100 People who are screwing up America:

BY BERNARD GOLDBERG HARPER COLLINS 2005, 305 PAGES, $25.95

Former senior correspondent for CBS News Bernard Goldberg received six Emmy Awards for his reporting on "48 Hours" and recently acquired another one for Outstanding Sports Journalism for his work on HBO's "Real Sports." Goldberg authored two previous books--the national bestseller Arrogance and The New York Times bestseller Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distorts the News. His third effort promises to become as popular as the first two.

In 100 People, Goldberg exposes the "slow poison" being injected into the "veins" of the country. In listing his top (or is it bottom?) 100, he emphasizes the selections are his alone; however, with the challenge, "Why should I have all the fun?" he invites readers to send him their choices. Goldberg lists 99 liberals (left, far-left, and radical left) and one conservative radio talk show host who has gone "over the top" as he plays right into the hands of liberals.

Beyond "the usual suspects," Goldberg identifies the "America Bashers" who seem to find the U.S. a terrible place, a land of "bottomless stupidity." With a sense of moral superiority, these cloistered, cultured liberal elites try to foster their "twisted sense of morality onto the rest of us," whom they consider to be hopelessly dumb and pathetically religious--"right-wing, unenlightened yahoos." It will be no surprise that many on the list are politicians (Democrats naturally), and several are authors, lecturers, and professors, "the intellectual thugs at some of our 'best' [read Eastern] universities." One of the most insidious is author and lecturer Jonathan Kozol, a fierce opponent of traditional learning. Kozors On Being a Teacherincludes a method by which teachers can subvert capitalist America's "bad" ideology by cleverly and subtly substituting some "good" left-wing indoctrination. "All across America" teachers are incorporating his ideas in their classrooms.

In subdivisions within his 100, Goldberg lists "American Pioneers," older individuals who no longer actively screw things up as badly as they once did, but who have laid the groundwork for the many screwups who consider them exemplary. Goldberg distinguishes among "Dumb Celebrities," "Vicious Celebrities," and "Dumb and Vicious Celebrities." TV "schlockmeisters" include news broadcasters whose liberal agendas have corrupted news into ratings-motivated entertainment and sitcom writers who term viewers offended by the "slide into the muck" old-fashioned prudes.

Goldberg has a division for gangsta rappers ("I'm Your Pimp, You my Bitch" and other "great" American love songs); for "American Jackals," the lawsuit culture; "sex warriors," feminist radicals who refuse to acknowledge that times have changed for the better; and African-American radicals, perpetuators of victimhood by blaming whites for what ails Black America.

For the most part, Goldberg explains in detail how his 100 harm the U.S. However, a few need no explanation and merit only a caption or, in one case, a single word. Like any good reporter, Goldberg begins his commentaries with a "grabber" and ends with something for the reader or any of the 100 to think about. The top 10 include a lobbyist, several authors and lecturers, an ex-president (not who you think), a columnist and a publisher (both from The New York Times), a senator (rather obvious), and number one, whom the author considers to be the most dangerous individual in the country--and yes, Al Franken is number 37.

Goldberg's list is interesting, enlightening, and surprising. Almost as fascinating as the list itself are the 50-page introduction to the various categories of those who are screwing up America and "A Final Word," in which the author explains that what he has written actually does not tell us much about the rest of the nation, the "real" ordinary people of everyday life. He questions, "What is it that so many ordinary Americans want?" and answers, "a little more appreciation of the values that most of us used to take for granted--civility, mutual respect, a semblance of decency, and a little old-fashioned love of country."

Reviewed by RAYMOND L. FISCHER Mass Media Editor

COPYRIGHT 2006 Society for the Advancement of Education
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