Hoax: Why Americans Are Suckered by White House Lies

by Nicholas von Hoffman

How is it the majority of Americans believed the fabrications of the Bush administration in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq when people in other countries, even those who enlisted in "the coalition of the willing," didn't buy them? Something has happened here & nowhere else, argues gadfly provocateur Nicholas von Hoffman. It's something that impels vast numbers of Americans to believe the unbelievable when served up by its war-loving government. Best-selling author von Hoffman reveals how the American people have been gulled into cheering for a gigantic hoax by the Bush administration. "It happened because America has manufactured its own reality. A dome has slipped over the country, turning the nation into a unique biosphere which causes Americans to see, hear & interpret every event & each happenstance as no other people do. Poisoned by recycled, unrefreshed air, Americans think differently." Hoax is both an impassioned exploration of American propaganda & public opinion, & an urgent dissection of our culture & way of life.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, American History, History

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2004

About the author

Nicholas von Hoffman was an American journalist and author. He first worked as a community organizer for Saul D. Alinsky in Chicago for ten years from 1953 to 1963. Later, Von Hoffman wrote for The Washington Post, and most notably, was a commentator on the CBS Point-Counterpoint segment for 60 Minutes, from which Don Hewitt fired him in 1974. von Hoffman was also a columnist for The Huffington Post.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one person's look at life in present-day America. The author feels that America is inside a 3000-mile wide terrarium, cut off from the rest of the world. This would explain that by the time of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the difference in world view between America and the rest of the world grew to the size of the hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole.

During the Nazi era, the Big Lie was simple and repeated over and over again until it became the equivalent of inescapable sound. For whatever reason, George Bush was not a good liar. He and his advisers made the mistake of elaborating, retracting and adding on to the reasons for attacking Iraq. The rest of the world must have been laughing when the Bush Administration came up with one more reason for invasion. The American people believed them, as they generally do when their government and television tell them something. Another rule to keeping things simple is to not offer any evidence, so there can be no refutation. The supposed warehouses full of evidence turned out to be nothing.

Ever since the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, America has believed that it is a "city on a hill," a feeling of "we are right and you are wrong." Since Providence has chosen America to work through human history, anyone already occupying the continent could justifiably be removed or killed.

The first lines of the National Anthem contain the roots of flagolatry, or excessive reverence for the national symbol. Democracies are always right, America is a democracy, so America is always right. Since America is the best democracy, it is more right than the others. Inside the terrarium called America, Arabs don't exist and nobody has heard of them. Arabs are considered non-people with a non-claim to nothing. Americans go on and on about being the greatest country in the world with an almost neurotic need for praise from outside the biosphere. Americans also have rabbit ears for criticism from outside, but the voice of reason just bounces off the glass.

This is a Wow of a book. I'm not sure if I Have ever read a book quite like this. It's rare when an American can look at this country the way foreigners (probably) do. It is very highly recommended.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this light, entertaining screed against the Bush administration while up in Sawyer, Michigan visiting my brother and his family. Although dated and derivative, the writing is good and reminiscent of the political essays of Gore Vidal.

[Jim Noyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this author ever since he was on 60 minutes and wrote trout fishing in the reflection pool. No punches pulled here,a very straightforward work. pulls no punches

[Zak Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally rated this 5 stars, but 2019 was a fugue state for my reading so given I don't remember anything about this I have knocked it down to a 3.

[Rebekah]

Sadly, still very relevant.