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The Wrecking Crew
- How Conservatives Rule
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
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Publisher's summary
Casting back to the early days of the conservative revolution, Frank describes the rise of a ruling coalition dedicated to dismantling government. But rather than cutting down the big government they claim to hate, conservatives have simply sold it off, deregulating some industries, defunding others, but always turning public policy into a private-sector bidding war.
Washington itself has been remade into a golden landscape of super-wealthy suburbs and gleaming lobbyist headquarters. And though arch-lobbyist Jack Abramoff has crashed and burned, the government-by-entrepreneurship he pioneered so outrageously has become the law of the land.
It is no coincidence, Frank argues, that the same politicians who guffaw at the idea of effective government have installed a regime in which incompetence is the rule. Nor will the country easily shake off the consequences of deliberate misgovernment through the usual electoral remedies. Obsessed with achieving a lasting victory, conservatives have taken pains to enshrine the free market as the permanent creed of state.
Stamped with Frank's audacity, analytic brilliance, and wit, The Wrecking Crew is his most revelatory work yet - and his most important.
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People know Bill Moyers mostly from his many years of path-breaking journalism on television. But he is also one of America's most sought-after public speakers. His appearances draw sell-out crowds across the country and are among the most reproduced on the Web. Richly insightful, and alive with a fierce, abiding love for our country, Moyers on Democracy is essential listening.
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You can't help but think critically
- By Ida F. on 09-29-09
By: Bill Moyers
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The Shock Doctrine
- The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
- By: Naomi Klein
- Narrated by: Jennifer Wiltsie
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
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In her groundbreaking reporting, Naomi Klein introduced the term "disaster capitalism." Whether covering Baghdad after the U.S. occupation, Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, or New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed something remarkably similar. People still reeling from catastrophe were being hit again, this time with economic "shock treatment," losing their land and homes to rapid-fire corporate makeovers. The Shock Doctrine retells the story of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman's free market economic revolution.
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If It's Bad for Humanity, It's Good for Business
- By Nelson Alexander on 09-29-07
By: Naomi Klein
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The Best Worst President
- What the Right Gets Wrong About Barack Obama
- By: Mark Hannah
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Political analyst and Democratic campaign veteran Mark Hannah gives Barack Obama the victory lap he deserves in this compendium that takes the president's critics head-on and celebrates the president's many underappreciated triumphs.
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Thought-provoking
- By Jean on 07-11-16
By: Mark Hannah
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Trickle Down Tyranny
- Crushing Obama's Dreams of a Socialist America
- By: Michael Savage
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Trickle Down Tyranny is the single book you need to stop Obama's emerging dictatorship before we lose all of our constitutional, God-given rights. These pages show you the dangerous laws and powergrabs of the Obama administration… and what we can do to stop this leftist gang from seizing another term in office. Obama is transforming us into a second-class nation, with communists and Islamists given free rein to expand their power.
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Brings Clarity to the Obama charade.
- By Mrs. Stolle on 04-05-12
By: Michael Savage
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The Deep State
- The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government
- By: Mike Lofgren
- Narrated by: Brian O'Neill
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Mike Lofgren is back with a book perfectly pitched for the frenzied circus of the primaries. His argument this time is that for all of the backstabbing and money grubbing of the campaign season, the politicians we elect have as little ability to shift policy as Communist party apparatchiks. Welcome to Mike Lofgren's Washington, DC - a This Town where the political theater that is endlessly tweeted and blogged about has nothing to do with actual decision making.
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Almost good, but profoundly misunderstands economics and very biased towards Democrats
- By Nina Prevot on 04-08-16
By: Mike Lofgren
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The Forgotten Man
- By: Amity Shlaes
- Narrated by: Terence Aselford
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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It's difficult today to imagine how America survived the Great Depression. Only through the stories of the common people who struggled during that era can we really understand how the nation endured. In The Forgotten Man, Amity Shlaes offers a striking reinterpretation of the Great Depression. Rejecting the old emphasis on the New Deal, she turns to the neglected and moving stories of individual Americans, and shows how they helped establish the steadfast character we developed as a nation.
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a story of forgotten times
- By Debb Robinson on 10-11-07
By: Amity Shlaes
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Armageddon
- How Trump Can Beat Hillary
- By: Dick Morris, Eileen McGann
- Narrated by: Ian Patterson
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Timed for the critical presidential election season, New York Times best-selling author and noted political commentator Dick Morris provides a strategy and position on the issues for Republicans to attract crucial new voters to the party in order to win back the White House in 2016 and put an end to the Obama agenda of ruinous socialism. By using new issues, attracting new voters, and offering new alternatives, Republicans can win the election of 2016 and save America!
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Informative and practical a must read
- By quentin on 06-30-16
By: Dick Morris, and others
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Every Man a King
- A Short, Colorful History of American Populists
- By: Chris Stirewalt
- Narrated by: Chris Stirewalt
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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American populism has always been home to a fascinating assortment of charismatic leaders, characters, kooks, cranks, and sometimes charlatans who have led the charge of ordinary folks who have gotten wise to the ways of the swamp. Every Man a King tells the stories of America's populist leaders, from Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt to Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan, and Donald Trump. It is a rollicking history of an American attitude that has shaped not only our current moment, but also the long struggle over who gets to define the truths we hold to be self evident.
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Education delivered in a most entertaining way.
- By Snaps And Snippets on 09-17-18
By: Chris Stirewalt
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New Deal or Raw Deal?
- How FDR's Economic Legacy Has Damaged America
- By: Burton Folsom Jr.
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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In this shocking and groundbreaking new book, economic historian Burton Folsom, Jr., exposes the idyllic legend of Franklin D. Roosevelt as a myth of epic proportions. With questionable moral character and a vendetta against the business elite, Roosevelt created New Deal programs marked by inconsistent planning, wasteful spending, and opportunity for political gain---ultimately elevating public opinion of his administration but falling flat in achieving the economic revitalization that America needed.
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A must listen!
- By Book and Movie Lover on 06-14-09
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The Corrosion of Conservatism
- Why I Left the Right
- By: Max Boot
- Narrated by: Max Boot
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Warning that the Trump presidency presages America’s decline, Max Boot, the political commentator, recounts his extraordinary journey from lifelong Republican to vehement Trump opponent. As nativism, xenophobia, vile racism, and assaults on the rule of law threaten the very fabric of our nation, The Corrosion of Conservatism presents an urgent defense of American democracy.
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Not an intellectual tour de force!
- By Wayne on 07-14-19
By: Max Boot
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Bannon
- Always the Rebel
- By: Keith Koffler
- Narrated by: William LeRoy
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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To understand the Trump White House, you need to understand Steve Bannon: what's driving him, what his true role is, and what he's trying to accomplish on behalf of the American middle class. White House reporter Keith Koffler penetrates the fog surrounding the mysterious senior White House advisor, tracing Bannon's wild and distinctly American path to the White House in this first-ever honest biography of the controversial figure.
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The "real" Steve Bannon! Great read!
- By Amazon Customer on 12-20-17
By: Keith Koffler
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Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right
- What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas
- By: Erica Grieder
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Texas may well be America’s most controversial state. Evangelicals dominate the halls of power, millions of its people live in poverty, and its death row is the busiest in the country. Skeptical outsiders have found much to be offended by in the state’s politics and attitude, and yet, according to journalist and Texan Erica Grieder, the United States has a great deal to learn from Texas. In Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right, Grieder traces the political history of a state that was always larger than life. From its rowdy beginnings, Texas has combined a long-standing suspicion of government intrusion with a passion for business.
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Loved this book!
- By ccarp on 06-04-14
By: Erica Grieder
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-
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What listeners say about The Wrecking Crew
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Stephen
- 05-27-10
Great book, but sad Tale!
Very interesting and good overview of how the current political system has become corrupted. Very good but also very sad. Highly reccommond for anyone interested in understanding why the politicians never get anything done.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Jason P. Stanford
- 08-16-08
A damning criticism of the Conservative movement.
Mr. Frank has written a very clear, well reasoned, substantiated (and substantial!) argument against the core values of the Conservative movement. (In my humble opinion, it is more of a bowel movement on the 99% of Americans, from the top 1%. Who really is the "majority"?)
As someone greatly embarrassed to have been taken in by the propaganda surrounding Bush in 2000 and 2004, and voted for him, I sincerely wish us all to take many steps back, breathe deep, calm down, then start to review (as honestly and calmly as we can) what happened. Those responsible need to be man enough to deal with the consequences of their actions.
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17 people found this helpful
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- GaB
- 05-20-20
Great story but long and dry
struggled to finish. Great story and moral theme but depressing to listen to the death of the USA built through the struggles to escape the worst of humanity.
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- S. Gallegos
- 02-09-17
Good historical analysis
Always enjoy Frank's writing. He explains what is right before our eyes.
Wish narrator would learn to pronounce Laissez faire (not laa) and Che (not shay). Even Frank pronounced Laissez faire correctly in the after interview.
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Overall
- Jeffrey
- 09-12-08
Loss of hope...
My heart goes out to Saundra as she clearly is looking for hope: perhaps looking for that time in Frank's conclusion where the parents of current 40 and 50 year olds worked manufacturing jobs and lived more prosperous and fulfilled lives than their offspring.
True that Frank's book is not prescriptive, but there's really no surprise there. He is a historian, and as such he has done his job: recounting recent history so that we might learn to avoid the mistakes of the prior 25 years. Indeed, he has done his job very well. I haven't encountered a better journalistic or historical rendition than this fine audiobook.
The job of reversing course and bringing those days of prosperity is up to us now.
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall
- jorgeviola
- 08-21-08
The Wrecking Crew
Speaking as a former Republican, I can say that Thomas Frank documents what I lived through and began to see for myself since the Reagan era. An historical perspective is precisely what we need to be able to set our policies and politics back on a reasonable course. The voice of reason, trust and goodwill has been all but silenced after 30 years of big money and power-grabbing by the "conservative" ideologues.
I highly recommend this listen for everyone who is fed up with this deregulated and corrupted system.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Saundra
- 08-13-08
Looking for the political good
Thomas Frank documents conservativism's enumerable sins ending with believer's reaping the disdain they hold for foe and friend alike. With Herbert Spencer's social Darwinism mantra of survival of the fittest mixed with the original sin of St Augustine, conservative belief assumes everyone is corrupted or corruptible and the ruthless win. Because all men are more motivated by greed and power than altruism, there is no hope for man or government structured by man. So, stand aside you who still hold out the hope your government can and will serve you the individual person. For the conservative only the MARKET is worthy of a voice in your government and that voice rightly goes to businesses willing to buy it. Conservativism is the law of nature; it is absolute.
In 10 hours of listening there was a litany of crimes and criminals, with the certainty that after 30 years of rule, conservativism's power over us is now absolute. Thomas Franks effort held no hope, no reasoned discourse. He proposed no workable ideas that might restore a government for and by the people.
The author's conclusion: We dare not strive for better for as long as anyone dare vote with vision and hope, we only embolden the resolve of Conservativism to destroy us. This book leaves the listener so demoralized they are left wondering if that was the objective of the author.
Possibly this book is a good resource on the history, methods and results of conservative rule for the student of politics but for other listeners looking for a different path it is a pain filled exercise in self flagellation
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23 people found this helpful