Rating: 3 stars
Not being a political person, I try to avoid politics whenever possible. The last politically-based book I attempted to read was Michael Moore’s Stupid White Men; but I was only able to read a few pages before the ignorance became overwhelming—and I’m not talking about Michael Moore’s.
However, even though I can’t name all the political players or what they stand for, I do know crazy when I see it.
In the past I rarely paid attention to the Rush Limbaughs and the Glen Becks of the world. I was sure nobody in their right minds would take these lunatics seriously. Sadly, I was wrong and John Avlon’s Wingnuts illustrates just how wrong I am.
As Avlon notes, people like Limbaugh and Beck use fear tactics, heated exaggeration and conspiratorial fantasy to whip the unstable sheep who follow them into a frenzy. I don’t know which is scarier, the idiots spouting the garbage or the morons buying it.
Some criticize Avlon for not putting in his two cents or giving proof to the contrary on certain talking points; however, I don’t think Avlon wrote the book to focus on himself. The psychotic rantings and insane accusations of the far left and right are the stars here and Avlon is simply discussing whether or not they have any validity.
For instance, Obama is constantly being called a Nazi, so Avlon speaks to a Nazi chapter member, who notes that Obama is so far at the opposite end of the spectrum of Nazi-ism he’d think it was funny, if it weren’t so ludicrous.
Overall, John Avlon does a good job of maintaining neutrality. Obviously he doesn’t agree with the outrageous political practices and propaganda of the extremists or he wouldn’t have written the book. Some may call that bias, I call it sanity.
Despite Avlon’s success in refuting the belief that Obama is a Nazi, he wasn’t able to disprove the anti-Christ accusation... I think we'll just have to take a leap of faith that he's not.
However, proof may exist that Glenn Beck might actually be the devil.
----------------------------
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Beast Books (February 23, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0984295111