The Politics of Deceit

Today, Americans face a tyranny built upon contemporary political practices that devalue personal and communal responsibility as well as overall participation in the political process. Life-and-death political discussions and decisions are now limited to a virtual world of illusion and coercion. No politician has so cynically wielded these manipulative political practices as has George W. Bush.

In The Politics of Deceit, political insider Glenn Smith reveals why our political customs threaten democracy and freedom with extinction, and illustrates how we can ultimately fix these problems. Among the most hopeful developments is the cultivation of new interactive media, including the successful efforts of MoveOn.org and other online groups. Smith skillfully argues that our shrugging acceptance of the politics of manipulation doesn’t mean our political practices are right or just. Their very structure lends advantage to politicians like George W. Bush, who would mislead rather than lead, and who believe their own power is more important than the health of democracy.

This thought-provoking book digs deep to raise questions that others are afraid to ask, and shatters the two-way mirror that separates "we the people" from the democratic institutions and mechanisms of power that are supposed to serve our interests, not the interests of those in power. You’ll become familiar with important issues that can and will affect your life, including:

• How the reliance on manipulative advertising leads to deceit
• How public dialogue has become a monologue of monied interests
• The failure to address citizens in their full humanity
• How President Bush gets away with his manipulation of the "embedded" press
• How vital new citizen action can promote and protect a more democratic society and the possibility of freedom for all Americans

Through anecdotes from history and contemporary politics, The Politics of Deceit offers realistic recommendations for a democratic renewal. You’ll receive an insider’s view of what must be done to protect the future of liberty, including the reversal of numerous political practices such as the power of money over argument in the public sphere, and the disproportionate amount of spending on advertising over grass-roots recruitment and public discourse.

Democracy and freedom cannot survive if we continue to accept our current political situation. Nothing short of a revolution in the way we practice politics in America will keep freedom and democracy from disappearing behind the two-way mirror of our self-absorbed, vain, and impoverished political habits. The Politics of Deceit will open citizens’ eyes to the ways they are being manipulated, and point to ways every American can participate and make a difference in a renewed democracy.

A look at the language of contemporary political dialogue reveals the growing ease with which Americans are manipulated by advertising and the media, estranged from personal political involvement, and held captive by manufactured fears and enforced deprivations.

PRAISE FOR THE POLITICS OF DECEIT

"From straight out of the frontline trenches of political warfare, some genuinely original thinking, a few laughs and a glimpse of a better world. Can’t ask for more than that."

–Molly Ivins, columnist and author, most recently, of Bushwhacked

"Glenn Smith goes beyond the hype, with deep, eye-opening insights into the history-making possibilities of online activism. Having run political campaigns the old way, Smith is no starry eyed idealist, yet projects a thoughtful and optimistic vision for democracy in America. The Politics of Deceit is a must-read."

–Wes Boyd, cofounder, MoveOn.org

"Glenn Smith has documented how a radical conservative minority has achieved political domination in America largely through deceit–carefully crafted, well-funded, systematic deceit. In doing so, they have fragmented American’s sense of unity, and weakened our position in the world, our military, our economy, our environment, our health, and our educational system. Worst of all, they threaten our very freedoms. The Politics of Deceit is a call to action, grass-roots political action. It is time to be citizens again."

–George Lakoff, Senior Fellow, The Rockridge Institute

author, Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think

professor, University of California at Berkeley

Glenn Smith (Austin, TX), a former journalist and political consultant, managed MoveOn.org's Defending Democracy Campaign. He is currently managing DriveDemocracy.org, a spin-off of MoveOn, and a consultant to the Rockridge Institute, a progressive think tank.

GLENN W. SMITH has been a behind-the-scenes advisor to U.S. senators and governors, as well as a partner with key presidential advisors to President Clinton and President Bush. He has advised major U.S. businesses and institutions on communications strategies and worked for politicians and organizations from Washington, D.C., to California. Smith, who managed the recent Defend Democracy Campaign for MoveOn.org, has established DriveDemocracy.org to open new avenues for political participation at the state and local levels. He has also served as a consultant to the Rockridge Institute, a progressive think tank based in California. Previously, he was managing director of Public Strategies, Inc., an international public affairs firm. Before entering politics, Smith was a journalist for many years. He lives in Austin, Texas.

Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1. The Madness of King George III and Our Contemporary Political Dilemma.

2. Freedom.

3. Shaking Bugs Bunny’s Hand in Disneyland: Democracy Will Not Be Televised.

4. Dead Pope Music: The Press and American Politics.

5. The Threatened Habitats of Democracy.

6. Lantern Bearing and the American Covenant Tradition.

7. The Other Superpower: The Internet’s New “Interactivists” and the Public Sphere.

8. Shooting Elephants: The Language of Politics.

9. Freedom and Religion: The Visions of Jacob and Orestes.

10. In America.

References.

Index.