American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right

by Markos Moulitsas

America’s main international enemy—Islamic radicalism—favors theocracy, curtails civil liberties, embraces torture, represses women, reviles homosexuality, subverts science and education, and reveres force over diplomacy. Markos Moulitsas shows how the American right shares those very same traits. He argues that our domestic jihadists are a greater threat to American democracy than any Islamic terrorist.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Philosophy, Social Issues, Religion

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 8, 2010

About the author

Founder and publisher of Daily Kos, a blog focusing on liberal and Democratic Party politics in the United States.

He is also a weekly columnist at the Washington, D.C. newspaper, The Hill, and a contributing columnist at Newsweek.

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing I really didn't already know, being a liberal political junkie for many years now, but it was great to see all the examples of "Oh, I can't believe they did it" compiled all together in one place. It would have been nice if the analysis went a little further than it does, or maybe even some suggestions on how we can move forward, but all in all, a quick and worthy read.

What bugs me is the people who decried the book, without reading it, saying things like "come on, conservatives aren't as bad as the Taliban because conservatives aren't violent like the Taliban." If they had actually read the book, Markos lists a huge number of examples of times that US conservatives have been exactly as violent as the Taliban. If you're avoiding reading it because you think it's too incendiary - you should really give it a try because I think that by the end, you'll be convinced Markos was almost TOO generous to the people he talks about.

[Luis Miguel Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We all agree with the Taliban.”
—Rush Limbaugh, October 9, 2009

I picked up American Taliban as an impulse buy when Borders went out of business. It was marked down to about half price and I’m familiar with Markos Moulitsas. Moulitsas, @Markos on twitter, is the founder of the Daily Kos and a CurrentTV contributor. He’s as big a Progressive in the public eye as you can find. Good enough reasons for me.

As an Anti-Theist, I liked his subject matter on this one. From the cover, I thought the book would mostly be Markos railing against Christian Theocrats, a group of greedy, pervasive trolls in the United States. To a degree, I wasn’t disappointed. The book sprinkles in a few key Religious zealots here and there, but it does a good job of showing how that particular breed of cultural regressive interacts and relates to other types of politically conservative freaks.

The book is broken up into 6 categories. Power. War. Sex. Women. Culture. Truth. Markos shows how, over the years, each of these themes has been drastically corrupted by the presence of the Radical Right crowd. The book explains how people like “Grand Mullah Rush Limbaugh”, whose quote at the top is the tagline for the book, Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich, Deepak Chopra, Bill O’Reilly, the dead Jerry Falwell, the disgraced hypocrite Ted Haggard along with a gaggle of Senators and Representatives have been and still are all working to turn back the clock when it comes to social progress.

Markos draws explicit lines between this gang’s actions and those of their counterparts in the now much feared Taliban. He shows those fundamentalists are so similar to our own in the U.S.A. in their quest for censorship, “traditional” gender roles, persuasion by violence, and avoidance of science. Markos paints a picture that makes it eery to think just what our Conservatives would do if they had similar control over public life that the Taliban has in its territories.

I wasn’t surprised by any of these people being in the book. I didn’t know how long they’d been in the business or how insidious their actions were. A result of not being that politically active just being out of college. This book served as a great overview of the aforementioned Conservative’s actions over the past 30-40 years. One account even tells where a sect of Christianity was first co-opted back in 1935 to serve the rich and powerful as opposed to the meek, producing the Religious Right we know today.

Reading the book, I got the feeling that Markos wasn’t really out to convert anybody. The book isn’t written so much as a persuasive argument for liberal values, or why you should switch from being a Democrat to a Republican, as much as it was an investigative report on terrible things that have been going on in politics for the past ~70 years.

[Dave Schumaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I was reading this book, I found myself struggling with how I ultimately felt about it. In some chapters, it was a stunning and enlightening exposé on the ridiculously absurd policies held by the extreme right of the political spectrum. But in other chapters, it resorted to simple and immature mockery.

One of the arguments of the book is how civil discourse in this country has been compromised by ignorant citizens, complicit mainstream media, and impotent politicians -- which is a fair point. But I don't see how highlighting the most ridiculous and extreme examples of the GOP and then rightly or wrongly comparing them to political groups that sponsor terrorism does anything to help the conversation.

My final issue with the book is that it offers no ideas or suggestions on ways to overcome the ignorant rage stirred up by the Tea Party other than simply saying that in the long run, they are fighting a losing battle against changing demographics. That's great and all, but how can we effectively and rationally engage with these elements now? Sadly, the only answer this book seems to offer is, "you can't."

[Anton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing earth-shattering or particularly new, if you are a liberal who's been paying attention for the past few years, but not a bad read. My two problems with this book are: 1) since it is written by a blogger, it occasionally becomes just a mocking rant (somewhat expected, obviously) and 2) I am not sure if I am comfortable with calling the extreme right 'American Taliban' -- it seems like stooping to their level of calling Obama 'Hitler' (that said, Moulitsas shows that those people are disturbingly like Taliban, whereas Obama is quite obviously not Hitler).

[Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Markos Moulitsas (of Daily Kos) explains "how war, sex, sin, and power bind jihadists and the radical right." His examples of the parallelism between jihad terrorists and radical rightists are frightening and prove once and for all that we can't defeat the terrorists by adopting their weapons.

[Book Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right by Markos Moulitsas

"American Taliban" is an appropriately titled book. It's a book about how the American right resembles the theocratic views of the Islamic radicals. In an irreverent and yet informative way Markos Moulitsas provides a recent history and progression of how the American far right is in essence no different than the Islamic radicals that they themselves claim to be opposed. This 256-page book is composed of the following six chapters: 1. Power, 2. War, 3. Sex, 4. Women, 5. Culture, and 6. Truth.

Positives:
1. An irreverent well-written and well-researched political book.
2. Humorist, irreverent tone that makes the book fun to read but beneath the surface there are some very good compelling arguments in support of his ideas.
3. The truth about the radical right.
4. An interesting look at how totalitarian ideas entered the political realm.
5. "The heart of theocratic ideology: It is fascism with a religious face".
6. Some Reagan myths debunked.
7. What the Fox? The delusion of Fox news.
8. A radical right view that embraces false information in support of their worldview, yet refusing to accept reality.
9. The impact of "Teabaggers" to our political system.
10. Plenty of right-wing nonsense: including: Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, Beck, Scarborough and Ingraham.
11. It wouldn't be a critical book of the right without Palin.
12. The political impact of religious organizations, lead by James Dobson of Focus on the Family.
13. The sexual scandals of the right. A comedy of Eros...
14. The sexual obsession of the right.
15. The suppression of women.
16. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.
17. The surprising impact of Title IX.
18. The anti-government contractor rape liability bill.
19. The absurdity of the Creation Museum.
20. The dogmatic opposition to evolution or in other words, reality.
21. The follies of Pat Robertson.
22. The anti-science movement.
23. An overall fun and educational read.

Negatives:
1. No imbedded notes or bibliography.
2. Conservatives will not like the tone or the arguments presented but perhaps it's good to listen to the other side at times.
3. This is not a scholarly effort, the author is more concerned with relaying his arguments with the passion and conviction, ironically portrayed by the right.

In summary, this book was a guilty pleasure. I share many of the views of the author so the book was a real treat for me. Moultsas's arguments are compelling and based on sound reasoning. The book starts of a little slow but it really picks up and takes off. I give it 5 stars for entertainment value.

Recommendations: "American Fascists" by Chris Hedges, "Republican Gomorrah" by Max Blumenthal, "Idiot America" by Charles P. Pierce, "The Conservative Assault on the Constitution" by Erwin Chemerinsky, and "The Republican War on Science" by Chris Mooney.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers a solid comparison of the tactical and ideological similarities between the Islamic Taliban and the American political Right-wing. That said, there is an inflammatory tone that may turn off moderates and will likely prevent the people who would benefit most from understanding the similarities (namely those on the political Right) from absorbing any of the points made and conclusions drawn. But this is not a book for moderates and right-wingers: this is a book for the Left to have their viewpoint affirmed through an interesting lens. I enjoyed it because it has interesting (and horrifying) evidence to back up the conclusions it makes and because I like exploring many viewpoints, even if I don't necessarily agree in their entirety.

[Deana Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that Moulitsas is a blogger is apparent in his rambling conversationsal style. Even though I agree with the points that he is making the delivery is not persuasive and verges on a rant. I wish there were 3.5 stars because it is somewhere closer to that in my apprasial.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

religious fundamentalists of all stripes are assholes

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got an eBook passed to me from a Twitter chum.

Admit I skipped some of it because I found some the details, well boring in just a few spots and hard to read (too painful) in others. But the majority was readable and it went fast.

I think I have a problem with the word "Taliban" used generically as I do with what the term "conservative" means in my mind still, compared to what it really means today. I guess it's because I don't want to believe that zealots worldwide truly believe, though facts point otherwise, and it's shoved in your face a little too much in this book. Doesn't let you hide.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I like Kos's writing, and I read Daily Kos, well, daily. Sometimes I write a diary, too. But I feel that the central metaphor of the book, the whole "radical right=Taliban of America" bit, was just tacked-on and not much use. On the gripping hand, it was a witty, sarcastic take-down of the radical right. Maybe this would have done better without the Taliban comparisons, since I was horrified enough at the outrageously stupid opinions voiced by the subjects.

To summarize: Central metaphor as tortured as Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, but enough good material to redeem it in my eyes.

[Sylvia Moore]

I had the pleasure of meeting Markos a few months ago at a talk he gave about this book. The event was organized by a group I volunteer for. He wrote a message in the book for me, addressing it to my DailyKos handle. I've finally read the book and I thought that Markos deftly proved his point about the danger of rightwing extremism and the fact that we must all take it more seriously. The seriousness of the subject matter was nicely balanced by touches of biting of humor. Markos shows how patently absurd and hysterical rightwing logic can be, but also, how much of a threat to our democracy it is. Very entertaining read.

[Adr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burned through this book in days. It highlights the ideological (and methodological) similarities between the totalitarianist fringe of Islam and the Christian right in our own country. It's told with a fair amount of pith and a great many examples; it is most powerful when it asks you to guess if a give quote was made by a member of the US Right or the Taliban. Penned by the founder of the Daily Kos blog, it is unlikely to win any converts to progressive causes, but nevertheless is an unexpectedly impactful reminder of what is at stake in the culture wars.

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some interesting stories and some recent history. I learned a few new things from the book. It presents an argument that the religious right and radical islam share a lot in common and share common techniques. I consider this book good reading for the liberal crowd, filled with reasonable arguments concerning the dangerous path the conservative movement has taken in the last twenty years. This book is best looked at as a book on politics, not as book on political science or political philosophy.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly hacktacular, given that Markos' strength as a blogger is that he usually keeps it fair yet aggressive. It's sad too because I enjoyed his last two books (which were more about strategy than ideology) and frankly I agree with his central point. It's okay in points, but for anyone who gets the concept already, it's not essential.

[Elyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liberals like myself will find little new information in this book, but it is well structured and the examples of the flawed reasoning of the radical right are strong. The main limitation of the book is the writer's snarky writing which could be alienating to more moderate voters. I think if he toned that down, the book would be much more effective.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of good information and some humor, but I wish this was a little less rabid, and a little more objective. The presented evidence is very strong, but the hyperbolic style puts me off and lowers my trust. A worthwhile read, nevertheless.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #38

[Dane Mamula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now THIS is a good left-leaning book. Objective to the point of criticism of both sides of the aisle, and a fresh take on a somewhat taboo subject. Good stuff here.

[Jarad Huffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. A rehash of all of the absurd, Right-wing extremists and their plots to control society.

[Kelly Bragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, another FAB read by Markos.

[C. Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important topic. Readers can miss certain similarities, no matter what their political inclinations.

[Johnny Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book,.

[Shiloh H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously liberal leaning but its got a lot a truth and is an easy read.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good quick and light read calling out those on the far right who want to shape the country into everything they claim to oppose.

[Maggie Boyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an easy to read book (for a liberal anyway) but not an especially enlightening one. The author pulls examples of the far right run amok and using rhetoric and fact laundering that make the author sound like a left obsessed Sean Hannity makes an argument that Jihadists and Republicans are the same side of a particularly nasty coin. Unfortunately, while the cases he uses to reinforce his point are appalling, they aren't exactly plentiful and almost all are clearly tied to the mentally ill. Someone well versed in current events could doubtless pull examples of events caused by/inspired by/allowed by liberal policies that could be used as illustrations of how the left is just an amoral Jihad.

Time also wasn't particularly kind to Mr. Moulitsas. He seemed certain, like Hillary Clinton was, that millennials would ride to the rescue of the democratic party. However, a good ten percent of them voted third party, while the majority of white millennials voted for Trump. "Trump secured 48 percent of the white vote in the 18-to-29 age group, while Clinton won just 43 percent."(https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...). In addition, many millennials simply didn't vote.

What I found particularly frustrating about the book is that it not only didn't look at HOW we lost half our country to this insidious rhetoric but it also didn't look at a SOLUTION to the problem. Instead, the author seemed to be content that the dying off of one generation and insurgence of another would solve all the problems. In fact, the book showed the same sort of bungling, apathy that cost Dems the 2016 election. And before anyone yells "electoral college!" we should remember that Obama won with the electoral college firmly in place.

I've been reading a lot about the Religious Right and how they came to be and of the volumes I've perused this was the least helpful. It has an interesting premise but the author made no argument for his position and simply assumed that he was preaching to a choir that would be in total agreement with him.