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American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right Paperback – September 1, 2010
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Print length256 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherPolipoint Press
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Publication dateSeptember 1, 2010
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Dimensions5.54 x 0.7 x 8.6 inches
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ISBN-101936227029
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ISBN-13978-1936227020
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“It isn’t possible to understand American politics now without understanding the worldview and arguments of Markos Moulitsas. If you still believe the beltway caricature of the squishy, compromising, conciliatory American left, American Taliban should disabuse you of that notion.”
—Rachel Maddow, The Rachel Maddow Show
“Moulitsas alerts us to a clear and present danger in America: radical zealots who disregard our Constitution and our freedoms and who disguise themselves as patriots.”
—Roger Ebert, film critic
“I can’t remember a time in my life when anti-intellectualism and intolerance—from America’s prejudice against evolutionary science to its reactionary condemnation of a scholarly African American president—has been more pervasive. The time has never been more ripe for a book such as this. American Taliban reminds us that fanaticism isn’t always an import.”
—Brett Gurewitz, Bad Religion
“A thorough compendium of right-wing hypocrisy and selective memory that is either hilarious or tragic, depending on your mood. And it’s all lovingly couched in outrage and profanity.”
—David Cross, I Drink for a Reason
“While not afraid to laugh at the American Taliban, Markos Moulitsas sees the culture warriors for the insidious, dangerous force they present to a free and democratic society.”
—Amanda Marcotte, Executive Editor, Pandagon.net
“Markos writes with a conscience and armed with facts to let you know: no, you’re not crazy. What you suspected all along was true—America’s right wing lives on a myth of self-constructed lies about the Other, with a juvenile disregard for reality, and Obama’s presidency has further radicalized an already radical conservative movement.”
—Janeane Garofalo, comic and actor
“Markos Moulitsas vividly exposes how the radical right and many leaders in the Republican Party , contrary to their incessant claims, actually hate the cherished American values of freedom, justice, tolerance and diversity of thought and expression. With sparkling clarity, American Taliban sounds the alarm on the well-funded, highly-placed authoritarians in this country who work daily to strip away civil liberties and viciously malign gays, women and other groups, and shows why they are treacherous to American democracy. We better listen.”
—Michelangelo Signorile, The Michelangelo Signorile Show, Sirius XM Radio
“American Taliban makes it clear that in a blind taste test the only way you’d be able to tell the difference between the GOP and Taliban philosophies would be beard hair.”
—Sam Seder, author, F.U.B.A.R: America’s Right Wing Nightmare
“Markos Moulitsas exposes Limbaugh, Palin, Beck, O’Reilly, Boehner, Gingrich, the Teabaggers, and the Birthers as mullahs of a modern American Taliban hell-bent on imposing their narrow-minded political jihad on us all.”
—John Aravosis, editor, AMERICAblog.com
“American Taliban shines a blinding light on the conservative right’s dark agenda. Anyone who genuinely cares about America should read this book.”
—David Coverdale, Whitesnake
About the Author
Markos Moulitsas is the founder and publisher of Daily Kos, which gets 2.5 million unique visitors every month. He is a two-time book author, a former Newsweek columnist, a regular guest on national tv and radio news shows, and a weekly columnist at The Hill newspaper. He is also the founder of SportsBlogs, Inc. (SBNation.com), a fellow at the New Policy Institute, and a member of the boards of several progressive organizations.
Product details
- Publisher : Polipoint Press; 1st Edition. (September 1, 2010)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 256 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1936227029
- ISBN-13 : 978-1936227020
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.54 x 0.7 x 8.6 inches
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Best Sellers Rank:
#616,435 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #538 in Political Parties (Books)
- #1,768 in Political Conservatism & Liberalism
- #74,378 in History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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However, if you're a fence-sitter, this deep and well-though-out river of facts (not innuendo) and figures (not hypothetical guesses) should be a refreshing dip. Some of the material you'll already be aware of if you watch most mainstream TV channels, other information was surprisingly consistent - and revealing.
From someone on the other side of the world who takes an interest in the Goon Show that is American Politics, this is a fascinating trip to the less-well-known side of human nature in the conservative world.
Yes, the never-endingness of the litany of these people's shortcomings makes it a heavy read (even for a speed reader), so you might want to break up the lengthy recitation with "The Blind Watchmaker", or perhaps "The Origin of Species". :)
What makes Moulitsas' admittedly opinionated narrative so compelling is that he documents every claim with the actual words and actions of members of the American Taliban. I found the section on religion to be the most interesting, especially given the endless battle by the right to impose their own narrow religious beliefs on the rest of us. But every societal element he addresses receives the same treatment, and the strength of his arguments is not in the least diminished by his occasional forays into pure sarcasm. He could have provided a stronger summary, including specific recommendations for actions by progressives to more effectively limit the damage from the right.
As with most political books, this one will not change anyone's mind. There will surely be the usual collection of coordinated one-star reviews from those who haven't read the book and don't address its substance. But his factual arguments do provide plenty of ammunition for the rest of us to use in trying to demonstrate the intellectual and political bankruptcy of the right.
This book carries that idea forward, with documentation. Anyone interested in current political events around the world owes it to themselves to read this book with an open mind -- whichever "side" they think they are on.
Top reviews from other countries
Mr. Moulitsas has done an admirable job of drawing the parallels between the Taliban societies that exist in both the US and in the Islamic strongholds. Both groups of religious extremists are obsessed with the furtherment of their own power and control over society, both groups are warring zealots who view these deathly conflicts as being 'holy', both are fixated on sexual bodily functions and attempt to control the impulses of all others, both belittle the role of women and refuse to move towards the equality of the genders, both have a latent culture that attempts to re-root itself into the Middle Ages by defying and demeaning educational advances and, lastly, through a concerted effort to re-write history, both see the expression of reality and truth as being merely an option and only done when it promotes their 'rightious' cause.
As stated above, I recommend this as a MUST READ to all persons involved in the Tea Party movement, watch FOX News or listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh, knowing full well that these are the same groups that Charles Dickens warned us about nearly three centuries ago. My only fault with this book lies with is simplistic title and barren front cover. In your next writing Mr. Moulitsas please find someone who can more attract more readers through proper titling and a more attractive book cover. In addition, I hope that the fence-mending with MSNBC is proceding well and that you will be back on the air very soon.




