Friday, April 09, 2004
C'est Wha? Anti-Americanism a Bestseller in France
Don't give up on the French just yet!
It turns out that they've been buying up boatloads of of a pro-American treatise called "Anti-Americanism," a pointed--even scathing--critique of the hypocrisy and unthinking reflexiveness of the anti-American cult whose views have become so fashionable throughout the world.
The book was originally written in French by Jean-Francois Revel, and became a bestseller there. It's is now available in English.
Here's a lengthy review by John Parker, writing for the Asia Times.
Money passage:
The most notable characteristic of Anti-Americanism, as a text, is the blistering, take-no-prisoners quality of its prose. Even those diametrically opposed to Revel's views would be forced to acknowledge his skills as a pugnacious rhetorician who does not eschew sarcasm as a weapon.
A few examples will suffice: referring to anti-war banners that proclaimed "No to terrorism. No to war", Revel scoffs that this "is about as intelligent as 'No to illness. No to medicine'." Responding to the indictment of the United States as a "materialistic civilization", he says: "Everyone knows that the purest unselfishness reigns in Africa and Asia, especially in the Muslim nations, and that the universal corruption that is ravaging them is the expression of a high spirituality."
Shameless plug department: You can read more reviews, and purchase the book here:
I wish I could could link to a New York Times book review. Unfortunately, despite Anti-Americanism's bestselling status in France, America's "Newspaper of Record" has not yet deigned to publish one.
Instead, though, here's a list some recent related books that did merit their attention:
Occidentalism: The West in The Eyes of its Enemies (Jan 25th, 2004)
The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (Jan 4th, 2004)
The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power (by George Soros) (Jan 4th, 2004)
Bush in Babylon: The Recolonization of Iraq (Jan 4th, 2004)
Superpower Syndrome: America's Apocalyptic Confrontation With The World (Jan 4th, 2004)
After the Empire: The Breakdown of the American World Order (Jan 4th 2004)
(Link to NYT Review on above books)
Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance. By Noam Chomsky (Jan 4, 2004).
(Link.)
Ooops--the NYT did review Bill Bennett's book, "Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism," back in mid 2002.
Nope, no media cultural bias here, folks!
Splash, out
Jason
It turns out that they've been buying up boatloads of of a pro-American treatise called "Anti-Americanism," a pointed--even scathing--critique of the hypocrisy and unthinking reflexiveness of the anti-American cult whose views have become so fashionable throughout the world.
The book was originally written in French by Jean-Francois Revel, and became a bestseller there. It's is now available in English.
Here's a lengthy review by John Parker, writing for the Asia Times.
Money passage:
The most notable characteristic of Anti-Americanism, as a text, is the blistering, take-no-prisoners quality of its prose. Even those diametrically opposed to Revel's views would be forced to acknowledge his skills as a pugnacious rhetorician who does not eschew sarcasm as a weapon.
A few examples will suffice: referring to anti-war banners that proclaimed "No to terrorism. No to war", Revel scoffs that this "is about as intelligent as 'No to illness. No to medicine'." Responding to the indictment of the United States as a "materialistic civilization", he says: "Everyone knows that the purest unselfishness reigns in Africa and Asia, especially in the Muslim nations, and that the universal corruption that is ravaging them is the expression of a high spirituality."
Shameless plug department: You can read more reviews, and purchase the book here:
I wish I could could link to a New York Times book review. Unfortunately, despite Anti-Americanism's bestselling status in France, America's "Newspaper of Record" has not yet deigned to publish one.
Instead, though, here's a list some recent related books that did merit their attention:
Occidentalism: The West in The Eyes of its Enemies (Jan 25th, 2004)
The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (Jan 4th, 2004)
The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power (by George Soros) (Jan 4th, 2004)
Bush in Babylon: The Recolonization of Iraq (Jan 4th, 2004)
Superpower Syndrome: America's Apocalyptic Confrontation With The World (Jan 4th, 2004)
After the Empire: The Breakdown of the American World Order (Jan 4th 2004)
(Link to NYT Review on above books)
Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance. By Noam Chomsky (Jan 4, 2004).
(Link.)
Ooops--the NYT did review Bill Bennett's book, "Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism," back in mid 2002.
Nope, no media cultural bias here, folks!
Splash, out
Jason
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