Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace: How We Got to Be So Hated

Anyone who wants to understand the basic value of free speech in America needs to read this long litany of the abuses of government authority by the police, politicians and press. All criticism of power obviously infuriates conservatives, and Vidal constantly skewers the rich, complacent, corrupt and conniving. It is definitely not meant to be read by rich fat conservatives of the Greedy Old Party, or even the Dumb Enough for Me set. Instead, it's a wonderful expose of the abuses of power by people who hold power; it's not meant to be fair, any more than 'Common Sense' by Thomas Paine was meant to be even handed. Like the Founding Fathers, Vidal believes American can be better if some of its inherited bad habits are discarded. From Paine to Thomas Jefferson to Michael Moore, America has thrived in part because of its critics. And who reins in the critics? They must wage a constant rearguard action against everyone from Rush Limbaugh to Ann Colter. The very best are often betrayed by even their friends; but, this is often the price of being right instead of popular. Public debate in America is waged in a playpen of paranoid wolves; there is no mercy for anyone who bleeds in the arena of public comment. It is no place for the weak-minded. Vidal is one of the best. Of course he's unfair; he's quick to cite government slaughter at Waco, but ignores the slaughter by religious cults from Jonestown to Heaven's Gate, and the appalling sexual child abuse by polygamist Mormons in Arizona. His talent is defending individual freedom against government conformity. This is the heart of a free society. In some countries conformity is an art form, such as Cuba, Iran and North Korea, but it is not the fate chosen by free people. Government in America is truly as bad as Vidal states; but, every fault Vidal cites was brought to his attention by news reports and government studies and not by his own original effort. In other words, a free press exists and is effective. A century ago, critics such as Upton Sinclair were the first to tell all Americans about appalling conditions in industry. The result was major reform. Today, critics thrive throughout society from village newspapers to national publishers, plus millions of bloggers, book critics and letter writers. The result is a constant process of incremental reform. Amazon.com book reviews are one such utterly new bastion of free expression; they offer another means to praise or cauterize the cogent or corrupt arguments of everyone from Vidal to myself. It is this freedom that makes Vidal possible and precious, and gives America an almost unassailable strength. This is one society where error of opinion or fact is pounced upon with vigor and glee, instead of being covered over in the genteel ivy of sacred tradition, pride and heritage. Vidal is one of the best. You can learn a lot by reading a book, and this book is one of the most provocative. You (and America) will be better for it.

If you’re aware of Gore Vidal’s politics, nothing in this book will surprise you. Easy enough read, finished in an afternoon. Interesting, certainly unique, take on the OK City bombing.

I heard about Gore Vidal's "inflammatory" essay about 9/11 long before I actually read it. The consensus seemed to be that Vidal had succumbed to senility of some sort, a bitchy old queen in his dotage subscribing to conspiracy theories on the level of Loose Change. Instead of a screed, I got a well reasoned attack on America's foreign policy and how that policy may well create terrorists - all so the US has the excuse to fight them. The ultimate benefit of the war on terror is a corporate sponsored government that no longer represents the people, the institutionalization of greed and corruption, the dismantling of America's Bill of Rights and the further entrenchment of the military industrial complex that Eisenhower spoke so eloquently against.Can anybody observing the current state of the world argue that this isn't our current state? And given that and that this benefits a very specific and small group of powerful people, that those people in fact conspire to keep things this way? If anything, Vidal was measured in his attacks on the wars on terror and drugs and how this benefits multinational corporations and the people who control them. We are no longer governed by our representatives, bought as they are via corporate donation and sponsorship, but by corporate megaliths whose interests may not even reside in the United States. The essays with these themes provided a lot of food for thought and read easily with Vidal's trademark wit.The essay on McVeigh was slightly harder to get a handle on. Just why did McVeigh participate in the bombing of a federal office building in Oklahoma City, if indeed he did and if he did not, why did he take the blame for it? Vidal doesn't provide any answers, easy or otherwise, except in one instances where he muses that McVeigh was born in the wrong era - that his was a personality that needed a cause to which he could dedicate his entire existence such as the abolition of slavery or the fighting of a "moral" war but instead he is stuck in our current era of confusion, helplessness and apathy. That rang true, but did little to explain why a person of such fierce morality would or could condone the collateral murder of innocents even as part of a military target as an act of war. McVeigh remains a mystery, though Vidal once again provides questions to ponder.All in all, a solid and occasionally brilliant collection of previously printed essays. I highly recommend Vidal for his wit, erudition and content; as an essayist he really does have it all.

we understand how the profits of war are important to this rich, corrupt and greedy 1%

Gore Vidal, verwandt mit jenem Al Gore, der sich leider von George "W" so schmählich hat um's präsidentenamt betrügenlassen (mit hilfe von brüderchen Jeb Bush, der florida-connection & den manipulierbaren wahlcomputern), kann man nun wirklichnicht anti-amerikanismus vorwerfen - zeigt hier den bedarf für eine längerdauernde legitimation künftiger erdumspannender(verteilungs)kriege auf. der militärisch-industrielle "komplex", heute ungleich mächtiger (& gefährlicher) als zur zeit Eisenhowers,der in seiner abschieds(sic!)rede so nachdrücklich vor ihm warnte, hat mit seinen vordenkern Wolfowitz, Perle, etc., & seinenerfolgreich an den schalthebeln installierten machern Rumsfeld &, vor allem, Cheney, mit dem "war against terror" ein viel aus-baufähigeres, weltumspannendes szenario erfunden als es die "balance of power" mit dem ostblock, der ohnehin inzwischenzusammengebrochen war, je hätte sein können - inklusive massivem ausbau der geheimdienste im eigenen land & überall sonst, wie wir dank Snowden inzwischen auch ansatzweise begreifen... Vidal erklärt all das äußerst überzeugend.

Upon hearing of Gore Vidal's death I bought this book not quite knowing what to expect, despite reading the reviews here.This book ended up being one of the best books I've read for a long time.The author's insight and intellect are simply brilliant.But most of all he challenges the common stereotypes and assumptions we all carry due to media manipulation.Reading this book will open your mind, and change how you think regardless of whether or not you actually agree with what he says.Enjoy!

first time reading Mr Vidal, liked this book alot, really graceful and biting prose

A truely earth shattering expose of what we always thought but did not dare to believe. Gore is accurate and yet makes the serious business of Government both worrisome and amusing leaving us with no doubts about those leaders who are mismanaging the worlds major Nations.