State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind

Welch, Bryant. State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind. St. Martin's. 2008. c.288p. bibliog. index. POL SCI~Clearly writing from left of center, Welch ends by strongly encouraging Democrats to fight against GOP manipulation. The book is not, and does not claim to be, impartial. Real political situations are alternated with short (sometimes fictitious) clinical stories, which can make the text a bit confusing. Recommended for larger public libraries. Background: Lawyer and clinical psychologist Welch, formerly active in the American Psychological Association's Practice Directorate, focuses here on ""gaslighting""--a form of psychological manipulation that undermines the mental stability of its victims (the term derives from the movie Gaslight, a 1944 Bergman/Boyer chiller). Welch claims that Republicans and Republican pundits have increasingly used gaslighting techniques to their advantage in the past decade, with paranoia, sexual perplexity, and envy at the heart of their assaults. First, Welch explains the psychology behind all this and shows how GOP ""gaslighters"" have manipulated emotions to their advantage, e.g., our paranoia after 9/11 made us susceptible to President Bush's claims about Iraqi weapons. Next, Welch discusses specific individuals, such as Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh, and explores their gaslighting methods. The author concludes by explaining the relevancy of this gaslighting and and its connection to current psychological arguments and issues like universal health care.--Leigh Mihlrad, Albany Medical Coll., NY.