Customer Reviews

Can America Survive? The Rage of the Left, the Truth, and What to Do About It

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

A group of us recently met for dinner with a well-known radio talk-show host in the Los Angeles area. While the main foci of the dinner-table discussion was about the Civil War, our talk-show guest, who would be considered a Liberal politically, though he hates labels, sadly lamented how polarized this country has become. It came at no surprise to me that he likened the red-hot political divide between those who support the President to the Bush-haters to the atmosphere in this nation just prior to 1860.

Thankfully this nation is not, God Forbid, on the verge of a violent split. However, it did remind me very much of another Presidential election, the one held 140 years ago between Abraham Lincoln and the Union War Hero George McClellan nominated on an anti-war, pro-peace (with the Confederacy) platform drafted by an equally anti-war, pro-peace and disunion Democratic Party (sound familiar??).

I later mentioned the comparisons to this speaker, and while agreeing that it wasn't quite the same - after all, America in 1864 was in the midst of a Civil War, the comparisons of personalities, a President who was a Republican and hated by many; a war-hero turned Peace Democratic candidate, were pretty much on the mark.

(Read John Waugh's EXCELLENT "Reelecting Lincoln")

Ben Stein's book not only also makes similiar references to the Civil War and why we must stop ourselves from tearing this great country apart, he points his brilliant finger at those who are causing the greatest harm, and takes no prisoners. He equally savages the media, the Howard Deans, George Soros' and Michael Moores who have nothing good to say about America, the Left Fascist college professors who instead of teaching our children are indoctrinating them with "hate America" lies.

Stein shows how stupid and harmful those Left Wing Pundits ala Michael Moore and Janeane Garofalo among others are when they have the gall to call America "Fascist" as Garofalo recently alluded that we are. He points out that in every war that we fought to save Europe, we never conquered any European country, unlike the Germans and the Russians, nor slaughtered anyone. All we wanted in the end, as he said this morning on "Dayside" was to have a little corner in those ungrateful lands like France to bury our boys who died to bring freedom to these lands.

The book also contains a great bibliography of American History and Civil War source material for further reading.

This is a must-book that not only should belong in every thinking American's personal library, but should be given to every student going off to a college campus so that they know - and can refute the Hate America sludge of the Zinns and the Chomskys. Thank you for this book, Ben, and for real humor, real intellectual honesty, and the truth unlike a "Stuart Smalley"

Just picked this up over the weekend and have been thinking about its message all day. This is a quick and insightful read. Unlike most of the other books on the market trying to right the liberal wrongs, this one is a call to arms at a personal level. What truly made this book unique is the last chapter where the authors put forth ideas as to what we can due in our homes to help educate our families and friends. I really thought the required reading lists were outstanding, everything from Civil War biographies to the American Spectator and Wall Street Journal. Pick this one up as soon as you can. A truly enjoyable read!

What a delightful breath of fresh air this book provides. This is not an attack book that claims the flag for its point of view while disparaging those who do not agree. Rather, Stein and DeMuth, in multiple places, praise the patriotism of such pillars of the left as Norman Lear, Bob Kerrey, and Al Franken. The authors urge a generosity of spirit that I find strengthening because it is borne of confidence.

I cannot think of anyone who would not benefit from reading this book. If you violently disagree with the right in this country, Stein and DeMuth present the least vitriolic case for the conservative worldview you will find in current writing. It is always good to try and understand those with whom you disagree and this book should help our national discourse find a more reasonable and less strident tone. If you are a parent you will want to read this book in order to be armed in discussions with your children and their schoolteachers. If you are a teenager you will want to read this book to get an alternative view to what you hear at school, on the TV, and likely from your friends.

The first five chapters discuss the topics that are most in the cultural divide in our country today. Stein and DeMuth demonstrate the falseness of the left worldview on each of them. Chapters six through nine compare and contrast the way the left and the right view the world, their approaches to the very real problems we face, and compares what they do with what they say. Chapters ten through twelve offer what they admit are hypotheses about why the left believes, acts, and sees they way it does. The last two chapters discuss the fundamental nature of the cultural rift in our country and how confidence, gratitude, education, and persistent activism are the required antidotes to what ails us as a country today.

I say thank you and amen to Stein and DeMuth for such a delightful, kind spirited, and enjoyable-to-read field guide to our present culture and the very real crises we face in our education system, our media culture, our political class, and the War on Terror.

The appendix also has a reading list of other books, magazines, newspapers, and web sites to use as resources in strengthening your confidence to stand up and be counted.

This is a book you should not only read for yourself, but send as a gift to associates, friends and family. Its message is important and is written in a way that I think will contribute to healing discussion rather than widen the rifts in our culture.

I disagree with the authors on many issues, sometimes profoundly. But I find that, despite these disagreements, they have reached the same conclusion about the Rage of the Left that I already had---and that they muster a more impressive array of facts to bolster that conclusion than I had at my disposal.

In addition, it is a well-written and literate book. This season, there are many interesting books to read...but this one does not feel like a hastily slapped-together work, as many of them do. It's possible that it might have value beyond the current era.

The United States---maybe all of Western Civilization---faces a long and difficult struggle against Islamic terrorism. Yet the Left focuses on other issues. Since the war manifested itself in American consciousness, I have argued with several on the Left---but find it impossible to shake them from their focus on other irrelevant supposed evils.

I am grateful to know that I am neither alone in my conclusions or my opinions on this.

Ben Stein and Phil DeMuth's "Can America Survive" is a thoughtful, extensive look at what is wrong with the radical anti-American Left. Theirs is not an angry polemic against them, but instead, one replete with extensive quotes from those on the Left, pointing out their errors of omission and fact on issues ranging from the state of the U. S. economy, American imperialism, the nature of the conservative movement in the United States, to the moral blindness of the left. In thirteen succinct chapters they point out what exactly is wrong with the Left, issue by issue, and close with their prescription for America's survival. Throughout this book I was impressed by the authors' decency and keen sense of fair play, even when I disagreed strongly with them, most notably the chapter on Environmentalism with its emphasis on Global Warming (I believe their interpretation of the data - which is akin to Michael Crichton's in his latest novel - is scientifically incorrect, but nonetheless, I respect their position on this issue.). Indeed, they respect the opinions of distinguished liberal Americans such as comedian Al Franken and Hollywood producer Norman Lear, noting that they should be regarded as patriotic Americans even though their political views differ substantially from the authors. However, they are greatly concerned by the immense, deep-seated anger shown by the Left, "The Rage of the Left", wondering whether it may prove as divisive to the country as the Civil War. Both Ben Stein and Charles DeMuth are active in the Hollywood media industry: Stein, the son of the late Herb Stein, the distinguished economist who had worked in President Richard Nixon's administration, is a commentator and actor; DeMuth is a screenwriter. Anyone interested in the return of civil, well-reasoned, political discourse between the Left and the Right should regard this book as essential reading.

Firstly, this not an unabashed attempt by conservatives to bash liberals. Instead, as the authors verify (albeit a bit late into the text), this is a rebuttal of those in the extreme left who truly hate America. The line of argument tries to expose the extreme good being done by America and capitalism in the world. I think that it is necessary to affirm these goods and continually strive to better America further (as the authors proclaim). Envious hatred of America is never an edifying force. The act of dissent must always be one that builds up and never aims to tear down. It is against the crowd of those attempting to tear us down that the authors argue.

My disagreements with the authors are as follows:

They often begin their discussions with a variety of quotes that are taken from a variety of radicals, drawing their argument into an almost ad-hominem fallacy (as noted by another reviewer). However, this can not be fully maintained, for they do not use the character persons quoted to disprove their arguments. The real problem with this is that it could be interpreted as a narrow attempt at researching the views of America haters. Of course, I will argue that it is often difficult to discern a unified front in extreme liberalism because of its (often part and parcel) denial of objective truth and subsequent elevation of subjective understanding as the ultimate goal. (This is, of course, not meant to make humans into purely subjective computing machines. Instead, I mean to emphasize that a grounding of truth is necessitated because anything else would be a contradiction and yet this contradiction is often maintained by the elite for the sake of being "enlightened", but I digress.)

Furthermore, they are a bit too optimistic about capitalism's ability to lift up the world. I do think that the freedom in capitalism can do much good. However, we must never hope, like communism does, that we humans can work out perfection on our own. There is always the chance for humanity to fall. The authors do not directly assert this but lean that way at times. In all fairness, they hint at the advantage of capitalism: freedom is given to all. Next to the possibility for corruption, we must also acknowledge that we are also directed toward the Truth. Therefore, freedom must be maintained for all, a point truly made by the authors, although masked by an almost overzealous fideism in capitalism.

Finally, their review of "Phariseeism" is incomplete and also unreflecting upon the notion of wealth. I do not, however, read with a hermeneutic of suspicion. Based on the other ideas of these writers, I think that they have just chosen not to address this greatly and directly (although a brief mention is made with respect to gross extravagance).

In Conclusion,
All-in-all, however, this book gives a refreshing look at America. It serves as a reminder of what all we have done as Americans. From this we must take our forward thrust. This tradition must always remain a key motivating factor in progress. From the great things done in America, we must go forward in the hope of always helping our brethren in the world.

I buy all of my books online, but this weekend, my wife had to buy a gift and we ended up at one of those trendy bookstores where you get free coffee and snacks, then pay 50% more for the books you buy. Well, I didn't buy the book, but did read it, cover to cover. I had not heard of this book, but picked it up and skimmed the cover, and it sounded interesting. I got a cup of coffee and found a comfortable chair. By the time I had finished the introduction, I knew I would either come home and order it, or else stay there all day and read it. It turned out, my wife had other shopping to do, so I stayed there and read the book.

I was riveted to this book from the very start. DeMuth and Stein meticulously take several mendacious claims by the liberal left and clearly dismantle each one with fact and common sense rebuttal. Issues such as the liberal fallacy of poverty in America are broken down and shown to be little more than liberal propaganda.

I don't know Mr. DeMuth, and have never been much of a fan of Ben Stein, but I highly recommend this fine book. It holds the reader captivated from cover to cover. The final chapter gives the author's summation as to how America CAN survive the liberal onslaught of misinformation and political correctness, primarily by keeping ourselves informed and educated, as well as promoting patriotism to our younger generation. Numerous books are recommended, many of which I am familiar with and concur with the recommendations. You should find at least one or two good titles to add to your reading list.

I found the topic very interesting and enlightning on the facets of what really happens in the government and the media.

The subtitle of this work grabbed me. I've observed the growing "Rage of the Left" over the past few years, and the divisive nature of the current political discourse in this country has concerned me greatly. Passion for causes is laudable, but the most outspoken voices of the Left have lost their objectivity and tolerance. Indeed, it seems to be fashionable to be angry, as if this anger somehow validates their point of view.

I agree with most of the points authors Stein and DeMuth cover, and found this book to be an interesting and easy read. The least convincing part came when the authors try to explain the psychology of the radical left in psychological terms. Apparently they want to counter Jost et al.'s "Political Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition", an article so strange in concept that it needs no refutation. However, the chapters on Phariseeism and moral blindness rang particularly true.

The author succeed in writing an accessible, readable work; most of the facts are unsupported, though the presentation is logical and reasonable. An interested reader can follow up as needed.

Ultimately, I think that 4 stars is generous. My main question remains unanswered - why is the left so angry?

Ben Stein is a funny man, just not that funny. He is a well-deserved conservative with a string of strong, credible public stands on important conservative positions of the day. And I really wanted to like this book.

But there are too many personalized examples for my taste, maybe too many quotes from leftist cranks, and some statistics and citations that come out of nowhere. I'd like more careful and clear footnotes, detailed charts. Another 'Ben,' Ben Wattenberg does this -- taking a prosocial, even paternalistic stance for the common (conservative) good -- more effectively and convincingly in "The good news is the bad news is wrong' and 'The first measured century,' with all of the sagacity, a little less of the personal humor, and all the data needed to make critical points.

"Survive" is also a short, fast, almost light read. I finished quickly, feeling unconvinced that the authors had answered the question explicit in the title of their work. Maybe Stein and his co-author did a better job of answering the question, "Should America survive?" His basic answer, "education" is a highly risky proposition at best, because he makes clear with his story that family upbringing and values as well as an exposure to life itself may matter most than more formal forms of education.