$19.09 with 29 percent savings

List Price: $26.95

$3.99 delivery May 21 - 28. Details

Select delivery location

In stock
Usually ships within 2 to 3 days.

$$19.09 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

SuperBookDeals-

Ships from

SuperBookDeals-

Sold by

SuperBookDeals-

Sold by

SuperBookDeals-

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

$13.52

Book may contain some writing, highlighting, and or cover damage. Shipped fast and reliably! Book may contain some writing, highlighting, and or cover damage. Shipped fast and reliably! See less

FREE delivery May 22 - 28. Details

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$19.09 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from and sold by -OnTimeBooks-.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (27) from $13.52 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

David Cromwell

+ Follow

More books from this author

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Why Are We The Good Guys?: Reclaiming Your Mind From The Delusions Of Propaganda Paperback – September 16, 2012

by David Cromwell (Author)

3.9 141 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$19.09","priceAmount":19.09,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"09","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"LPqh7qh%2FAY58o%2Fg%2BbkDF35DDZ%2F9D3hpUEZKlFhkVjYpzuV%2FrH7%2BoT8R6DMK%2FjqBotoVEcXKJUod4eUSGTAekcvGWqhB2DqVNadnM7IOruPyDNe6FIWMkf%2F76qTM9LqWjzS959vZQhsYP4VamtfA6bM%2BgmN6fCiEzx9KKJ8JC09vPMdobZA55mA%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.52","priceAmount":13.52,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"52","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"LPqh7qh%2FAY58o%2Fg%2BbkDF35DDZ%2F9D3hpUxjD0UNAf80Q1kaNytZhnGAZGMmurfbktRHllmsA8SfyQULHvH9E4UUABuPWn2P%2BG74zpHqZnxwEzNq%2BKKJp2pLwGENegHm0GjmUDYUsOPs%2B%2Bo08zhz3ptKjb4fNM%2BzCxuYYtDYkB8QCtBfXic9A5FpB%2FAkH5Lntx","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

One of the unspoken assumptions of the Western world is that we are great defenders of human rights,
a free press and the benefits of market economics. Mistakes might be made along the way, perhaps even
tragic errors of judgement such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq. But the prevailing view is that the West is
essentially a force for good in the wider world. Why Are We The Good Guys? is a provocative challenge
of this false ideology. David Cromwell digs beneath standard accounts of crucial issues such as foreign
policy, climate change and the constant struggle between state-corporate power and genuine democracy.
The powerful evidence-based analysis of current affairs is leavened by some of the formative experiences
that led the author to question the basic myth of Western benevolence: from schoolroom
experiments in democracy, exposure to radical ideas at home, and a mercy mission while at sea;
to an unexpected encounter with former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, the struggles to publish
hard-hitting journalism, and the founding of Media Lens in 2001.
,

Editorial Reviews

Review

Cromwell displays his unbending commitment to follow the facts wherever they lead. Asks the questions about OUR leaders that polite society and the mainstream media will not go near. An indispensable tool of intellectual self defence.
--David Miller, coauthor of A Century of Spin, cofounder of Spinwatch, Professor of Sociology at the University of Bath UK

One of the beacons in a politically dark world is the light cast by a moral few who analyse and reveal how journalism works in the cause of power. David Cromwell has pride of place in this company. Every member of the public and every journalist with an ounce of scepticism about authority should read his outstanding book.
--John Pilger, journalist and documentary maker

About the Author

David Cromwell lives in Southampton and works full-time as co-editor of Media Lens, a UK-based media analysis website, which he co-founded in 2001. In 2007, Media Lens received the Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award. David is also the co-founder of the Crisis Forum which he set up with a colleague at the University of Southampton. David has a PhD (1987) in solar physics from the University of Glasgow. Following postdoctoral research in Boulder, Colorado, and a four-year stint working for Shell in the Netherlands, David returned to the UK in 1993. In 2010, he left his research position at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, to work full-time on Media Lens.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zero Books (September 16, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 329 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 178099365X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1780993652
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.48 x 0.71 x 8.37 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #172,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #62 in Propaganda & Political Psychology
- #427 in Political Commentary & Opinion
- #1,123 in Political Ideologies & Doctrines (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.9 141 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

David Cromwell

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

141 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Philip R. Gordon

This book is a delightful mix of excellent storytelling and essential information with notable hints of Erich ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2015

Verified Purchase

Mr. Cromwell's book provides a strikingly accurate and frightening portrayal of the propaganda function of mainstream corporate media not only in the UK but in the US as well. However, the richness of Mr. Cromwell's book goes far beyond that. This book is a delightful mix of excellent storytelling and essential information with notable hints of Erich Fromm and high notes of the Dalai Lama. And not to be missed is the treasure trove of a bibliography at the end of this delightful yet scary read. I highly recommend this book!

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

john macinnes

A book that challenges the accepted truths

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2013

Verified Purchase

A good expose of how morally corrupt, and criminal western governments are. While those same governments persuade their populations that their warmonging and racist policies are essential, in order to protect our "interests", this book shows that the real issues that threaten us all, such as climate change are ignored. This book is an important reality check, for us all.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Neil Y.

Essential reading for anyone who thinks that what they hear/read ...

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2018

Essential reading for anyone who thinks that what they hear/read on western media such as the BBC or The Guardian is the truth. Hint, it isn't.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Miss H McKenzie

Excellent, a must-read

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2016

This is an excellent book about how the media misrepresents what is going on in the world. I'd thoroughly recommend it as reading for anyone who buys a newspaper or watches the TV news and thinks they are informing themselves about the world and how it works. Mark Twain said: Those who don't read newspapers are uninformed, those who do are ill-informed. Mr Cromwell's book illustrates why this is just as apt a sentiment today as it was in Mr Twain's times.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Propoganda of western governments and the support of the press.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2014

Verified Purchase

David Cromwell is a very readable author. Some books dealing with serious global issues can be very didactic and dry. This book reads more like a smoothly written thriller. Another interesting but for me, welcoming point, is that he personalises a lot of the issues and relates them back to his childhood and family influences and work experiences round the world. With this author you know where he developed his basic ideas. He deals with a number of pressing issues that are affecting our global community at present. From this book, his views appear to be very black and white, showing right and wrong rather than any shades of gray. However, if your convictions are such, then so be it. Whether you agree or disagree, there is much that is food for thought and the book does seem well researched with its references. He obviously uses a lot of books and research which comes from his stable of thought, such as David Harvey and Noam Chomsky. My personal issue is that he sometimes comes across as 'all knowing' and will say that he really likes an author's work and findings but says he is wrong on certain findings, rather than saying 'in his opinion' he might not have got it quite right. This particularly relates to the philosophy section. I did tend to disagree with a number of the author's points from that section. However, that wouldn't detract from giving 5 stars, as the book is very readable and makes you think. I agree with the author that we should always be questioning the motive of established journalists and the press. Also we need to be concerned that we are not following like sheep in believing that the governments of the western world are always acting for the good of all humanity, rather than just their own interests.
The problem really lies in the fact that for the people in the west who have jobs and a reasonable standard of living, with all the luxuries that come with that, they might know that our government and press are not as 'good' as they make out to be but the people are scared of complaining too much and losing their present lifestyle. It probably comes down to not rocking the boat, for the advantaged classes. These classes are not just the small minority of ultra rich but the groups in the west who earn around the average salary, whose life is inordinately better than the vast majority of people around the globe (including India, China and other up and coming nations).

29 people found this helpful

AK

The role of the press in both 'informing' the public and propaganda - worthwhile, if repetitive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2015

Verified Purchase

The author - David Cromwell - is a character with an interesting CV; from a left leaning upbringing, to work in a prominent multinational, in science to finally in an outfit concerned with the quality of reporting (MediaLens). Everyone remembering the Cold War - even in its final, weak incarnation in the 1980s - or even the 1991 war against Iraq will recall the scorn poured on the 'laughable propaganda' presented as news reporting from the opposing side. The author's main premise is that the main purpose of media in the West is little different, if at times more refined - namely to defend the ideology and powers that be from public scrutiny coming too close to the truth.

The party line - namely of spreading democracy, human rights and welfare for all - starts wearing somewhat thin after the rhetoric somehow never manages to fully translate into practice. And the fewer the tangible examples of 'success' - or in the author's words us (the Western, capitalist societal model in the widest sense) being the good guys - one can see, the more support / cheer-leading from the so called neutral media is required to prevent hard questions.

Examples range from blatant and loyal support of brutal, repressive regimes as long as they are on the side of the reporting party, where even highly respected news outlets will turn two blind eyes to developments obvious to anyone, to the various wars fought for freedom and democracy after the Cold War, none of which seemed to have brought either; from Thatcherism to genetically modified foods. The author presents each case with ample support for his position from various experts, compares that to the official reporting on the phenomenon and then mostly confronts the journalists responsible with these facts and records their responses (or lack thereof).

The approach is a relatively transparent instrument for demonstrating the principles behind the rose tinted view of neutral, impartial reporting. Still it does make for tedious reading after a while, even if the author is a suitably capable story teller - there is more repetition than is necessary to bring the points across.

The book then takes on a very bizarre turn towards the end, with Buddhism, Nietzsche and the purpose of existence. While this certainly raises equally worthwhile questions as the rest of the book, it is not seamlessly integrated into the whole and one could ask oneself, if it is really necessary in this context.

And while the author's points are - in my opinion - on the whole valid, he does little in terms of presenting a better credible and reasonable alternative, which is the book's main failing in my opinion. As it is there is a high likelihood of the book appealing to the choir, and doing little eye-opening for the rest. This is not to say that the author's work - especially in the context of MediaLens - is in vain, only that the format is perhaps not optimal for capturing the new generations with a vision of a better future; these are a better bet than trying to persuade current entrenched believers anyway.

Be that as it may it is worthwhile on occasion reminding oneself that the media is far from the ideal, even handed chronicler of events - something the book does adequately well. This in not the same as throwing all aspects of our Western democratic / capitalist approach overboard, even if it has many inherent weaknesses, breeds unfairness - and like any unchecked system breeds the potential for abuse. Given that the author does relatively little in presenting an alternative, more appealing counter-proposal, one will do well to read the book in conjunction with How Asia Works: Success and Failure in the World's Most Dynamic Region . Here one at least gets a detailed analysis of how the capitalist animal spirits can be bent by appropriate government policies to benefiting the wider population as a whole - whether such a situation is desirable or not is of course up to the reader to finally decide.

10 people found this helpful

P. J. Dawes

Worth a read but keep your open mind about you.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2018

Verified Purchase

Hmm, some very good points made, and does make you think about things. However, the author comes across as a pure theorist without even an eyebrow quirked towards the practical side of actually getting something achieved.

D

A necessary read but an unpleasant one.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

For some time now I have felt like things just aren't what the seem, there always seemed to be a hidden agenda.

The problem I had was that through various stages in my life when I questioned something outwith the common opinion I was mocked and ridiculed.

I felt a real sense of relief when I read the chapter that mentions how even as children we learn not to speak outwith the popular opinion.

That being said this book does not leave you with a sense of well-being, it is a scary reality check and at many points I felt guilt for believing some of the lies told by the media.

Rodney Jones

Not terribly impressed!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

This seemed a rather disjointed book to me with some chapters appearing unconnected with the remainder.
The author's message was plain enough and scarcely original, but the quotations were selective and taken from people who you would expect to make an appearance in a book like this. The idea that so many experienced (and in some cases, eminent) journalists and academics are overtly complicit with politicians (and the Establishment!) in keeping the truth about such matters as climate change from the public is fanciful! It is to be expected that vested interests will legitimately seek to influence government policy to their own ends and most of the electorate will understand that. Trade unionists do the same. Also in a representative democracy, those representaives are not bound to reflect the views of the electorate. The electorate will have a chance to punish recalcitrant politicians at the voting booth. I was also unsurprised that the author's long e-mails to journalists - which are reproduced for the reader - often failed to receive more than a courteous acknowledgement.

2 people found this helpful

See more reviews