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The Myth America Pageant by Robert V. Wickes

Ordinary Joes don’t need another dreary book on government or, far worse, more biased partisan ranting. So in The Myth America Pageant, Rob explores a brand new perspective on politics and takes an often-amusing look at often-confusing issues. The result is a friendly conversation with the readers, easy to read and simple to comprehend.

Here’s his recipe:

Take the lessons of history
Blend in ample common sense
Sprinkle liberally with controversial speculation
Turn up the heat until you’ve cooked the goose of all manner of ambitious politicians.
The result is a thought-provoking, passion-evoking analysis of today’s problems along with some radical, but rational ideas for tomorrow.

Serves: Everyone (politicians not included).

Comprehensive and comprehensible, The Myth America Pageant is a great read for Ordinary Joes of any political party. Continue reading »

Don Rumsfeld & Dick Cheney In Hell is a satirical novel that showcases the Devil’s mysterious ways to decide who winds up in Hades.

In a series of parodies and spoofs, the reality of an administration mired in the muck of lies and deceit impacts the Devil’s decision. Marked by laughter and tears, you’ll read first-hand testimony from many witnesses past and present, including the likes of Oprah, Henry Kissinger, Michael Moore, Nancy Pelosi, Bruce Willis, Pat Tillman, Harry Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, Jon Stewart, Howard Stern, and many, many more.

Even the characters from Law & Order make it in (the original series, not the spin-offs). It’s heartwarming and saddening to find out what all of these famous and infamous characters throughout history think of Rumsfeld and Cheney, but one thing’s for sure, you’ll laugh aloud and truly question these two men’s actions. Continue reading »

In his latest book, The Myth America Pageant, Robert Wickes takes a critical look at the state of government today. In his eyes the Republicans and Democrats have blurred into one amoebic mass, caring little for the “Ordinary Joe,” while happily feathering their own personal nests along the way.

I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Wilkes about the sorry state of affairs. He is a lively guy, with very strong opinions.

Great book, I enjoyed it a lot, where did you get the idea from?

In 2004, I developed a severe headache from beating my nugget against the wall for most of the campaign season. Like most of the country, I got pretty tired of hearing candidates from both sides, aided and abetted by a news media with its own agenda, pose and preen and indulge us with their munificent wisdom and imply that only they could save us Ordinary Joes from ourselves. So I decided somebody needed to tell “the rest of the story.”

And, what with my recently swelled head and all, I figured it might as well be me. Politics are what the military would call a target-rich environment - you don’t have to be an “expert” to hit something.

Purchase The Myth America Pageant: How Government & Politics Really Affect the Ordinary Joe from Amazon

I really enjoyed the “air conditioning” story that you attribute to your father. Has he read the book?

I’ve heard a lot flimsier reasoning from a lot more learned icons than dear old Dad. He’s a card-carrying member of the Tom Brokaw-named “Greatest Generation” who lived through the Great Depression, and fought in WWII. Continue reading »

The Myth America Pageant
by Robert Wickes 

Purchase The Myth America Pageant: How Government & Politics Really Affect the Ordinary Joe at Amazon.com

Most writers would hesitate to write about politics unless they had a background as a politician or in political science. What inspired you to write about this subject?

All of us Ordinary Joes in the country are subject to the vagaries of politics and it’s tough to know what’s coming at you next.  Sometimes it’s like playing a game where the rules are constantly changing, even in the middle of a play.  Politicians are supposed to be a bunch of smart fellows trying to help us all get through life.  And yet these supposedly smart fellows are constantly doing things that are supposed to help us but seem pretty stupid to me.  I couldn’t help but be curious about why these supposedly smart fellows kept doing stupid things, so I became determined to find out.  When I did, I was amazed.  Actually, I was appalled.  So I decided to tell other Ordinary Joes about what I found behind the wizard’s curtain. Continue reading »

Thanks to the Kentroversy Papers for this review. 

The Myth America Pageant is the first book from new author Robert Wickes, who shows he understands what the politicos do not, which is how to fix the mess in which we in America find ourselves.

WHERE IS THE AMERICA I WAS TOLD EXISTED WHEN I WAS A CHILD?

In a world filled with political punditry and self-appointed authorities on all manner of subjects; it is refreshing to read a book written by an Ordinary Joe that tells the bold truth concerning the way in which the American system really works. ‘The Myth America Pageant’ is the first-ever book written by Robert Wickes, who is a self-described ‘Ordinary Joe.’ Subtitled ‘How Government & Politics REALLY Affect the Ordinary Joe,’ it is a look into the rabbit hole of the Federal government, and how patently unfair it is to those of us who comprise the so-called Middle Class, a population that is quickly falling into bankruptcy. Continue reading »

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views

By Peter Clothier

I was a little concerned about reading the “Bush Diaries.” I wondered what kind of man would feel the need to write to the President in a Weblog every day for a year It sounded kind of obsessive to me. I was also afraid that it would be full of inarticulate rants to the President. I get tired of encountering anti-Bush people that can’t really present good arguments about why they are unhappy. They just know that they are unhappy and don’t like the way that things are going, but aren’t willing to research their arguments.

In “The Real Bush Diaries,” Peter Clothier delivers an articulate, well-written and researched journal. He tells Bush like it is. He presents his points well and in a manner that tells me that he would not lose a debate about his liberal anti-Bush beliefs. He expresses his concern to Bush about what is going on in the world. He discusses his experiences of communicating with people outside of this country and how badly we as Americans look to them. It is really sad that things have gotten to this point.
Continue reading »

You are free to duplicate or distribute the following information to your blog, Web site, ezine, newsletter, or friends. We would appreciate a link back to BloggingAuthors.com. If you would you like to review this book for your site, blog, or ezine, email nancy at bloggingauthors dot com

Global Sense
by Judah Freed 

Back in 1776, a dark time for freedom, Thomas Paine wrote the history-making essay, Common Sense. In one bold and brash move, Paine revived hope and inspired action by persuading colonial Americans to fight for independence.  Without Common Sense, many historians believe, the American Revolution would have failed from lack of public support. (Read an excerpt here)

If Thomas Paine were alive today, what would he say about the state of our world?

Author Judah Freed, a media and politics journalist, answered that question with his just-released book, Global Sense, an update of Common Sense to renew hope in these times that try our souls.

Where Paine opposed monarchy and hereditary succession, Freed exposes the dangers of “alpha male rule” and “authority addiction.” Instead, he favors “mindful self rule” and “personal democracy.” Freed’s core idea is that our natural global interactivity empowers each of us to change the world by changing ourselves. He writes, “Uniting personal growth and politics makes global sense.” Continue reading »

You are free to duplicate or distribute the following information to your Web site, ezine, newsletter, or friends as long as the contents are not changed, copyright notice is intact, and a link is provided to BloggingAuthors.com If you would you like to review this book for your site or ezine, email nancy at bloggingauthors dot com

Title: The Real Bush Diaries
Author: Peter Clothier
Paperback: 536 pages
Publisher: VirtualBookWorm.com.
ISBN: 1589398432
$18.95
Available from your favorite bookseller

About The Real Bush Diaries

A raw and often riotous look into the second coming of Bush. You would shake your fist if you could put this book down long enough. A must-read for all concerned Americans.

The Real Bush Diaries is a wonderfully irreverent romp through the fifth year of the Bush administration. Peter Clothier recounts the events of the year with clarity and precision. His daily musings reveal the truth behind the Bush administration and offer a refreshing look at why America invaded Iraq, gave tax cuts to the rich and runs a record deficit.

“With the wit and wisdom of a modern day Will Rogers, Clothier’s daily musings and poignant jabs on what is arguably the most egregious U.S. president in our nation’s history, gives word to what so many of us think, or should be thinking!” -Bob Burchman, Santa Monica, California

“Clothier’s insightful views of the Bush years have a great balance between political and poetic. One can only hope that Bush is not only reading, but listening.” -Lori Agostino, Los Angeles, California

“Reading The Real Bush Diaries is like having a lively and provocative chat over coffee with a bright and articulate friend. Blog on, Peter!” -Fred Thompson, Laguna Beach, California

About the Author

Peter Clothier is an internationally-known writer who specializes in writing about art and artists. He believes in avoiding the jargon that obscures much current writing about art, and in writing simply, clearly, in language that the lay person can readily understand.He seeks to achieve a harmony of mind, heart, and body in his work, and looks for this quality in the artists he writes about. A reformed academic, now fifteen years in recovery, he has returned in recent years to teaching, in mostly non-traditional ways: in workshops, continuing groups, and individual coaching and mentoring for artists and writers.

Excerpt from June 30, 2005

Blunderbus(h)s

You must have noticed, Bush, in recent days, how the word “blunder” has been appearing more and more frequently in association with your name. It occurred to me to google the two together, and I have to tell you that I came up with 299,000 hits in less than half a second. Which might be funny if you were a slapstick comedian, but no, you happen to be President of the United States; or, as we’re all too often reminded, the most powerful man in the world.

A blunder is not simply an action with which I happen to disagree. My trusty old Oxford English Dictionary defines it as follows: “1) Confusion, clamour. 2) A gross mistake.” The verb, to blunder, is “to move blindly or stupidly; to flounder, stumble… to utter thoughtlessly… to mismanage…” A “blunderbus(h)s,” by the way, is “A short gun with a large bore, firing many slugs, and doing execution at a short range without exact aim. [No longer used in civilized countries].” No kidding! Also, “A blustering, noisy talker.” Ah, well. Those Brits, they really know how to get down with their language, Bush! So, given that definition, a partial list of your own blunders, relating only and specifically to your “war on terror” and your war in Iraq might include:

failing to listen to pre-9/11 intelligence;
deflecting the war on terror from Afghanistan and the Pakistani border to Iraq, allowing Bin Laden and top henchmen to escape into the mountains and now, months later, allowing the Taliban to rebuild their strength and influence; believing (or not) in a direct connection between Iraq and the 9/11 attack, and using it anyway as an excuse to go to war; believing (or not) in your Chalabi and his fellow exiles, with their axes to grind, and acting on their advice and information; believing (or not) in “weapons of mass destruction,” and using them anyway as an excuse to go to war; invading a sovereign state, no matter how “evil,” on the basis of intelligence which you knew to be flawed; invading a country that in no way threatened the USA;
ignoring the good advice of at least one of your generals regarding troop strength; trusting your Rumsfeld;
trusting your Cheney;
trusting your Rice and your Wolfowitz;
invading a sovereign state despite international dismay and condemnation; invading Iraq with insufficient troop strength;
failing to recognize this inadequacy in the first days of the occupation, and thus failing to protect the country’s infrastructure; failing to protect vast arsenals of arms and ammunition from marauders and future insurgents; failing to accept your Rumsfeld’s resignation;
absurdly claiming victory in advance of months of escalating violence and death (“Mission Accomplished,” remember?); failing to capitalize on the strength of a pre-existing Iraqi army in your eagerness to de-Baathify; trusting your Chalabi to set up a government;
failing to understand the diversity of Iraqi culture and Iraqi people and their passions; failing to provide your army with adequate armor to protect them; changing your story every time you’re asked about the reason for your war, making yourself look foolish and inconsistent, and giving support to those who charge that the war is being fought for reasons you have not yet acknowledged (like, perhaps, oil???): insisting on absurdly disproportionate tax cuts for the wealthy during a time of war; insisting on rosy versions of success when all anyone can see is disastrous failure; grinning like an embarrassed jackal when speaking of the dead and injured; underestimating (wildly) the strength and determination of the resistence to your occupation; overestimating the appeal of “democracy” in a country that has never known it, and your ability to transplant it into unprepared soil; inability to admit to, let alone learn from your mistakes…

Well, Blunderbush. Enough for now. And that’s not even beginning to consider blunders on other fronts, at home and abroad. Like Kyoto. Global warming. Social security. Not to mention your felicitous turns of phrase. Ah, well… again! But anyway, enough to give us pause…