Promises Betrayed: Waking Up from the American Dream

Promises Betrayed: Waking Up From The American Dream by Bob Herbert (Op-Ed Columnist for the New York Times) is an in-depth analysis of the political struggle of citizens of minority groups and their confrontation with the power-based, vested interest realities of America which seek to maintain a discriminatory status quo. A study of the over-frequent application of the death penalty and the demagoguery of terrorism to control public opinion and electoral politics, Promises Betrayed acutely provides readers with a timeless and timely exposure of the truths in situations such as the fabrication of drug charges against several people on the racist behalf of a police officer in Tulia, Texas; an eleven-year-old girl's conviction of homicide despite any evidence supporting her confession as having been coerced, and so much more. Promises Betrayed is very strongly recommended for social activists, students of law and political science, as well non-specialist general readers seeking an understanding of the realities of the American political system and the endemic persecution of the innocent.

This book explores situations not covered by the mainstream media. An earlier reviewer said that some of the situations he writes about are not typical. Nevertheless they still exist and if you're intrested in reading them, this is a good buy. Poverty, corrupted corporations, to attacks on the middle-class; this book is a great introduction to some problems American faces in these modern times.

Bob Herbert, the op-ed columnist for The New York Times, collects some of his columns that range from 1995 to 2004 within "Promises Betrayed." The journalist gives a voice to the voiceless black citizens railroaded in Tulia, Texas, the wounded soldiers from the current war in Iraq, and the struggling working class. The writing is clear and often biting, especially when attacking the purveyors of injustice such as the racist cop in Tulia or some of President Bush's policies. For example, Herbert quotes George Akerlof, a 2001 Nobel laureate in economics, in order to shed light on the current U.S. economy. Akerlof says, "the Bush fiscal policy is the worst policy in the last 200 years." An annoying fact among this collection is that Herbert repeats himself often within a batch of related columns. For example, the same facts and tidbits are presented over and over again in the "Disgrace in Tulia" columns, which appear in sequential order, as originally published in newspaper print. With that nuisance aside, "Promises Betrayed" is still a worthy piece of reportage that brings to light clear cases of injustice. However, Herbert takes his reportage a step further and believes the cases presented are a reflection of an America decaying from within due to its eroding morals. He says, "We've been attacked from without, but the greater danger to the essence of America is within. There's a fire in the basement of the United States and we're behaving as if we cannot even smell the smoke." Bohdan Kot

On Bob Herbert's worst day, he thinks ten times more clearly (and of course, writes exponentially better) than the two illiterates who felt moved to offer their pig-ignorant commentaries. I doubt that either of them bought the book. For people who value the truth and who know Bob Herbert's work, he is always a pleasure to read.