American Fascists

The Christian Right and the War on America

By: Chris Hedges, Eunice Wong

Narrated by: Chris Hedges, Eunice Wong

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Twenty-five years ago, when Pat Robertson and other televangelists first spoke of the United States being a Christian nation that would build a global Christian empire, it was hard to take such hyperbolic rhetoric seriously. Today, such language no longer sounds like hyperbole but poses, instead, a very real threat to our freedoms and our way of life. In American Fascists, the Christian Right's religious legitimacy is challenged, and Hedges argues that, at its core, it is a mass movement fueled by unbridled nationalism and a hatred for the open society.

Hedges, who grew up in rural parishes in upstate New York, where his father was a Presbyterian pastor, attacks the movement as someone steeped in the Bible and Christian tradition. He points to the hundreds of senators and members of Congress who have earned between 80 and 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups as one of many signs that the movement is burrowing deep inside the American government in order to subvert it.

The movement's call to dismantle the wall between church and state, and the intolerance it preaches against all who do not conform to its warped vision of a Christian America, are pumped into tens of millions of American homes through Christian television and radio stations, and are reinforced through the curriculum of Christian schools. The movement's yearning for apocalyptic violence and its assault on dispassionate, intellectual inquiry are laying the foundation for a new, frightening America.

©2007 Chris Hedges and Eunice Wong (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"This urgent book forcefully illuminates what many across the political spectrum will recognize as a serious and growing threat to the very concept and practice of an open society." ( Publishers Weekly)

Please, read or listen to this book.

Whatever your religious beliefs or lack thereof, if you care at all about democracy and the US you must listen to or read this book. It helps answer questions such as why we are involved in a war in Iraq and why those in power insist on continuing it regardless of the cost in lives and treasure as well as helping explain the hatred and divisiveness that seems to be everywhere in this country. We are living in dangerous times with hatred and violence couched in the guise of a religion that wants to destroy anyone and everyone that dares to disagree or gets in the way, and it's not in the Middle East, folks, but right here in the good old USA. That doesn't sound very much like the America we learned about in civics class now does it? It sounds more like Germany in the 1930s. WAKE UP AMERICA before it's too late!!!

Timely and Crucial Reading

I just finished this astonishing audiobook. I found it simultaneously learned and erudite, accessible and populist. The text is exceedingly well-written and entertaining, and the readers do a great job of pacing and intonation.
When I picked it up, I thought the title was probably typically an exaggeration--but nothing doing. Chris Hedges makes his case, and makes it well, that we are facing an imminent danger of losing our open society and plunging into a fascist state. Do yourself a favor and read or listen to this book. I think you'll be outraged, informed and moved to action. I know I was.

Values in the time of Falwell

At first it sounds like this is going to be too intellectual for the "theater" of audio. But the authors are only setting the stage by defining their terms, so that the illustrations they provide of the cynical intentions of the "Christian" right will resonate with why it is such an insidious threat to our real values. This book was so informative for those of us who have come to fear Christian fundamentalism but have never really been to the "churches" that are behind the movement. By going to the "meetin's" and reporting back from the sincere and misguided trenches of the evangelicals, the authors have done us a great service in validating our strong suspicion that it's all just a great big conspiratorial power grab by those who really believe they're saving people by making them their pawns.

Still rings frighteningly true 10 years later.

I can't believe how much the author forsaw. amazing foresight and analysis! when I picked up this book years ago, I thought the author was a crackpot. Now it's easy to see and frighteningly true.

Full of much to ponder over

What did you love best about American Fascists?

Written in a manner that is very easy to read and follow with a natural flow to the book.
I believe that what is spoken of in this book one only has to do is look around to see the truth in it. Very little is said about Dominiionism for to even the liberal it may sound politically incorrect to do so. The Dominionist is a real powerful movement in America at this moment passive action to stop this danger is not enough for the Dominionist movement is well oiled and very well funded.

Any additional comments?

READ!

Horrible reader

I think this could be a great book but I couldn't get past the reader, who's also the author. Terrible. I felt like he was preaching. It was like listening to Reverend Lovejoy. Someone needs to tell the authors that it's not always the best thing to have them read their own works. Awful!

well written and compelling

should be a wake up call for those sitting on the fence

Lost Chapters to Kindom of the Cults

Where does American Fascists rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Chris Hedges book paints a disturbing picture of the American Evangelical movement. It provides a good look at the tactics that are employed. Hard to imagine people are getting away with some of this stuff even after the books publishing 10+ years later.

What does Chris Hedges and Eunice Wong bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Eunice Wong reads most of the book with Chris Hedges doing the beginning and end. Chris is a very clear speaker. There is no misunderstanding what he says and how he says it. It is a serious tone with giving straight forward analysis. Eunice does a great job emoting the stories such as Dr. D. James Kennedy's evangelism school (chilling). They have a great mixture of reciting the book.

If you could give American Fascists a new subtitle, what would it be?

How crazies have hijacked religion and made tons of money at it. And they are looking for you next.

A thoughtful analysis

I believe this book is a thoughtful analysis of one of the greatest threats to our democracy.

I recently asked a holocaust survivor if he saw any similarities between what is going on in America today compared to Fascist Europe of the late 1930s. He said there is NO difference.

A useful expose that needs editing

"Fascism" is typically understood to relate a link between the interests of business and the interests of government, especially the military. So the authors are off to a poor start with their title alone.

Badly produced and poorly read, especially by the author, whose sense of urgency permeates every word. I don't doubt his commitment, but it gets monotonous. The female voice reads most of the book, which is refreshing but she, too, has her issues.

The book's coverage seems to suggest that all of the facts being presented add up to something, but never quite articulates what that might be. I'm guessing they mean that the Religious Right is working, usually without media attention, to attack the civil liberties of people with whom they disagree. But they never spit it out.

One useful takeaway - these independent, self-promoting right-wing religious gasbags do not speak for mainstream Christianity as seen in the major denominations. When media uses them as commentators on "the church's response" to news issues, people of faith have a duty to challenge that generalization. This was a new idea to me, but it was a long road to get there.

If you've got time on your hands, and care about culture wars, this is a useful book - I just wish it had been a better book.