In Ray Bradbury’s classic novel, “Fahrenheit 451,” about a book burning dystopia, Captain Beatty sums up his philosophy of “people control” to “fireman” Guy Montag in this way:
Cram them full of non-combustible data, chock them so damned full of ‘facts’ they feel stuffed, but absolutely ‘brilliant’ with information. Then they’ll feel they’re thinking, they’ll get a sense of motion without moving. And they’ll be happy, because facts of that sort don’t change. Don’t give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy.
And with that bit of philosophical fluff, Montag goes about his happy way, charged with his book burning mission to suppress political thought, action, and other “slippery stuff.” Well, the fictional Captain Beatty would also be proud of his real-life fireman New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller.
Recently, Keller announced a suspicious change in the liberal rag’s longtime policy for some political books on its influential hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list. Now, as Dick Morris noted, for the first time since 1942, some political hardcover books currently on the list will be reclassified for the paper’s lesser known “advice” and “how to” and “miscellaneous” list. What books could those possibly be?
The current Big Three, of course: Mike Huckabee’s “A Simple Government,” Dick Morris and Eileen McGann’s Revolt!, and Frank Luntz’ “Win.” All three authors are Fox News contributors. Morris has had nine previous best sellers – all on the Times hardcover list. Now, instead of the hardcover list, the “A Simple Government,” “Revolt!” and “Win” ranked #2, #3, and #6, respectively, were dumped into the Times advice and how-to classification.
Why?
According to Morris, this change is an attempt by Keller to negatively impact conservative book sales. “The ghettoization of the Fox News books inside the How To list has an important impact on sales. It means that many stores won’t put “Revolt!,” “Simple Government,” and “Win” up front with the best sellers but will assign them shelf space back with cookbooks, marital advice, and diet books,” said Morris in his blog.
Keller’s prejudice against all things Fox News is well-known. In a speech before the New York Press Club Keller said, “I think if you’re a regular viewer of Fox News, you’re among the most cynical people on planet Earth. I cannot think of a more cynical slogan than ‘Fair & Balanced.'”
So the Times‘ wants book sellers to group Dick Morris’ “Revolt!” with “Weight Watchers’ New Complete Cookbook” and “The Four Hour Body,” eh?
Strangely enough, back in May 2010, the Times failed to classify Daniel Amen’s “Change Your Brain, Change Your Body” for the advice best-seller list. The book is a “how-to” on “using the brain-body connection to lose weight and avoid depression.” As “how-to” books classifications go, this one should have been a gimme.
All of this points to the latest in a series of irrational emotional fits by the left to suppress and censor conservative political thought. It is a mental self-preservation attempt by the MSM who have long been in denial about America’s conservative identity. One can almost imagine the desperate hysterical hand-wringing that takes place every week at New York Times’ planning meetings when conservative – and particularly Fox News – authors crowd their cherished top 10 list. What a blow to the liberal psyche!
Fortunately, for conservative best selling authors, this is not quite the America of “Fahrenheit 451.” Not yet anyway.
Spurred on by articles in Newsmax and the conservative blogosphere, news of the Times’ attempt to “cook the books” has spread. Last week, book-lovers everywhere began their revolt. With Times’ editors inundated with email complaints, conservative scored a partial victory this weekend when Huckabee’s “A Simple Government” was reclassified again on the hardcover non-fiction best-sellers list at #5.
New York Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha rushed to explain the flip-flop:
We consider titles on a case-by-case basis, and the decision involves a multiplicity of factors, which in turn can lead to a change in our categorization. As it happens, ‘Simple Government’ by Mike Huckabee will now appear on the non-fiction list.
With no apparent objective standards, the question remains how will conservative authors be treated moving forward? And will the same standards be applied to liberal political authors? Probably not.
In January, Daily Show host, Jon Stewart’s “Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race” ranked #5 on the Times hardcover best-seller list. A guidebook? Should that now be reclassified under “miscellaneous,” Mr. Keller?
In November 2008, Times columnist, Thomas Friedman’s book, “Hot, Flat, and Crowded,” hit #6 on the hardcover list. Friedman describes the book as “how a green revolution can renew America.” Sounds like a “how-to” book to me. Will the Times now place Friedman’s book back in the advice section?
In October 2008, then President-elect Barack Obama’s book, “The Audicity of Hope” hit #1 on the hardcover list. Imagine if Obama had been a conservative. Keller would have called this book a “how-to” guide for Americans to move beyond political divisions?
Since few political lefties really rock the Times hardcover best-sellers list, Keller knows the spotlight on his paper’s cynical hypocrisy will rarely come up.
Had this “new system” been in place in January, would Glenn Beck’s “Broke” been viewed as a how-to on fixing America’s financial woes? Would Bill O’Reilly’s “Pinheads and Patriots” been classified as an advice book for Americans on the meaning of change in the Obama era? For conservative books, this is the literary equivalent of the Fairness Doctrine.
Now is the time to fight back. Email the New York Times and demand that Morris and Luntz’ books be reinstated back to the hardcover list.
Do you smell something rotten? It may not be books burning but it’s certainly close.
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