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Title: The Ten Things You Can't Say in America by Larry Elder ISBN: 031226660X Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: September, 2000 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.31
Rating: 4
Summary: ...and some things you should.
Comment: Larry Elder writes this book with an direct hard-hitting style and posture. He uses a balanced combination of opinion, philosophy, and statistics to back his claims. I will say that I found the first several chapters on race issues to be fascinating. Larry writes about race issues from his own perspective as an African-American regarding the present state of race relations in America, and makes some excellent points. The subject matter is worth talking about openly, and if not for the comical and tragic "political correctness" movement of the Left, would likely open many lines of communication and improve race relations. If you are at all interested in this subject I strongly suggest you read this book. The liberal platform has actually (according to Larry) done far more damage to African-Americans than the supposedly racially biased political Right-wing views and policy. A must read. Sadly, the book goes downhill as it progresses, which is not to say it isn't well written, just - in my opinion - divergent from his logical stance in the first half. His take on legalizing drugs and gun control are way out to the Right, seem to defy common sense at times, and also appear to contrast with his views on race relations - when looked at from a non-political viewpoint. Overall an interesting book, and worth the read if just for the sections regarding race relations alone. The title is not misleading, although I would say it should more accurately state "The Five Things You Can't Say in America", as about half of his Ten are not that controversial, just well disputed.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent but not for anyone with a closed mind
Comment: As a libertarian I was thrilled to find this book. Months ago I couldn't have even told you who Larry Elder is. The radio stations in my neck of the woods do not carry Elder's program so I didn't know anything about Elder when I bought this book. I read the blurb, thought it sounded interesting and read it with an open mind. I wasn't prepared to agree with 99 if not 100 percent of what I read but that's what happened. But as a caveat let me again reiterate that this book is NOT for anyone with a closed mind. If you are so entrenched in certain religious and/or political beliefs that you cannot read someone else's ideas without becoming enraged then do not even waste your money. For those of you with more maturity, this is a great buy.
Elder's 10 contentions are simple but loaded: Blacks are more racist than whites, white condescension is as bad as black racism, the media bias is real, widespread and destructive, the glass ceiling is full of holes, America's greatest problem is illegitimacy, there is no health-care crisis, America's welfare state is tyranny of the statist quo, there's maybe a dime's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats, the war on drugs is a losing battle and gun control advocates are good guys with blood on their hands. I can just see many of you reading this and gasping with horror at those statements. But before you condemn Elder as someone who loathes himself, acts white, subscribes to radical political ideas and/or has no sense of practicality, look closer. How many times during, say, one week can you turn on your TV and see one of the "victicrats" Elder describes crying about some evil he/she faced and how the government *owes* it to everyone to write a law about said evil? How many news reports can you hear of celebrities with drug problems and the status of America's war on drugs? In response the media will talk to Republicans and Democrats about their reactions and, at the end of the day, there will be little difference in the answers they give. And if you turn on even one talk show during the day you will see paternity tests being administered on behalf of women who don't even know for sure who the fathers of their babies are! Yes, illegitimacy is a big problem in America but will you ever hear a politically correct talk show host say so? Of course not. They will blame promiscuity on low self-esteem and poverty instead of telling the truth-- people just don't want to take responsibility for themselves anymore. This extends to our failing war on drugs. People would rather believe that the government ought to fight the drug war because it's "right" or because they don't think crackheads will work at legitimate jobs to buy drugs or they think that drug use will reach epidemic levels if drugs are legalized or they think that the streets won't be safe. Reality check, folks-- drugs are illegal and we have problems with gang and street violence now. As Elder points out, alcohol consumption actually fell after Prohibition ended and, to quote Ben Franklin as Elder does, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Amen.
Rating: 4
Summary: Ain't Too Bad
Comment: Larry Elder's libertarian views appear to be well thought out and easy to agree with (most of the time). He still has a tough sell if he wishes to eliminate Social Security, legalize hard drugs, and regulate prostitution, though. His most insightful chapters were the ones on race, especially the one that asserts that "blacks are more racist than whites." This is truly something one cannot say in America--especially if one is white. The part that disappointed me about this book is the frequent and casual use of the word "ain't", as well as the usage of the phrase "pissed off" to describe one's angry feelings. I know it sounds prudish, but I really think that an important book like this, with its wealth of whistle-blowing statistics, graphs, and pithy quotes, can only be tarnished by such non-scholarly rhetoric. I also noticed several typographical errors, as well as the unforgivable reference to Charlie Rangel of New York as a Republican rather than a Democrat. Those minor offenses just seem to add up after awhile. Still a good read, especially for conservative readers who crave anti-government commentary.
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Title: Showdown: Confronting Bias, Lies, and the Special Interests that Divide America by Larry Elder ISBN: 0312301790 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 04 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right by Ann H. Coulter ISBN: 1400046610 Publisher: Crown Pub Pub. Date: 25 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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Title: The New Thought Police: Inside the Left's Assault on Free Speech and Free Minds by Tammy Bruce ISBN: 0761534040 Publisher: Prima Publishing Pub. Date: 23 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News by Bernard Goldberg ISBN: 0895261901 Publisher: Regnery Publishing Pub. Date: December, 2001 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism by Sean Hannity ISBN: 0060514558 Publisher: Regan Books Pub. Date: 20 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
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