Before reading this book I had very little exposure to Mr. Beck's work. Reading the glowing comments that such left wing fanatics as Keith Olbermann and Whoopi Goldberg shared about the author (think somewhere between Rush Limbaugh and Uncle Joe Stalin), I figured he would be your typical right wing fanatic. As I started the book the people around me (I tend to eat alone a lot and read while I do it) had all kinds of warnings for me that followed suit. I must say, however, that I was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Beck is a strict constitutionalist who rails on both sides equally for wrongs against the work of our founding fathers. That being said, considering our founding fathers believed in as little interference from the federal level in our lives as possible, you can pretty much guess which side of the aisle he leans towards.
I'll warn you now, however, that the picture he paints of our current state of national affairs is pretty bleak. After a hundred pages or so you start to think living in Europe might not be so bad. Of course, then you realize that no matter how f'ed up we are here, Europe is exponentially worse. Don't get me wrong, it’s a great place to visit, I just wouldn't want them taxing me 800% so I cannot get the medical care I need before I die. Call me crazy. Any-hoo, this work is in a textbook format, which is a little nutty, and has a bunch of sidebars throughout, so it isn't the fastest read. That and the constitutional chapter at the end frequently required a little more next level thinking than I was willing take away from my ham, turkey, and cheddar on wheat. All in all, it was an entertaining, educational, humorous (laughing on our collective way to the gallows) look at our country.
If you love unions, Obama, and the idea that big government will cure all that ails you, don't even bother picking up this book. If you are anywhere to the right of that and are interested in learning about what's really going on around here, you'll find it a fascinating read.
Nats
