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

Conservative columnist Goldberg (Liberal Fascism) takes on those who, in his view, regurgitate popular nostrums as an alternative to conducting informed discussion. The wide-ranging narrative covers such topics as ideology vs. pragmatism; separation of church and state; the quest for “diversity”; social Darwinism vs. social justice; and the “Living Constitution.” Though Goldberg’s obvious purpose is to hammer liberal rhetoric, he relies on overstatement to clinch his points. Are we actually “almost at the point where we have a constitutional crisis if a kid says ‘God bless you’ to a sneezing public-school teacher”? Such hyperbole detracts from the legitimate concerns he raises, such as that sloppy language can lead to sloppy thinking or the easy acceptance of extreme ideas. While commitment to a partisan outlook does not necessarily invalidate the product, the observer of today’s political whirligig will regard this book as a touch one-sided. Agent: Jay Mandel, WME. (May)