The One with The Revolution

187. Title & Author: The Revolution: A Manifesto by Ron Paul (173 pages)

Genre: Nonfiction—Politics

Completed: 18 June 2011

Summary & Review:

This book was written during the 2008 Republican presidential primary season as a sort of “campaign book.” But unlike so many other such books, Ron Paul lays out ideas that supersede the minutiae that were important at the time and focuses on his enduring philosophy of liberty. Paul explains how through minimal federal governance and a more free society America can achieve unparalleled levels of safety and prosperity. (I’ll put up an “Arguments Summed Up” post in a couple of weeks)

First of all, I was impressed with the serious and rational tone of this book. Paul is often portrayed in the media, and even within the conservative movement, as a little bit of a loon. But, anyone willing to actually look at his views will find that he has clearly spent many careful hours honing his political philosophies. While I self-identify as a libertarian, I can’t always get completely on-board with some of Paul’s positions. When it comes to his economic and social policies, I am with him virtually one hundred percent. For example, Paul, un-like many “libertarians” is a staunch pro-life advocate, a position his career as an obstetrician has solidified. However, it is on foreign policy where I disagree with him the most. He did a commendable job convincing me that we need to severely pare down our overseas military presence, but I think he errs in writing off the ideological and religious motivations behind Islamic terrorism by blaming it more on economic and nationalistic root causes.

The Revolution was a concise and reasoned introduction to some of Paul’s core positions and is a worthwhile read for those seeking an alternative viewpoint within the Republican party. And, of course, a “thank you” to my wife who gave me this book for Christmas 2010.

Rating: 8.5

(Also, I've finished several audio books recently including The Honor of Spies, Under Fire, and Black Ops all by W.E.B. Griffin. I've now listened to eight books by Griffin and it's amazing how similar they are. First of all, hardly anything actually happens throughout these rather long books. The plot progresses maybe an inch throughout the novel with the rest of the book being filled with witty banter. His characters are always the same too. He always focuses on a band of rich, talented, and superbly connected men who are able to flout the rules of the military because they are just so darn talented! (sarcasm) Anyway, I think I keep listening to them because I like the reader, Scott Brick.)

The One with Behind the Mist (Updated)

(Updated)

175. Title & Author: Behind the Mist: Book One of the Mist Trilogy by M.J. Evans (212 pages)

Genre: Fiction—Young Adult & Teen Fantasy, Horse Books

Completed: 16 January 2011

Summary & Review:

In this exciting unicorn fantasy, what begins as a simple, yet strong, bond between and boy and his horse becomes a enduring partnership that sustains Nick and Jazz through their thrilling journey into the Land Behind the Mist: Celestia. A kingdom beyond this world, ruled and protected by great and noble horses who have attained the vaulted status of unicorn. While at first Nick appears to be the only human in this world, he learns the truth behind a battle that is threatening to tear Celestia apart. With the guidance of the Council of the Twelve Ancients and their leader Urijah, Nick and Jazz must face off against the forces of evil to save not only the kingdom, but also a lonely, forsaken prisoner held captive in the darkness.

This is the first book of M.J. Evans' new fantasy trilogy. I was able to read early drafts of this book so it was extremely fun to see the changes she made and to get to hold the actual book in my hands. Behind the Mist would definitely appeal to fans of fantasy and adventure, a la C.S. Lewis’ best fantasy books, The Chronicles of Narnia. On the surface, the story is a fun adventure, but deeper levels hold new meaning and teach a moral tale. It would be a great book for parents to read to their children to teach them important lessons while helping them gain a love of reading. I think children's fantasy stories are an excellent way to introduce the fun of reading to children. Plus, anyone with an interest in horses or unicorns would absolutely love the horse stories found within this horse-themed fantasy.

The book is available directly from the publisher, amazon.com, bn.com, and Deseret Book among others.

Rating: 10.0

Arguments Summed Up: Lights Out

Title & Author: Lights Out: Islam, Free Speech, and the Twilight of the West by Mark Steyn

Genre: Nonfiction--Politics & Current Affairs

My Rating: 9.0

Summed Up: In short, there is no justification for the state to regulate speech, even if that speech is unpleasant or offensive to certain groups. If all speech was pleasant and agreeable, then there would be no need to defend it. In today’s world, trying to regulate any speech that may be offensive strangles debate and is a danger to liberty in society. As Steyn says, “If you don’t believe in free speech for people you loathe, you don’t believe in free speech at all.”

Islamists are doing their best to stifle any honest or open debate about Islam by intimidation and by manipulating Western political correctness, multiculturalism, and “tolerance.” If a Dutch paper publishes a cartoon of Mohammed and then Islamists riot and kill innocent bystanders, Western states do not condemn the violence, but condemn the paper for exercising their freedom of expression. In Steyn’s case, he was brought before “human rights” commissions not because anything he wrote was untrue, libelous, or slanderous about Islam, but because it supposedly offended some Islamists.

Rather than an honest examination of facts, lables such as “Islamophobe” and “racist” and “bigot” are hurled about to stifle debate. “As I often say, I’m a phobiaphobe. I don’t subscribe to the concepts of 'homophobia' and 'Islamophobia.' They’re a lame rhetorical sleight to end the argument by denying it’s an argument at all: 'Why, you poor thing, you don’t have a philosophical disagreement with me over gay marriage or sharia, you have a mental illness! But don’t worry, we can give you counseling and medication and your “phobia” will eventually go away.'"

Steyn shows that far too many in the West are willing to put into extinction freedom of speech. But, the important question is why are so many willing to do away with one of the cornerstones of a free society? Steyn cites several reasons, including fear. Many are afraid to criticize Islam when they see what happens to those that do, like the murdered Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh.

Others are so hung up on tiptoeing around, afraid to “offend” anyone, especially certain favored groups, that they strangle free speech. Unfortunately, this leads to massive double standards and a completely unequal application and enforcement of the law. One cannot criticize Muslims, but one can say anything one wants against Christians, for example.

Steyn also makes that case that the West is undergoing cultural suicide, largely because of cultural relativism. Few are willing to defend our way of life and argue that yes, in fact, some cultures are better than others. In the words of Steyn, “The one identity we’re enjoined not to trumpet is the one that enables us to trumpet all the others: our identity as citizens of a very specific kind of society with a very particular inheritance, built on the rule of law, property rights, and freedom of speech. Heaven forbid we should assert any of that!” Steyn argues that we need a strong culture, one that exports the ideas of individual freedom, in order to counter act the growing threat of Islamist extremists.

In addition to cultural relativism, Western societies exercise extreme moral relativism. Steyn says, “The question is: What other than Hitler is our society prepared to make a moral judgment over?” Indeed, society continues to ignore actual threats and continues to search after non-existent Nazis. We refuse to decry actual, modern day evil. Everything today is in shades of gray, and this moral relativism is directly related to the cultural relativism that is leading to the decay of the West. Who are we to say that Islamist theocracies like Iran that suppress women, Jews, Christians, and others is worse than us? Unless the West decides to once again make moral judgments and defend the principles of freedom, that liberty will be lost.

The loss of liberty begins with the loss of free speech. Unless we have the ability to argue our points, to argue between right and wrong, there is no hope for right. “You defeat bad ideas—whether Nazism, Marxism, jihadism, Steynism or Trudeaupian pseudo-‘human rights’ mumbo-jumbo—in the bracing air and light of day, in vigorous open debate, not in the fetid corridors of power policed by ahistorical nitwits.”

You can read my review of Lights Out here.