The Tyranny of Clichés: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas

The Tyranny of Clichés: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04  ·  rating details  ·  385 ratings  ·  99 reviews
The bestselling author of Liberal Fascism dismantles the progressive myths that are passed-off as wisdom in our schools, media and politics.


According to Jonah Goldberg, if the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist, the greatest trick liberals ever pulled was convincing themselves that they’re not ideological.


Today, “objective” journ...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published May 1st 2012 by Sentinel (first published January 1st 2012)
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Hadrian
I normally do not read too often books which are TOO overtly political - often these are just distasteful and overdone exercises in rhetoric which whip up a loyal 'base' and leave all others annoyed or alienated. This is true for both right and left.

Ann Coulter, to use a prominent example, calls herself a "Polemicist" - one who deliberately deals with controversy, and that statement is quite accurate, to her credit. Such is their domain, leave them well alone.

But Goldberg is a new and insidious...more
Phil
I don't watch much TV so I did not know who Mr. Goldberg is. I guess he is considered to be a sort of right winger. But, his writing is great and he exposes modern cliches. I heard him interviewed on PBS radio and knew I had to read the book. I did my normal cautious approach ordered a Kindle sample then got hooked. I have been quoting some great lines from the book. I did not think that it was a criticism of Liberals unless of course you call all people who have knee jerk reactions to things li...more
Kevin Hanks
It was a great book, and enjoyable to listen to. I definitely hold the belief the the best audio books (I did listen to this one) are those read by the author themselves. And even better are those read by someone who is a professional speaker, be it television, radio etc. It makes the book enjoyable to listen to, as it really does feel like you're listening to the author talk about what he enjoys.

The subject matter is an important one, and I found myself question quite a few of the "cliches" tha...more
Heather
This had a lot of really interesting points - especially when he would give the historical basis of some of the phrases we toss around so much. I thought he made some great points, but it was also not super cohesive and organized. And way too many "soap box" moments, if you know what I mean. Perhaps I would have liked this book better if it's purpose had been simply to educate about why we say what we say, and to point out how the use of cliches often shuts down real thought and dialogue. These...more
Dale
A Worthy (and Very Different) Follow-Up to Goldberg's Liberal Fascism

Published by Sentinel HC in 2012.

Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism is one of the most profound political books that I have read in my entire life. It changed my view of politics and made me focus a lot of thinking that I had been doing about the actions of government in our daily lives.

So, four years later, I was pleased to hear that Goldberg had written another book. The Tyranny of Cliches is not as serious as Liberal Fascis...more
Tom Meyer
An interesting and enjoyable book, albeit an uneven one.

It's central argument -- that liberals deceive themselves into thinking they have no ideology and that everyone would agree with them, if only they shrugged off their ignorance and dogma -- is surprisingly sound. With a few notable exceptions such as populist conservativism's belief that it speaks merely for "Real America," the Right tends to be more open an honest about its own ideology and biases. Goldberg convincingly traces this back to...more
Jenni Haveman
I truly enjoyed Goldberg's latest. Too frequently I acquiesce to the "easy" arguments (in the form of cliches) by others because I don't have a ready response. Goldberg carefully and thoughtfully looks at historical fact and what is ACTUALLY being said when a cliche is used to shore up an argument. Lazy thinking has never worked to make our country a great place, and Mr. Goldberg certainly doesn't allow it!

The chapters are short, easy to understand, and Goldberg's "voice" is humorous and convers...more
Margie
Mr Goldberg makes a very strong case against the Liberal political folks who say a lot without really saying anything or use arguments-that-aren't-really-arguments tactics in order to avoid a real debate on the issues. My favorite quote from his book (more like an essay)in regards to extremism vs. centerism(?) was, "If we say we need one hundred feet of bridge to cross a one-hundred-foot chasm that makes me an extremist. Somebody else says we don't need to build a bridge at all because we don't...more
Adam Bradley
My guess is this book will be treated in much the same way as Jonah's previous one: those who find themselves on the unfavorable side of his arguments will either misunderstand or willfully misconstrue his actual thesis and then go about setting that strawman ablaze.

I vividly recall a political light bulb switching on for me when I read Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" in my freshman year of college: neither scientists nor politicians are ever free from prior philosophical commit...more
Patrick
Amazon review:
“We are only as free as the least free among us.” Is that really true, or is it the kind of statement most people will nod at without actually thinking about? Best-selling conservative author Jonah Goldberg calls it a liberal cliché—fundamentally wrong and potentially very dangerous.
According to Goldberg, if the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist, the greatest trick liberals ever pulled was convincing themselves they’re not ideological. To...more
Dan
Dec 13, 2012 Dan rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Jonah Goldberg and other National Review writers.
Shelves: politics
In "The Tyranny of Cliches" Jonah Goldberg has written an often breezy but ultimately uneven collection of essays. There are highlights to be sure. Sections on "Youth", "Social Justice", and "The Catholic Church" are all worth a read. (In fact, "Youth" should be required reading for anyone under the age of 30 who has ever been tempted to pump a fist while screaming "YES, WE CAN!" or "TAXED ENOUGH ALREADY!") Fans of Goldberg and National Review Online will no doubt find other chapters that are en...more
Kathryn
I'm a big fan of Jonah Goldberg, so naturally, I liked The Tyranny of Clichés, which is basically an extended G-File. It was a quick, fun read with a lot of interesting information on a variety of topics.

Jonah's overall thesis is that clichés, as an expression of ideology, are a convenient shorthand for arguments (two example clichés from opposite sides of the political spectrum: "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns" and "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter"). He...more
Alan Marchant
Jonah Goldberg's The Tyranny of Cliches is clearly written, entertaining, and better organized than most book-length partisan commentaries. A succinct thesis statement (from the essay on Science) is "the tyranny of cliches can be understood as the use of allegedly nonideological insights to advance starkly ideological understandings of the world." The book is a collection of essays describing the origins, historical abuses, and crypto-ideology of loaded words and phrases that are commonly overus...more
Kevin
I will have more to say when I collect my thoughts for a full review but, not surprisingly, I enjoyed Jonah's second book. It is more like a collection of essays than a straightforward book in many ways but the theme of cliches does tie it all together.

What comes through is just how much myth and mushy logica is contained in many of the catch phrases and bumper sticker slogans of the left. Jonah's argument boils down to the fact that liberalism pretends to be about facts and science and rational...more
April
May 02, 2012 April marked it as to-read
I have to read me some Goldberg.
Brian
One thing that can be said about a Goldberg book is that you will be challenged in your thinking.
I enjoyed this book because it pokes fun at the silliness of liberals and their warn out cliches. Thats being said the conservatives have their own warn out cliches to. Being that I'm not a democrat and can barely join forces with the repubs, I thought Goldberg was fair in his anaylsis. The chapter are short and to the point seeing you could probably write a book about each of the chapter subjects. T...more
Jennifer
I'm biased. I'm conservative, and I *heart* Jonah Goldberg. However, that being admitted, this book does its part in turning cliches on their heads. With every revelation, I found myself wondering how a liberal would interpret it. Use this book as a jumping-off point in political discussions, if nothing else.

As always, Jonah's writing style is to-the-point, and, well, funny and entertaining. It's not a light read, but lighter than "Liberal Fascism". Lots of references to "Monty Python" and weed,...more
Nathan
I love Jonah Goldberg. As a result, I believe I set my expectations too high.
His first book "Liberal Fascism" changed the way I viewed the world (as trite as that reads). It was a political book with a central thesis supported by historical and philosophical research. The case is made so well that the only response from those intent on continuing in their beliefs is to ignore it.

In "The Tyranny of Clichés" Goldberg asserts that people use clichés as a substitute for thinking. He then focuses on...more
Greg Kerr
Definitely not for the thin skinned liberal! To deny you have ideologies is to deny you have a fixed worldview that guides you through life as to what is right and what is wrong, what pleasurable and what is hurtful, what is funny and what is sad. This is to live in a constant state of flexibility to accept ever wind of change as just and valid. Even the denial that, as a liberal one does not have an ideology is in face a dogmatic statement. Evolution is not a dogmatic belief? Abortion on demand...more
Dakota
Really three and a half stars, but the metrics system is limited. I definitely enjoyed much of this book, and Goldberg is spot-on in most of his criticisms of our modern political "language" (or as the book's title should make clear, clichés). I expected talking points but many of the chapters are comprehensive and deep in their treatment of our modern language handicaps and one-way views.

Doug Wilson had an excellent review here: http://www.dougwils.com/Book-Review/b...

"And here is Goldberg's ma...more
Hobart
Not much to say about this that's not in the publisher's description. This is a pretty good read--plenty of things I disagree with or quibble with, but even more that I can pretty much agree with. But all of it is pretty darn entertaining. Goldberg's one of the most enjoyable political writers of our time, there's more than a few chuckles to be had in the midst of his analysis. Which isn't to say he's taking things lightly--he's dead serious about this stuff, he's just found a way to be witty wh...more
Andrew
Enjoyable read from an author whose political commentary I generally enjoy, and who I find to be clever and quite bright. His general point is that far too often, mostly meaningless cliches are used as a substitute for an argument, and that many of these cliches are quite ideological even as people pretend that they are not. He defends this point well at the beginning of the book. He follows this up with a long series of chapters with examples of cliches. My main criticism is that while he made...more
Dean Anderson
Yes, this is a book about politics; but one of the things I found most interesting was what the book had to say about religion. Goldberg describes himself as a secular Jew but he does a much better job of defending the church and Christianity (past and present) than many Christians (even many in the clergy.)
The basic idea of the book is that many people substitute clichés they’ve heard for any real thinking on a variety of important issues: bumper sticker thinking. Goldberg elaborates in this...more
Eric
I've read Goldberg since the mid to late-1990s, when he started writing for National Review and National Review Online. His writing has often been a perfect blend of wit, humor, and serious ideas about politics and policy. In short, for a political junkie who appreciates a laugh, he's a lot of fun to read. This book is a more accurate representation of his writing. As much as I enjoyed Liberal Fascism, it didn't quite capture Goldberg's normal tone and personality. This one does that. It's fun t...more
Vivian
First reads giveaway.

My husband is a political junkie and a huge fan of Jonah Goldberg. For him, Mr. Goldberg would automatically earn a five star review sight unseen (or read) just on his merit alone. However, he's not finished the book. . . yet.

I have to admit. When I first picked up the book, I had the immediate fear that it would read as stale as a textbook. You know, that government course you needed (and loathed) in order to graduate college? However, Jonah Goldberg is an excellent writer...more
Scott
Very readable, enjoyable, and thought-provoking. He could have included several more chapter, with similar effect, but the length was about right. I found myself challenging my own positions on policy issues -- do I have as well thought-out ideas as I think I do? (Yes, yes, I do.)

Some chapters are better than others, and the book it set up so that you can read each chapter on its own. I loved the chapter on Youth. I appreciated the tone of the book: quite conversational, with some of Goldberg's...more
Kevin
" ..what is lost in these debates [about global warming] is the crucial distinction between science and scientism. The former is a value-neutral enterprise that seeks, through the scientific method, to understand and manipulate the reality of the physical world. Science is a procedure defined by systematic observation and measurement, followed by experiment, and then by the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses. It is not the source of moral truths, but moral truths must be inform...more
Rodger
An expose of just how Liberals think and trick the masses into believing their falsehoods. Some people are true progressives, they believe that the US would be a better place as we get more and more socialistic. Socialism is their goal. Many Americans who vote for them, don't really want to be socialists, but they are deceived by the cliches exposed in Goldberg's book. I wish all would read it, but alas, the multitudes are convinced that Liberals are smart and conservatives are dumb. (one of the...more
Matthew
Apr 15, 2013 Matthew rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Political Brawlers
Recommended to Matthew by: National Review
Jonah Goldberg is one of my favorite columnists for National Review. His tone is always humorous and his writing is accessible. The Tyranny of Cliches is the first one of his books I have read. The thesis is that the left is so surrounded by people and institutions which reinforce certain political positions that these positions are accepted as unbiased facts rather than policy preferences that may or may not have been thought through thoroughly. It is smart for any kind of movement to instill i...more
David Dent
Goldberg writes like I think and is a pleasure to read. He is obviously of the same age and has similar childhood influences as I do, which are a constant source of familiar pop-culture references to his points. His humor is poigniant without being cruel and his writing style is very "humanizing" of all of his subjects. His acknowledgements in the back of the book is very touching regarding the tragic loss of his brother and reminds us all that through all the political discourse and anger, we a...more
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Jonah Jacob Goldberg is an American conservative syndicated columnist and author. Goldberg is known for his contributions on politics and culture to National Review Online, where he is the editor-at-large. He is the author of Liberal Fascism, which reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
More about Jonah Goldberg...
Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning Proud to Be Right: Voices of the Next Conservative Generation Goldberg Variations: Jonah Goldberg's Best Cover Stories from National Review (On Dead Tree) Liberal Fascism The Conservative 100

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“Hence the great irony: Hayek, one of the greatest champions of individual liberty and economic freedom the world has ever known, believed that knowledge was communal. Dewey, the champion of socialism and collectivism, believed that knowledge was individual. Hayek's is a philosophy that treats individuals as the best judges of their own self-interests, which in turn yield staggering communal cooperation. Dewey's was the philosophy of a giant, Monty Pythonesque crowd shouting on cue: "We're All Individuals!” 2 people liked it
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