DU this Amazon Review

[stevietheman]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/1595230165/ref=cm_rev_prev/002-7418997-9899229

It appears that reviews for John Gibson's latest "book", The War on Christmas : How the Conspiracy to Suppress the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought are being freeped with comments supportive of a book that has about the weakest premise one could imagine.

To DU the reviews, you can either: 1) Write a review, or 2) Express whether or not the reviews already there are "helpful" or not (clicking "Yes" or "No"). Of course, you will need an Amazon account to do either.

Enjoy!

On Edit: rm redundant words in book title

[davidinalameda]

1. done

[DBoon]

2. Sacred Christian Holiday?

You mean the pagan saturnalia that was "stolen" by the christians?

[The Witch]

3. I vote for the latter.

But let's not review until we've read the book. That's not fair to the Amazon system.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. This is BULLSHIT!!!

You might not agree with what he has to say, and you might not like what he writes, but his freedom of speech is just as valid as yours, and rallying people to pull this kind of puerile bullshit is just plain WRONG.

You didn't read the book, you shouldn't post anything at amazon.com.

This is just BULLSHIT.

Shame on you for doing this.

[Jara sang]

7. You can however critique the other reviewers.

I found the pro-Christian reviews particularly unhelpful.

[stevietheman]

8. Shame on you for ASSuming...

that I have asked anyone to write a review without at least reading or skimming the book.

And Amazon's system clearly allows for voting on whether anyone's reviews are "helpful" or not.

I have not directed anyone to write a review or vote in any particular manner.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

9. You know it's not right

You've singled out one writer whose views you disdain, and now you're recruiting people to trash his work.

This is wrong, and you know it.

[stevietheman]

12. I am right in directing people to look at a ridiculous book...

part of freedom of speech is criticizing others' speech.

I absolutely stand by what I did.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

14. You are wrong

in soliciting them to do what you asked them to do.

That's immoral, it's unfair, and it flat out sucks.

George W. Bush stands by what he did, too. That's nothing to commend either of you.

Read the book. If you take issue with it, post a review. But, trashing someone's written work without having read it is shameful.

[stevietheman]

15. It's totally ethical to direct others to make their own decision...

about somebody else's speech. YOU ARE WRONG.

FREE SPEECH DOES NOT MEAN UNEMCUMBERED SPEECH!!!!!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

17. Free speech has responsibilities

And what you did is reprehensible.

If you'd read the book, you'd have some basis for writing a review.

But, what you did was invite people to trash the book without having read it, and, as I said, that sucks.

Free speech is jeopardized when you try to censor someone else.

[stevietheman]

26. OK, Ari "Watch what you say" Fleischer. n/t

n/t

[OldLeftieLawyer]

27. When you solicit people to "write a review"

of a book you know they've not read, you're worse than Ari Fleischer.

That's just dishonest.

[brettdale]

35. They rigged two elections!

They lie on faux every night, I skimmed through the passages that was put on the faux website, i think some reviews were written , with what was read on the web.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

36. Hitler killed Jews

John Gibson wrote a book. He rigged no elections. How do you connect THOSE events?

It's kind of horrid, watching anyone try to justify exhorting people to lie and cheat, especially here on DU.

It's shameful behavior, and if you caught the freepers doing it, you'd scream your ass off - as well you should.

We're better than that. This is just plain wrong.

[brettdale]

37. I guess two wrongs dont make a right

My point was the right lies all the time, the right has rigged two elections, if one side is not playing by the rules and the other is, then there is no hope for the team playing the rules.

I still say a lot of the negative reviews were written by people who read excerpts on the web, and then wrote a review.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

38. It's cheating,

and I deplore it. You should, too.

We're better than that.

Trashing a writer's work - any writer - is the kind of stuff that was really popular in Germany in 1937. Think about that.

You're better than they are, and you have to believe that good will triumph. In the meantime, you just can't sacrifice your principles because "they do it."

You're better than they are.

[wrathofkahn]

28. Amen

Complete lack of intellectual honesty (or even plain old regular honesty) in encouraging that sort of behavior.

[TahitiNut]

34. Yep. As a long-time Amazon member, I tend to report fake reviews.

I limit such reporting to those admitting to not having read (or viewed) the product and which show clear bias (astro-turfing). What Amazon does once so-informed is up to them. :shrug:

I think I was about 4 years old when I learned "two wrongs don't make a right" ... and about 30 years old when Deteriorata informed me that three do.
:silly: :dunce:

[NYCGirl]

5. On the other hand, do you want to be like the "right wing jerk" in the

Franken video who gave the book 1 star without reading it?

http://wm.amazon.usa.speedera.net/wm.amazon.usa/books/AMAZON_V6_crop_300k.wmv

(Watch the video — it's FUNNY!)

[OldLeftieLawyer]

10. He talked about it on The Daily Show

People putting up bad "reviews" before the book was released to bookstores.

That sort of stuff is just plain wrong.

[NYCGirl]

11. Did you see the video I linked above, OLL? So funny, the righties are

complaining about it!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

13. Yeah, I saw that

Was it on The Daily Show? Or Countdown? I'm not sure. But, it's dead right on in terms of the nonsense people pull with amazon "reviews," like the crap attempted here. He's so good. I just bought his book (and the new Kurt Vonnegut) today.

Franken is funny and smart, and I would just love to see him in the Senate. I wonder what would happen to him..........

[NYCGirl]

18. I was at his book signing last night and he was great. Talked for over

an hour. He said he won't be making a final decision on running until 2007, and if he thinks he can do more for the party by just doing what he's doing now, he'll continue.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

19. I'd go to his signing,

and I don't even like to go to my own readings.

But, I think he's right to stay out of it for now. God knows the Democrats are in enough flux - let them sort it out, and maybe then he'll want to dive in.

I still miss Paul Wellstone so much.

[NYCGirl]

21. Here's his book tour info. I hope one of these stops is near you...

are you in Minnesota?

http://al-franken.com/news.htm

[OldLeftieLawyer]

22. Bless your heart!

Thank you! What a nice thing to do.

No, I'm in Northern Virginia, and it looks like he'll be here while we're away for the Thanksgiving debacle we call a holiday.

I might send one of my evil minions to get a bunch of books signed for Christmas presents, though.

Thanks very, very much...........

[NYCGirl]

24. FYI, last night they only allowed 2 books per person, because there was

such a huge crowd! (As opposed to a HUGH111!! crowd, which would be freepers.) As it was, I'm sure Al was there half the night!

Edited to add: I took a couple of pictures, but I haven't downloaded them from my camera yet.

Also edited to add: They might even add more signings. I hope you can get to one.

[karlrschneider]

25. LOL...that IS funny.

:D

[Jara sang]

6. Make sure you hit all the "Was this review helpful to you?"

[BL611]

16. This is pretty wrong

Suggesting people to write reviews for a book they have not read (quite possibly including yourself), is not productive.

[Bridget Burke]

20. Most of the positive reviewers haven't read the book, either.

I'll definitely let Amazon know which reviews I find useful--& which I don't.

Poor John Gibson--his book is SO behind the times! Concerned Women of America, your one-stop-shop for Dominionist screeds, tackled the subject in 2003.

www.cwfa.org/articles/5040/CFI/misc/

[Puregonzo1188]

23. If you review the book without reading it or you "DU" the page on amazon

as opposed to critiquing the book, and just attacking other reviews than you are wrong to do so.

[brettdale]

29. Kick

Keep writing those reviews.

[salvorhardin]

30. Dude, this is wrong.

Stop it.

[donheld]

31. We have a spy

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

This is being attacked from A disfunctional website, October 27, 2005
Reviewer: K. sanborn - See all my reviews

ALL these reviews with 1 star are all being done from a certain democratic website that were told to come here and write negative thoughts about the book WITHOUT reading a single page.

[brettdale]

32. I think DU has been mentioned in one of the reviews

"hahaha the freepers are p*ssed"

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

This is being attacked from A disfunctional website, October 27, 2005
Reviewer: K. sanborn - See all my reviews

ALL these reviews with 1 star are all being done from a certain democratic website that were told to come here and write negative thoughts about the book WITHOUT reading a single page.

Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)

[donheld]

33. DUing this review could actually be counter-productive

It may cause more people to find and buy this piece of rubbish. I think it's really beneath DU to carry out this sort of thing.

[Puregonzo1188]

39. Instead of giving the book a bad review if you haven't read it and

messing up the amazon review system which is suppose to help those interested in the book I have a better idea. Recommend "The Age of Reason" instead of this book.

[Puregonzo1188]

40. Take a look at this review

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Democratic Underground is evil, October 28, 2005
Reviewer: John Locke "John" (The greatest republic in the world) - See all my reviews
Democratic Underground is full of America hating Stalinists. It's a website for Al Queda empathizers who think America is the great Satan. If these people had their way America would be the new North Korea and Mike Malloy it's executioner.

LMAO!