is somehow clairvoyant. Indeed, the post 9-11 flag-waving (bellicose nationalism), and the infinite "war on terrorism" (overt militarism), along with the USA Patriot and Homeland Security Acts (forcible suppression of opposition), fulfill a major part of the fascist definition, making this book even more apropos than it would otherwise have been.

Part of the book covers the history, in brief, of the last hundred years of U.S. Presidents, beginning with Teddy Roosevelt. This time capsule review reveals some major events and some largely suppressed "hidden events" detailing US imperialism that has been largely ignored in the history books. Presidential agendas are apparently neither Democratic nor Republican (though the Republican agenda would be a much closer approximation), but are simply "The Agenda". And apparently crooked politics, corruption and scandals have been much more prevalent than most people have been led to believe in carrying out this (corporate) agenda.

If you find yourself incredulous at the non-stop deluge of media drivel, this book will help explain why the media has become what it is, a propaganda arm of the government.

If the pre-emptive attack mentality of the current administration seems "a little" un-American to you, this book will offer some insight as to how and why things "are as they are" and perhaps offer a glimpse as to where it is we are heading.

As a bonus, the author has included some fascinating information on the human genome project, along with various other scientific experiments, including psychological warfare and the new and improved hybrid (seedless) crops and their potential use in future wars and (quite possibly) population control.

For further reading, I also recommend David C. Korten's "When Corporations Rule the World", Jim Marrs, "Rule by Secrecy", as well as David McGowan's, "Derailing Democracy". And of course who could do without George Orwell's, "1984" in times like these.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, February 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Understanding the F-Word: American Fascism and the Politics of Illusion (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. I read the whole thing in a day, because I couldn't stop.

The first section of the book deals with formal definitions of fascism and with characteristics of the US which meet those definitions. The second section is a series of sketches of US Presidents, chronologically, from Theodore Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. A number of recurring pernicious themes are illustrated in wry style. The last section covers the nightmare worlds of racist pseudoscience, electroshock, mind-control, lab-created plagues, MK-ULTRA, etc.

It's a very straightforward book, written in a conversational rather than an academic style. "Pleasant" isn't the right word -the book contains a great deal of extremely unpleasant information, but the author's style is engaging and thought-provoking in a way that made me want to keep reading.