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| Moyers on Democracy | 
 enlarge | Author: Bill Moyers
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 62899
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.3 x 1
ISBN: 0385523807
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.973
EAN: 9780385523806
ASIN: 0385523807
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New. 100% money back guarantee. All books shipped from Strand Bookstore, New York City, USA.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Heartfelt take on the excesses and shortcomings of American democracy (3.5*s) June 26, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
In this collection of 28 speeches given at conferences, award dinners, anniversaries of various organizations or events, eulogies, etc, Moyers comments on the state of American democracy, or the ability of ordinary citizens to participate, to be empowered. His standard for comparison is largely the concept of democracy formalized in the Constitution and his take on the broad equality of colonial times, ignoring of course that political participation was confined to propertied white men - a distinct minority. He does note that some of us were regarded as 3/5 of a person for apportioning representation.
In these series of lectures, Moyers repeats such themes as growing income and wealth disparities and the subsequent disproportionate influence in government, lack of health care for millions, lack of access to education and the consequent ignorance of our past, the unwillingness of the mass media to report forthrightly and fully on current realities, and more broadly the lack of community interaction and the idea of a shared destiny. He is most assuredly correct to note that shopping has replaced democracy in America.
The problem with these types of anthologies is the repetition and the lack of elaboration and development of a broader critique and understanding. For example, the very idea of democracy is highly nebulous. Does the colonial society of rural, subsistence farmers have a lot of relevance to an integrated, industrial urban society? The labor movement, Populists, and the socialists starting fighting big-money interests at least 125 years ago with only marginal successes along the way. The lack of democracy, whatever that may be, seems to be inherent in the American system.
Beyond a lament for a vague notion of democracy that has probably never existed, there are no real proposals for defining and/or establishing a democracy in our world. The biggest concern seems to be getting private money out of the political process, but that leaves so many questions and problems. Are mega-corporations compatible with democracy? What happens to empowerment when a person steps through a corporate door in the morning? Does he propose works councils in businesses? Or employee ownership? Does he propose a wholesale revamping of election processes - perhaps even random selection, like juries? Moyer is completely disingenuous when it comes to a free press. He acknowledges that profits trump reporting, but conveniently ignores the major function of corporate-run media to continually defend the economic and social status quo, which of course requires the suppression of radical employees and their work. It goes without saying that media companies won't fully and truthfully report on any social or economic issue that may infringe on the prerogatives of the rich.
Moyers is a good guy. His is a welcome voice in the midst of corporate and right-wing ideologues. He is best when commenting on excesses and shortcomings of those in power - of which there are many examples. But his ideas are not really transforming. He is not an advocate of radicalism, which the implementation of democracy most definitely would be.
 A Mistitled Book July 2, 2008
5 out of 21 found this review helpful
Bill Moyers new book, like Mr. Moyers entire career, illustrates what's wrong with modern liberalism: there is nothing wrong with the goals or the sentiment, but the arrogance of the mindset leads to an inability to understand any objections to their agenda and a lack of the foresight needed to consider the ramifications of it. This is a perfect illustration of what Talleyrand said about the Ancien Regime: "They forget nothing and they learn nothing."
Perhaps it is too harsh to attach much significance to what is, after all, a repackaging of ephemeral writings, designed to make a few bucks for Mr. Moyers and to throw some red meat to the less thoughtful of his fans, but my own particular run in with Mr. Moyers is illustrative.
A few years ago, The Wall Street Journal ran an account by a federal judge of J. Edgar Hoover's secret files, among which the judge found a request by Mr. Moyers shortly before the 1964 election, requesting the FBI to provide him with a list of homosexual Republicans which he could use in a smear campaign. This was worse than anything that went on at Watergate, since the nation was not at war and Moyer's targets were not public officials capable of defending themselves but average citizens who weren't.
Shortly after that, a cultural institution, of which I was a member, announced that it was awarding a lifetime acheivement award to Mr. Moyers. Angry at the timing, I resigned from the institution and sent a letter explaining my reasons to the Board of Trustees, a copy of which was quite properly sent to Mr. Moyers. Mr. Moyers sent me a letter of justification and asked me to forward it to the Board, which I did. His letter was contradictory: he smeared the judge, then, admitting the charges claimed that it was old news and finally offered a totally implausible excuse for what he did. But here's the kicker: he had one of his minions investigate me, as was clear in references to my background in his letter.
It takes an unusual kind of arrogance to defend yourself against spying by spying on your accuser. Mr. Moyers originally studied for the ministry before he found the attractions of mammon more to his liking. Rigid belief in doctrine and blind true believer faith in one's creed are virtues in a man of the cloth, but when you turn to the things Jesus told us to render unto Caesar, those virtues become character flaws.
 The Call for Truth July 29, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Bill Moyers writes with passion and outrage about the current state of affairs in America. The speeches in this book were given over a period of years from 1987 to 2007. Each speech is introduced with a current comment. Unfortunately the issues addressed haven't changed with time other than being more in need of change.
My favorite speeches were the eulogies which he was asked to give for people he came to know and greatly admire - Lady Bird Johnson, Barbara Jordan, William Sloan Coffin, and Fred Friendly. Moyers sums up their lives and greatly honors them with his words.
Of Barbara Jordan:"The founders would have been lucky to have had her in that Constitutional Convention. If she had been present, it would have taken far less time for Barbara Jordan to be recognized as a whole person in the sight of the law, or for this country to fulfill its promise.
As it is, the good fortune has been yours and mine. Just when we despaired of finding a hero, she showed up, to give the sign of democracy."
Bill Moyers, our National Treasure July 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
TitleMoyers on Democracy
Author
Bill Moyers
Rating*****
Tagsdemocracy, politics, religion, civil rights, speeches
This is a collection of Moyer's speeches over many years that touch on the subject of democracy. If I could, I'd give a copy to everyone in the world to read. Forget Nicholas Cage movies, Bill Moyers is THE National Treasure.
Mr. Moyers probably doesn't believe in reincarnation - though he would respect my right to do so - but I think in one of his previous lives he must have been a bard, and in another one of those court jesters who was the only person to tell the king the truth. For he has both the journalistic integrity to be dedicated to finding the truth and to sharing it with the public. The speech he gave on Hubert Humphrey is one of the best pieces of writing, fiction or non-fiction, I've ever read in my life, and many of the other pieces are of similar quality.
It is hard to give a sense of the book, because it wanders many places in talking about democracy. There are obituaries here, to such people as Barbara Jordan, William Sloane Coffin, and Fred Friendly. There is a commencement address. Issues of media, politics, and religion are discussed. And always, Moyers gives us history, often history of the relatively unknown and their struggles to be free. It is an inspirational book, one that sets the mind alight to preserve and restore freedom and its handmaiden, responsibility.
PublicationDoubleday (2008), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 416 pages
Publication date2008
ISBN0385523807 / 9780385523806
MOYERS ON DEMOCRACY July 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Bill Moyers has a clear insight to many of our countries urgent problems and the causes of them. This book is a fantastic read. Worth the money! I bought a second copy to pass around.
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