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Moyers on Democracy
Bill Moyers on America
“Here in the first decade of the twenty-first century the story that becomes America’s dominant narrative will shape our collective imagination and our politics for a long time to come. In the searching of our souls demanded by this challenge . . . kindred spirits across the nation must confront the most fundamental liberal failure of the current the failure to embrace a moral vision of America based on the transcendent faith that human beings are more than the sum of their material appetites, our country is more than an economic machine, and freedom is not license but responsibility—the gift we have received and the legacy we must bequeath.
“Although our sojourn in life is brief, we are on a great journey. For those who came before us and for those who follow, our moral, political, and religious duty to make sure that this nation, which was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all are equal under the law, is in good hands on our watch.”
—from “For America’s Sake”
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. “And one reason,” writes noted journalist Bill McKibben, “is that Moyers pulls no punches. His understanding of America’s history is at least as deep as his understanding of Christian tradition, which is an integral part of his background . . . With his feet firmly planted in the deepest American traditions, Bill Moyers is helping to keep alive an oratorical tradition that is fading after two centuries. Trained by his career in broadcasting, he writes for the ear, his cadences and his repetitions timed to bring an audience to full realization of its role and its power.”
And that is the message of this book. Moyers on Democracy collects many of Bill Moyers’s most moving statements to connect the dots on what is happening to our country—the twinned growth of private wealth and public squalor, the assault on our Constitution, the undermining of the electoral process, the accelerating class war against ordinary (and vulnerable) Americans inherent in the growth of economic inequality, the dangers of an imperial executive, the attack on the independence of the press, the despoiling of the earth we share as our common gift—and to rekindle the reader’s conviction that “the gravediggers of democracy will not have the last word.” Richly insightful and alive with a fierce, abiding love for our country, Moyers on Democracy is essential reading in this fateful presidential year.
“Here in the first decade of the twenty-first century the story that becomes America’s dominant narrative will shape our collective imagination and our politics for a long time to come. In the searching of our souls demanded by this challenge . . . kindred spirits across the nation must confront the most fundamental liberal failure of the current the failure to embrace a moral vision of America based on the transcendent faith that human beings are more than the sum of their material appetites, our country is more than an economic machine, and freedom is not license but responsibility—the gift we have received and the legacy we must bequeath.
“Although our sojourn in life is brief, we are on a great journey. For those who came before us and for those who follow, our moral, political, and religious duty to make sure that this nation, which was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all are equal under the law, is in good hands on our watch.”
—from “For America’s Sake”
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. “And one reason,” writes noted journalist Bill McKibben, “is that Moyers pulls no punches. His understanding of America’s history is at least as deep as his understanding of Christian tradition, which is an integral part of his background . . . With his feet firmly planted in the deepest American traditions, Bill Moyers is helping to keep alive an oratorical tradition that is fading after two centuries. Trained by his career in broadcasting, he writes for the ear, his cadences and his repetitions timed to bring an audience to full realization of its role and its power.”
And that is the message of this book. Moyers on Democracy collects many of Bill Moyers’s most moving statements to connect the dots on what is happening to our country—the twinned growth of private wealth and public squalor, the assault on our Constitution, the undermining of the electoral process, the accelerating class war against ordinary (and vulnerable) Americans inherent in the growth of economic inequality, the dangers of an imperial executive, the attack on the independence of the press, the despoiling of the earth we share as our common gift—and to rekindle the reader’s conviction that “the gravediggers of democracy will not have the last word.” Richly insightful and alive with a fierce, abiding love for our country, Moyers on Democracy is essential reading in this fateful presidential year.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
41 people are currently reading
663 people want to read
About the author
Bill Moyers
114 books123 followersBilly Don Moyers was an American journalist and political commentator who served as the eleventh White House Press Secretary from 1965 to 1967. He was a director of the Council on Foreign Relations from 1967 to 1974. He was also a onetime steering committee member of the annual Bilderberg Meeting. Moyers also worked as a network TV news commentator for ten years. Moyers was extensively involved with public broadcasting, producing documentaries and news journal programs, and won many awards and honorary degrees for his investigative journalism and civic activities. He was well known as a trenchant critic of the corporately structured U.S. news media.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 4, 2010
Moyers rises high in the open, vast spaces above party politics as he salutes wide-ranging, argumentative conversation, saying "you stand up for your country when you stand up to the government." He encourages each of us to state our views strongly, not only to get out more deeply held feelings, but also to stake our claims as individuals - "Talking with people who agree with you is like jogging in a cul-de-sac". Moyers thinks we should follow the trail of money from lobbyists to laws than benefit only the few. Moyers wants media, even or especially NPR, to report more in-depth stories about real people, the working and middle classes and their daily struggles. We have been asleep at the wheel in thinking a news story is balanced just because it has a Democrat quoted and a Republican quoted, when what this country needs is more context and analysis at every turn. We shouldn't be describing an escalation of the war in Iraq as a "surge - as if it were a current of electricity charging through a wire instead of blood spurting from a soldier's ruptured veins." Moyers innately knows that issues are more important than party, that being open is more important than being right, that the right thing is not always the most profitable.
Reading for all of us.
Reading for all of us.
August 10, 2008
Let me disclaim this review by stating that I've always enjoyed and respected the views and opinions of Bill Moyers. I like his sensibility, his tone, his integrity, and his approach to journalism and politics.
This book does nothing but strengthen and enhance those beliefs. A book of speeches always runs the risk of becoming repetitive, of which this does not escape that indictment. Having said that, Moyers proves once again why he is a preeminent source of journalistic integrity and bi-partisan reporting.
If what you're looking for is a fair assessment of democracy in America and the rigors of holding onto a government of, by, and for the people, then look no further.
I'll say this, Democracy is in good hands with the likes of Mr. Moyers and others who transcend petty politics, agenda reporting, and partisan isolationism.
My favorite Moyers quote from the book is:
"Life is where you get your answers questioned."
Definitely a "Good Read"!
This book does nothing but strengthen and enhance those beliefs. A book of speeches always runs the risk of becoming repetitive, of which this does not escape that indictment. Having said that, Moyers proves once again why he is a preeminent source of journalistic integrity and bi-partisan reporting.
If what you're looking for is a fair assessment of democracy in America and the rigors of holding onto a government of, by, and for the people, then look no further.
I'll say this, Democracy is in good hands with the likes of Mr. Moyers and others who transcend petty politics, agenda reporting, and partisan isolationism.
My favorite Moyers quote from the book is:
"Life is where you get your answers questioned."
Definitely a "Good Read"!
July 11, 2012
I adore Bill Moyers. I think he's a wonderful interviewer, a clear thinker, and a bit of a renaissance man. His politics also jibe with mine, so I suppose it's to be expected that I would like this book.
Yet this is the book that caused my doctor to tell me to read more fiction. Actually she told me to keep some Harlequin Romances on my nightstand to read when I'm awake and staring at the ceiling at 2:37 a.m. I told her my eyeballs would bleed if I read those.
This book was not relaxing. There were certainly some pieces that were lovely, like his eulogy for Barbara Jordan, but many addressed some very outrage-inducing political and economic issues. I couldn't quite finish it before it was recalled to the library, but I look forward to owning a copy that I can read more leisurely, with enough time between pieces to calm down a bit.
Yet this is the book that caused my doctor to tell me to read more fiction. Actually she told me to keep some Harlequin Romances on my nightstand to read when I'm awake and staring at the ceiling at 2:37 a.m. I told her my eyeballs would bleed if I read those.
This book was not relaxing. There were certainly some pieces that were lovely, like his eulogy for Barbara Jordan, but many addressed some very outrage-inducing political and economic issues. I couldn't quite finish it before it was recalled to the library, but I look forward to owning a copy that I can read more leisurely, with enough time between pieces to calm down a bit.
February 3, 2020
Thank you Bill Moyers for focusing on some of the underlying problems with our government. Makes me want to go out and fight for more use of public funding for campaigning.
I have one criticism: Bill Moyers uses some pretty inflamatory language in some of the speeches. I'd prefer a more measured tone, although this may be a difference between a speech and a book. I understand there is an audio tape of some of the speeches in the book, and I've requested it from my library.
I have one criticism: Bill Moyers uses some pretty inflamatory language in some of the speeches. I'd prefer a more measured tone, although this may be a difference between a speech and a book. I understand there is an audio tape of some of the speeches in the book, and I've requested it from my library.
April 29, 2009
Can't get much of a clearer speaker on Democracy than this man. He is extraordinary. An exemplary individual - and an Evangelical Christian as well!!! - causes me to rethink completely my categorical dismissal of such individuals as a group! An extremely important and insightful book to read/CD to listen to for ANYONE who is or wishes to become a member of a democratic society.
Absolutely superb, thought provoking book. Reminds me of all the critical aspects of a democracy we are in danger of losing when we allow a 'Bush-like' administration to call the shots. WE MUST SPEAK OUT WHEN WE SEE THINGS ARE CLEARLY WRONG. We MUST be active participants in ALL aspects of governance in order to sustain a democratic society.
Absolutely superb, thought provoking book. Reminds me of all the critical aspects of a democracy we are in danger of losing when we allow a 'Bush-like' administration to call the shots. WE MUST SPEAK OUT WHEN WE SEE THINGS ARE CLEARLY WRONG. We MUST be active participants in ALL aspects of governance in order to sustain a democratic society.
January 18, 2009
One of the few TV reporters who actually covers issues relevant to our lives. I highly recommend checking out his show on PBS if you get a chance. This book is a collection of old speeches of his that cover a variety of political issues. Really interesting.
November 11, 2016
Moyers is the archetype of a dogged but avuncular old-school journalist. I love his calm, well-reasoned analysis as well as his ability to accommodate both his religious beliefs and modern scientific knowledge.
Anyway, this a wonderful collection of his speeches. Pointed but cautiously optimistic. The key thread here is that We The People must transcend partisan dogma and look to the universal danger of monied interests in government. It is not Republican vs. Democrat, but working people vs. corporations/billionaires. With the rise of lobbyists and Supreme Court rulings like Citizens United (which enables corporations and the wealthy to spend whatever they like in election campaigns), we the common people--red or blue, working or middle class--have lost the ear of our supposed representatives -- and so our agency.
Moyers was in the LBJ administration at the time of the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965, which lead to a crescendo of expanded civic and educational opportunities for all Americans. Yet only 50 years later we're witness to the dismantling of progressive institutions which were at the foundation of America's greatness -- of the Middle Class itself. Our schools are resegregating (~2,500 schools had less than 1% white student population in 1988; at present, ~6,500); funding for schools and higher education has been drastically cut (resulting in lower quality for the former, and unmanageable debt for the latter); journalistic integrity is under fire (a handful of corporations control all of the media in the U.S. and publicly funded broadcasting is tiny and minimally funded); America's wealth has been squandered in unjustified and damaging undeclared wars at the expense of domestic infrastructure and institutions; and more.
Moyer calls for considered, concerted and nonpartisan action to reclaim our great republican experiment from corporatist and plutocratic vandals within.
Anyway, this a wonderful collection of his speeches. Pointed but cautiously optimistic. The key thread here is that We The People must transcend partisan dogma and look to the universal danger of monied interests in government. It is not Republican vs. Democrat, but working people vs. corporations/billionaires. With the rise of lobbyists and Supreme Court rulings like Citizens United (which enables corporations and the wealthy to spend whatever they like in election campaigns), we the common people--red or blue, working or middle class--have lost the ear of our supposed representatives -- and so our agency.
Moyers was in the LBJ administration at the time of the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965, which lead to a crescendo of expanded civic and educational opportunities for all Americans. Yet only 50 years later we're witness to the dismantling of progressive institutions which were at the foundation of America's greatness -- of the Middle Class itself. Our schools are resegregating (~2,500 schools had less than 1% white student population in 1988; at present, ~6,500); funding for schools and higher education has been drastically cut (resulting in lower quality for the former, and unmanageable debt for the latter); journalistic integrity is under fire (a handful of corporations control all of the media in the U.S. and publicly funded broadcasting is tiny and minimally funded); America's wealth has been squandered in unjustified and damaging undeclared wars at the expense of domestic infrastructure and institutions; and more.
Moyer calls for considered, concerted and nonpartisan action to reclaim our great republican experiment from corporatist and plutocratic vandals within.
February 10, 2022
I struggled both with motivating myself to keep reading this, as well as how to rate it after finishing it. For anyone concerned (or incensed) by the highjacking of our political system by the most wealthy at the expense of everyone else and by the manipulations and corruption of those in power this will be a difficult read. But it is important. It certainly wants to be a call to action, but it can't help but be horribly depressing at times. The material is a collection of speeches that Moyers delivered to various organizations over several decades. A part of the problem is that these are not essays per se but speeches, with much of the incendiary rhetoric that often entails. The topics are all very apropos today even though it was published in 2008.
April 25, 2011
A marvelous collection of speeches that Moyers has given over the years, at dinners, conferences, graduations and funerals. The clarity of his writing is matched by the courage of his convictions. Moyers is a graduate of a Theological Seminary, and a proud Baptist. Yet in this book reveals his true faith is Democracy, and he is (in his words) “a fundamentalist of the First Amendment”. Like the preacher he trained to be, Moyers takes on all sinners of all stripes – Democrats and Republicans, the Clinton Administration and the Bush Administration, NBC News and Fox New, Google and Murdoch – all who violate and work against the promise of democracy.
December 14, 2015
So well done!!! I marveled at Moyers' talent and courage to present the truth. His essays taught me so much about the difficult job of journalists, especially those who want to present the real story.
July 19, 2017
This book is a collection of speeches Bill Moyers has given over the years under the general theme of democracy. He is a great writer and speaker. He is quick to recite statistics and memorable quotes. I enjoyed the book, but I guess I expected a bit more.
An example being when he speaks of the problems of private money within the US political system. He tells a story about a ballot proposal put before the people of a state that would rid private money while putting public funding in its place. Now, I agree with the huge problem of skyrocketing costs of political campaigns and the problems of special interest/PAC financing, but one particular example he used showed how moneyed interests against the proposition put forth arguments that convinced the majority of voters to vote against it. So was this democracy at work or was it money that did the convincing? But the problems with these ideas run much deeper. Mr. Moyers didn’t tell us what the arguments were against the measure and I think these might be important. This is important to know if we are to counter the arguments; unless we voters are just this stupid, gullible or somehow also bought.
I understand that the point of these speeches is to present arguments on both sides but I’m too often only told to accept one viewpoint. Many people need to be armed with a rebuttal in order to reasonably refute another. Without money we at least need better arguments.
Let us say that I want to run for office against our longstanding, moneyed Senator. Let us say he and I are given equal amounts of public money to spend to get our message out. Is there any doubt that with his years and years and years worth of name recognition and franking privileges I will be soundly defeated? Even if the Senator received no funding, it is unlikely public funding would overcome his inherent advantages.
There are issues of just what constitutes free speech; constitutional issues. The supreme court has regrettably ruled that corporations can, at times and places, act as persons. Therefore some of the laws we pass might well be challenged at the supreme court. The court seems likely to put these laws down. The constitution might have to be amended but how safe is it to open up this convention? We have to open up a convention that goes against the entrenched interests our representatives while we expect them to pass this amendment without watering it down or further amendments. Just how, exactly, can we write such an amendment while being both fair and have a realistic change at passing and improving things?
Perhaps this is a new book for Mr. Moyers to write. It is bound to be enjoyable reading.
An example being when he speaks of the problems of private money within the US political system. He tells a story about a ballot proposal put before the people of a state that would rid private money while putting public funding in its place. Now, I agree with the huge problem of skyrocketing costs of political campaigns and the problems of special interest/PAC financing, but one particular example he used showed how moneyed interests against the proposition put forth arguments that convinced the majority of voters to vote against it. So was this democracy at work or was it money that did the convincing? But the problems with these ideas run much deeper. Mr. Moyers didn’t tell us what the arguments were against the measure and I think these might be important. This is important to know if we are to counter the arguments; unless we voters are just this stupid, gullible or somehow also bought.
I understand that the point of these speeches is to present arguments on both sides but I’m too often only told to accept one viewpoint. Many people need to be armed with a rebuttal in order to reasonably refute another. Without money we at least need better arguments.
Let us say that I want to run for office against our longstanding, moneyed Senator. Let us say he and I are given equal amounts of public money to spend to get our message out. Is there any doubt that with his years and years and years worth of name recognition and franking privileges I will be soundly defeated? Even if the Senator received no funding, it is unlikely public funding would overcome his inherent advantages.
There are issues of just what constitutes free speech; constitutional issues. The supreme court has regrettably ruled that corporations can, at times and places, act as persons. Therefore some of the laws we pass might well be challenged at the supreme court. The court seems likely to put these laws down. The constitution might have to be amended but how safe is it to open up this convention? We have to open up a convention that goes against the entrenched interests our representatives while we expect them to pass this amendment without watering it down or further amendments. Just how, exactly, can we write such an amendment while being both fair and have a realistic change at passing and improving things?
Perhaps this is a new book for Mr. Moyers to write. It is bound to be enjoyable reading.
April 17, 2018
The speeches in this audio book are all over 10 years old, but they are timeless. The challenges to our democracy that Moyers rails against are still going on, only more so. What I had forgotten was how much George W. Bush's administration was like Trump's. Would that there were many, many more Bill Moyers.
May 21, 2018
I have always been a fan of Bill Moyers on PBS but this is the first time I have read on of his books. This is a collections of essays and speeches given between 1986 and 2007. He's an interesting man with a lot to say and he says so eloquently.
September 24, 2021
Excellent. Should be required reading for every American. Everyone holding a political office and everyone aspiring to a political office should read it twice. Maybe three times.
October 16, 2009
I chanced upon this while browsing the shelves of my favorite bookstore in Winslow, the main town on Bainbridge Island. It’s been almost twenty years since I last read anything by Moyers – first A World of Ideas during my freshman year at Evergreen, and then The Power of Myth during my Comparative Lit years when I was finishing up my bachelor’s at the UW. Coming back to him all these years later, I find that Moyers still satisfies in every way.
This collection of speeches he has delivered in the past twenty-some years is organized by subject: public service, history, politics, media, and religion. While he’s typically forthright, yet thoughtful, in his progressive views – and certainly less confrontational and verbally obnoxious than those shrill right-wing ideologues on FOX News – Moyers does manage to surprise when he delivers some scathing indictments of former Center for Public Broadcasting chairman Kenneth Tomlinson, who was ousted after attempting to blackball independent journalism in the CPB.
"We’re seeing unfold a contemporary example of the age-old ambition of power and ideology to squelch and punish journalists who tell the stories that make princes and priests uncomfortable.
"Who are they? They are the apologists for the people in power. I mean the people who are hollowing out middle-class security even as they enlist the sons and daughters of the working class in a war started under false pretenses. I mean the people who turn faith-based initiatives into a slush fund and encourage the pious to look heavenward and pray so as not to see the long arm of privilege and power picking their pockets. I mean the people who would discredit dissent and present their ideology as the official view of reality from which any deviation becomes unpatriotic heresy."
Hear, hear, Moyers. He may be just as damning as his enemies. But he’s more eloquent by far.
Moyers also argues that we’re in a second Gilded Age, when he asserts:
"Theodore Roosevelt warned a century ago of the subversive influence of money over public policy. He said the central fact in his time was that big business had become so dominant it would chew up democracy and spit it out. The power of corporations, he said, had to be balanced with the interest of the general public. But a hundred years later corporations are once again the undisputed overlords of government."
Moyers also pops a hole in the anti-intellectual and anti-science ideology that has run rampant for most of this first decade in American national politics.
"They say denial is not a river in Egypt. It is, however, the governing philosophy in Washington. The president’s contempt for evidence is mind-boggling. Here is a man who was quick to launch a 'preventative war' against Iraq on faulty intelligence and premature judgment but who refuses to take preventative action against a truly global menace about which the scientific evidence is overwhelming."
The right-wing neo-cons can hate Gore all they want. But the evidence and consensus by the entire scientific community of the fact that global warming is very much real has been studied and tracked for several decades now. In other words, An Inconvenient Truth didn’t tell me something I didn’t already know. And if you discredit it because of a personal and/or political anathema to Gore, you need to get your head checked. Or if that doesn’t work, I have several bridges that I would be more than happy to sell you.
The personal and political of Bill Moyers has never been more pointed than here in Moyers on Democracy. For the truly progressive, he’s your man. If you get your news and ideology from FOX News, while you sit stewing against equal rights before the law for people that have been historically marginalized, then I suggest you put your head back in the sand. Moyers will just annoy you further.
This collection of speeches he has delivered in the past twenty-some years is organized by subject: public service, history, politics, media, and religion. While he’s typically forthright, yet thoughtful, in his progressive views – and certainly less confrontational and verbally obnoxious than those shrill right-wing ideologues on FOX News – Moyers does manage to surprise when he delivers some scathing indictments of former Center for Public Broadcasting chairman Kenneth Tomlinson, who was ousted after attempting to blackball independent journalism in the CPB.
"We’re seeing unfold a contemporary example of the age-old ambition of power and ideology to squelch and punish journalists who tell the stories that make princes and priests uncomfortable.
"Who are they? They are the apologists for the people in power. I mean the people who are hollowing out middle-class security even as they enlist the sons and daughters of the working class in a war started under false pretenses. I mean the people who turn faith-based initiatives into a slush fund and encourage the pious to look heavenward and pray so as not to see the long arm of privilege and power picking their pockets. I mean the people who would discredit dissent and present their ideology as the official view of reality from which any deviation becomes unpatriotic heresy."
Hear, hear, Moyers. He may be just as damning as his enemies. But he’s more eloquent by far.
Moyers also argues that we’re in a second Gilded Age, when he asserts:
"Theodore Roosevelt warned a century ago of the subversive influence of money over public policy. He said the central fact in his time was that big business had become so dominant it would chew up democracy and spit it out. The power of corporations, he said, had to be balanced with the interest of the general public. But a hundred years later corporations are once again the undisputed overlords of government."
Moyers also pops a hole in the anti-intellectual and anti-science ideology that has run rampant for most of this first decade in American national politics.
"They say denial is not a river in Egypt. It is, however, the governing philosophy in Washington. The president’s contempt for evidence is mind-boggling. Here is a man who was quick to launch a 'preventative war' against Iraq on faulty intelligence and premature judgment but who refuses to take preventative action against a truly global menace about which the scientific evidence is overwhelming."
The right-wing neo-cons can hate Gore all they want. But the evidence and consensus by the entire scientific community of the fact that global warming is very much real has been studied and tracked for several decades now. In other words, An Inconvenient Truth didn’t tell me something I didn’t already know. And if you discredit it because of a personal and/or political anathema to Gore, you need to get your head checked. Or if that doesn’t work, I have several bridges that I would be more than happy to sell you.
The personal and political of Bill Moyers has never been more pointed than here in Moyers on Democracy. For the truly progressive, he’s your man. If you get your news and ideology from FOX News, while you sit stewing against equal rights before the law for people that have been historically marginalized, then I suggest you put your head back in the sand. Moyers will just annoy you further.
September 2, 2013
Each essay is a stand-alone gem, but taken together, the whole does skirt repetitiveness - not an uncommon problem for collections such as this. I suggest reading each chapter, then allowing some time to pass before indulging in the next, to mitigate the effect. Moyers raises excellent points, and does so from the perspective of a wise and seasoned journalist and public servant. His insights into the administration of Lyndon Johnson, the Peace Corps, Hubert Humphrey's political career, Fred Friendly's influence on both CBS news and the Corporation for Public Broadcast offer the reader a rare look into the metamorphosis of news into history through first-hand report and subsequent analysis by the same author.
Convincing though his passionate arguments are, I can't quite bring myself to embrace the alarm and pessimism he sometimes conveys. It's difficult for me to accept the decline of the printed newspaper and media of the 20th century as a harbinger of the fall of America, so much as a natural environmental evolution in response to the rise of competition from emerging electronic forms through the new media of the internet. He doesn't demure from the fact that he's made a living at the very industry who's decline he mourns. To be fair, I also worry when confronted with the absurd bias and erosion of standards, but I find myself wondering how hard core news and reporting ever managed to survive in the early 20th century in the first place. Some blame should probably fall on the consumers of such yellow journalism as well as on the producers, and the real danger and price of freedom is the danger of mass consumption of garbage, and the freedom to choose to be more entertained than informed. Consumers' ability to learn and understand has been undermined by the breadth available through new media, coming at the sacrifice of depth. Moyers seems to assert that some code of standards upheld by a knightly order of media leaders has been broken and may be irreparable. I'm not convince that it was ever more than an illusion or pure circumstance that it ever found a place at all.
Still, the man has seen and thought much about the experiment of America, and that has to be respected. The collection is worth reading and debate, and I suspect will join a pantheon of writings considered by generations to come... if they continue to take the time to read more than 140 characters before moving on to the next tweet.
Convincing though his passionate arguments are, I can't quite bring myself to embrace the alarm and pessimism he sometimes conveys. It's difficult for me to accept the decline of the printed newspaper and media of the 20th century as a harbinger of the fall of America, so much as a natural environmental evolution in response to the rise of competition from emerging electronic forms through the new media of the internet. He doesn't demure from the fact that he's made a living at the very industry who's decline he mourns. To be fair, I also worry when confronted with the absurd bias and erosion of standards, but I find myself wondering how hard core news and reporting ever managed to survive in the early 20th century in the first place. Some blame should probably fall on the consumers of such yellow journalism as well as on the producers, and the real danger and price of freedom is the danger of mass consumption of garbage, and the freedom to choose to be more entertained than informed. Consumers' ability to learn and understand has been undermined by the breadth available through new media, coming at the sacrifice of depth. Moyers seems to assert that some code of standards upheld by a knightly order of media leaders has been broken and may be irreparable. I'm not convince that it was ever more than an illusion or pure circumstance that it ever found a place at all.
Still, the man has seen and thought much about the experiment of America, and that has to be respected. The collection is worth reading and debate, and I suspect will join a pantheon of writings considered by generations to come... if they continue to take the time to read more than 140 characters before moving on to the next tweet.
August 21, 2008
If you only know Bill Moyers from his PBS show you need to get this one and preferably the audiobook version of this, because they use the actually of the speeches included in the book.
Moyers is a brilliant writer and an even more brilliant orator and passion-stirrer. The book includes two eulogies for Lady Bird Johnson and Barbara Jordon that are just emotionally powerful. Moyers also does indignation well here too. There's a speech here that he gives to seminary about the rightwing takeover of religion that is a real buttkicker, for lack of a better word.
His speech on the corporate takeover of journalism is like a cold dose of water in the face. But then he makes the turn towards why it matters that we fight for despite the odds.
Moyers is a like wiley baptist minister who knows how to weave a sermon that informs and inspires you at the same time.
There's truth and hope in this book at a time when we truly need both.
Click here to listen to an excerpt of Bill Moyers' intro to the audiobook
Moyers is a brilliant writer and an even more brilliant orator and passion-stirrer. The book includes two eulogies for Lady Bird Johnson and Barbara Jordon that are just emotionally powerful. Moyers also does indignation well here too. There's a speech here that he gives to seminary about the rightwing takeover of religion that is a real buttkicker, for lack of a better word.
His speech on the corporate takeover of journalism is like a cold dose of water in the face. But then he makes the turn towards why it matters that we fight for despite the odds.
Moyers is a like wiley baptist minister who knows how to weave a sermon that informs and inspires you at the same time.
There's truth and hope in this book at a time when we truly need both.
Click here to listen to an excerpt of Bill Moyers' intro to the audiobook
July 29, 2008
Bill Moyers writes with passion and outrage about the current state of affairs in America. The speeches in this book were given over a period of years from 1987 to 2007. Each speech is introduced with a current comment. Unfortunately the issues addressed haven't changed with time other than being more in need of change.
My favorite speeches were the eulogies which he was asked to give for people he came to know and greatly admire - Lady Bird Johnson, Barbara Jordan, William Sloan Coffin, and Fred Friendly. Moyers sums up their lives and greatly honors them with his words.
Of Barbara Jordan:"The founders would have been lucky to have had her in that Constitutional Convention. If she had been present, it would have taken far less time for Barbara Jordan to be recognized as a whole person in the sight of the law, or for this country to fulfill its promise.
As it is, the good fortune has been yours and mine. Just when we despaired of finding a hero, she showed up, to give the sign of democracy."
My favorite speeches were the eulogies which he was asked to give for people he came to know and greatly admire - Lady Bird Johnson, Barbara Jordan, William Sloan Coffin, and Fred Friendly. Moyers sums up their lives and greatly honors them with his words.
Of Barbara Jordan:"The founders would have been lucky to have had her in that Constitutional Convention. If she had been present, it would have taken far less time for Barbara Jordan to be recognized as a whole person in the sight of the law, or for this country to fulfill its promise.
As it is, the good fortune has been yours and mine. Just when we despaired of finding a hero, she showed up, to give the sign of democracy."
June 23, 2009
Bill Moyers is fighting mad about the betrayal of our best democratic ideals by the Bush administration, and in this book he delivers a crucial message about America’s need to reconnect with our constitutional ideals and rich history of reform as we prepare for the 2008 presidential race.
In this collection of blisteringly eloquent speeches on the state of our nation, timely topics addressed include the proper place of religion in public life; the mounting environmental crisis; the struggle to keep public television and radio free of political manipulation and ideological censorship; the appalling culture of corruption and influence-peddling that has nearly highjacked Washington; the heedless, disastrous policies of the Bush administration in Iraq and many other areas.
Collected, these speeches prove definitively that Bill Moyers is our Indispensable Man and our political conscience.
To learn more, visit The Progressive Book Club: http://www.progressivebookclub.com/pb...
In this collection of blisteringly eloquent speeches on the state of our nation, timely topics addressed include the proper place of religion in public life; the mounting environmental crisis; the struggle to keep public television and radio free of political manipulation and ideological censorship; the appalling culture of corruption and influence-peddling that has nearly highjacked Washington; the heedless, disastrous policies of the Bush administration in Iraq and many other areas.
Collected, these speeches prove definitively that Bill Moyers is our Indispensable Man and our political conscience.
To learn more, visit The Progressive Book Club: http://www.progressivebookclub.com/pb...
August 17, 2012
This book is a collection of speeches that Bill Moyers has given over the last decade or so. Moyers, a journalist, co-founder of the Peace Corps, and PBS documentarian, covers a wide variety of subject that he sees impacting democracy in America. He hits on such topics as media conglomeration, the influence of money in politics, the shrinking divide between church and state, the growing divide between the rich and everyone else in American, lack of civility in public discourse, government interference in non-political activities, etc. Moyers speaks as a guardian of liberty and social justice. While he certainly leans to the left, he isn't afraid to poke at virtually anyone along the political spectrum. Having heard him speak a few times, I imagine these speeches would be better heard than read; so like my review on his other book, I'd probably suggest thinking about getting this as a book on tape. After reading two of his books, I'm now looking for a biography on Moyers.
September 3, 2009
Incredbile read and wonderfully written, Moyer's distinct writing style and political expertise help make this collecction more than another critique of the American Government. His use of rhectorics is both fresh and interesting, and his speechs are as informative as they are inspirational. Thought one complaint about the book is that there were some chapters that addressed similar topics, mostly each chapter is original in its topic and language. Moyers simultaneously analyze and explain politics in the boo. He also introduce many important American figures and historical events. In many ways this book is very similar to Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. There is humor but through out retains a serious tone. Its a book that even people who aren't interested in politics would enjoy.
December 21, 2010
Bill Moyers is a very articulate voice for the Progressive view of America. This book is a collection of speeches, eulogys, programs and interviews that Bill Moyers has given during his long and active career. In this age of loud mouth conservate Media voices, Beck O'Rielly, Rush and Fox news, it is refreshing to hear the progressive view of the world by a person of intellect. If you are liberal and long for a reasonable person's view of the world, this is the book for you. I especially like this first entry. "For America's Sake". In this piece he exposes the way money from rich conservatives and Fox News are preverting America politics. It starts the books and sets the tone. I enjoyed reading this book very much. I highly recommend it even for people that like Rush and Beck. Maybe this would give them a new view of the world.
December 18, 2014
Here are a few quotes from one speech that is included in the book about the media, Democracy, Secrecy and Ideology
"Haste is often the enemy of judgment...." (p. 302)
"Prior to the invasion of Iraq, I said on the air that Vietnam didn't make me a dove; it made me read the Constitution. Government's first obligation is to defend its citizens; there is nothing in the Constitution that says it is permissible for our government to launch a preemptive attack on another nation. Common sense carries on to the same conclusion: it's hard to get the leash back on once you let the wild dogs of war out of the kennel." (p. 302).
He further talks about the media's responsibility to seek the truth and share it because it makes us a more free people.
"Haste is often the enemy of judgment...." (p. 302)
"Prior to the invasion of Iraq, I said on the air that Vietnam didn't make me a dove; it made me read the Constitution. Government's first obligation is to defend its citizens; there is nothing in the Constitution that says it is permissible for our government to launch a preemptive attack on another nation. Common sense carries on to the same conclusion: it's hard to get the leash back on once you let the wild dogs of war out of the kennel." (p. 302).
He further talks about the media's responsibility to seek the truth and share it because it makes us a more free people.
June 22, 2008
Bill Moyers, the writer of this informative book, has been a long time journalist, press secretary for President Johnson, helped create the Peace Corps, helped create PBS, fought for the right to have unbiased, intelligent discussions on television representing all sides, creator and host of past and current PBS interview shows, and is a highly regarded speaker. This book is a compilation of his well written speeches that cover his favorite topic, democracy-of the people, for the people and by the people.
Mr. Moyers thoroughly explains why we have lost democracy through the years and why; he won't be silent about it.
Well written and interesting.
Mr. Moyers thoroughly explains why we have lost democracy through the years and why; he won't be silent about it.
Well written and interesting.
July 20, 2009
This book of essays is splended. There are numerous themes and issues, but the book is held together by Moyers' passionate explanation of what Democracy is and why it is in danger. In short, Democracy is in danger because moneyed interests have control over washington and their money and influence drowns out the ordinary person and his or her concerns.
If you truly care about Democracy, if you worry about the threat of rich and powerful corporate money buying our elected officials, if you wonder how to fight this and get democracy back: this book is for you.
A must read for any informed citizen.
If you truly care about Democracy, if you worry about the threat of rich and powerful corporate money buying our elected officials, if you wonder how to fight this and get democracy back: this book is for you.
A must read for any informed citizen.
September 2, 2013
How frustrating it must be to grow up in a world of investigative journalism, where real news is uncovered and taken seriously, and then end your career in the ago of infotainment. That frustration comes across in this book. But, the book also shows a fighting spirit that has been fed by the awful march ever more toward big-money-politics. Mr. Moyers doesn't play nice by glossing over the injustices he sees, but he always plays fair. One of the last, true, prominent progressive investigative journalists working today. Go Bill!
September 9, 2013
Very engaging and thought provoking. Reading these speeches makes me hope I get a chance to see him speak sometime, wonder why I don't watch his show on PBS more often, and enraged at what our democracy seems to have become. Unlike a lot of people, he thinks it can be fixed, although the most recent speech is from 2007, so he may have changed his opinion since then. It will probably either inspire you or make you depressed, depending on your outlook. The other possibility is that you will completely hate it if you are sympathetic to Tea Party philosophy.
February 7, 2014
I have just about zero respect for anyone in TV news, with the glaring (and wonderful) exception of Moyers. I'm glued to his show every Friday night. This book is a collection of speeches he's given over the years that all touch on the theme of democracy. I'm less than a quarter of the way through, but I'm savoring more than reading. He's a masterful speechwriter -- I almost want to read these aloud.
February 22, 2010
Though Moyers has to come across as a liberal, he is a closet conservative. Keep the government off people's back, allow people to climb to great glory, and watch out for misuse of power.
If he could write a postlouge to this book, he would be railing against the Obama administration and their lies, the health care reform, the global warming fiasco, and his handling of the war.
Kudos to Moyers to try to bring some sanity to what used to be the greatest government in the world.
If he could write a postlouge to this book, he would be railing against the Obama administration and their lies, the health care reform, the global warming fiasco, and his handling of the war.
Kudos to Moyers to try to bring some sanity to what used to be the greatest government in the world.
July 13, 2008
I enjoyed this book a great deal, but I have a great amount of love for Bill Moyers. That said, I think this book would be better in audio format as it's a collection of his speeches and talks. And while a speech can be a great thing to read, there is something much more visceral about hearing it as the author intended.
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