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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Historian and conservative black sheep Democrat hits the nail on the head, January 23, 2007
This review is from: A Deficit of Decency (Hardcover)
Amazons book reviews have turned into a blog for political voting. Come on people, turn off the hate and rate the book honestly.
Historian and conservative black sheep Democrat Zell Miller hits the nail on the head. Short chapters with a touch of humor; quick read. He says the book is about the soul of our nation. Miller's stern words reflect a southern farmer--marine mentality. His family is his center as is evident throughout. His principles are clear: Faith in Christ is his core; he does not keep it hidden; he is not luke-warm, but on fire. He supports his words with scripture passages. There are no references.
Zell goes hog wild on issues such as: over-regulation, frivolous lawsuits, professional sports, media bias, the who's to blame game, and the worthless UN. He says: Our latest generation is going backwards; that Christian values and character are dying out; the government and people have lost their way. He paints a bleak picture, but is hopeful; "without God our nation falls apart."
His chapters on tax reform, morality, duty, and values voting are excellent. His chapter on the education system is also good, but ignores the unions impact. He makes a poke at using X for Christ in Christmas. Not sure that there is anything wrong with this, for is it not the Greek sign for Christ?
Does Zell deserve the chastisement received by his fellow democrats? He has been written off as a kook. Joe Lieberman is another man that comes to mind. This is shameful. Democrats are straying farther and farther from their principles, motivated only by partisan politics and getting elected; fed by special interest (the Republicans are not immune). Miller's support of Bush has been a thorn in the Democrats side. Until he sees changes in his party he will continue to support who best fits his values.
"The politicians are influenced by lobbyists and special interest groups." "They are perhaps the greatest threat to our liberty and freedom."
On consuming: I believe his point is materialism (keeping up with the Jones's) and I hope that is what our President has meant in his speeches. "What's wrong with being a nation of consumers?" "Buying more means spending more, spending more means earning more, earning more means working more, working more means being at home less, being at home less means being with children less, and that means less time helping them with homework, less time for eating meals together, less time for volunteering somewhere together, less time to worship together."
Wish you well
Scott
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27 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book with an important message, May 25, 2005
This review is from: A Deficit of Decency (Hardcover)
Love him or hate his politics Zell Miller has the courage of his convictions to speak his mind. Is this book a blast from the right? No in my opinion it is a blast straight from the heart of the author and he is as mad as hell.
Is Zell sincere? Is he a true embodiment of integrity? It is my belief that he is but I will let the reader decide.
For those who do not like Zell Miller I encourage you to read this book anyway. Forget all of the Zell bashing you have heard an approach this book with an open mind. If you cannot bring yourself to buying his book I suggest that you take it out of the library. I think a fair minded left winger will find something in this book that speaks to them. If nothing else if you are a hardcore left wing Democrat you might learn something about why Kerry lost the last election.
More than this book being a diatribe against the Democratic party I believe this book is a cautionary tale for all of us as Americans.
Zell Miller points out case by case how American values have strayed. Now I am not a fan of the religious right, at least those of them that are intolerant zealots, but I do believe like Zell we need to return to our values whether they be based in Christianity, Judaism, Islam Buddhism or whatever what faith to which we ascribe.
For even if one is an atheist there are certain core principles we all share or should share. I am not suggesting everyone should return to the Bible but it is certainly time for us to get our act together. This country definitely needs some backbone and boy do we need it now.
The author emphasizes the importance of duty and sacrifice. It is a message many of us in these days of instant gratification do not want to hear but it is something we must hear if we are to survive as a culture and as a nation.
We live in some of the most perilous times this world has ever seen yet we find ourselves lulled into opinions of the mass media that many times have no basis in fact of logic. Our culture, as Zell Miller points out, is both crude and banal. How can anyone who lives in America argue with that?
(Those ideologues who wish to throw mud at the author and to point to his past with his less than an exemplary record on civil right I will remind you of one name - Robert Byrd.)
Zell despite his former short comings is a sincere individual and a former marine you served his country admirably. He has the courage of conviction to blow the whistle on a party that had turned its bak on its former principles and turned its back on America.
He is a true patriot and a man willing to forsake his party rather than to forsake America.
I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican and I a leery of propaganda coming from either side. We now and always have needed a loyal opposition. I for one am sick as hell of both parties but our President right now happens to be a Republican. Shame on the many Americans who want our President to fail. For wishing the President of our country to fail no matter what political party he belongs to is a depraved desire to see ourselves fail and to have our children be put in peril. That is a true deficit of decency. I am afraid that we as Americans have forgotten the day of 9-11-01.
I am not one of those wishing to deify Zell Miller. As books have become another form of mass media I do not know enough about him from one book to make the claim that he is" a truly great man". But in this book he stands out as a champion against a current that is destroying this country.
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219 of 299 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life is more important than politics, April 15, 2005
This review is from: A Deficit of Decency (Hardcover)
Zell Miller is a living embodiment of the good things we all strive for, honesty, integrity, and a humble apprecation for the benefits of hard work that lead to a life worth living. I don't think many people today can be happy with the level of discourse in politics or our culture; it is narcissistic and decadent that rewards people with no talent or gift beyond self-promotion and smearing the values of the people who unwittingly made them millioniaires. As the product of a southern culture some years back that rewarded virtue and sincerity, Zell is an impeccable candidate to chronicle the current woes of our cultural discourse. While some may see this as a cranky old man complaining " 'bout the way things USED to be " - it is nothing of the sort. It is a firm but loving letter from a patriot who knows life in America will be far improved for all when the garbage is taken to the curb, and away from our eardrums.
Open any newspaper or turn on your televion today, and you'll see ink and airwaves telling us all about people like Madonna, Eminem, and other assorted dim-wits who crave attention. These people and their kind add nothing to the quality of life or values of America, yet the media follows their every move.
Watch cable tv and you'll see Hollywood movie stars that didn't finish high school lecturing George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld on foreign policy, using insults, slander and perjoratives without fail. The more insulting and "outrageous" they are, the more coverage they recieve. It is they who spew hatred and vitriol into our lives, it is Zell who argues for courtesy and manners.
Watch the evening news and you'll see Democrats nightly attack George Bush as worse than Saddam Hussein (Sen. Kennedy), throw tantrums when the President seeks to fulfill his duty to fill the judiciary and threaten filibusters when the MINORITY is kept from controlling appointments (Daschle, Boxer, Reid, etc.) or make ridiculous lies that the President should be impeached (Rangel, Frank, McDermott).
To top it off, the major broadcast media serve as a mouthpiece for every piece of leftwing propaganda (Dan Rather, 60 Minutes) and regardless of how little the facts comport with the fictious claims of the left, the anti-Bush and anti-conservative demagogues never seem to have trouble having their grievances aired (fraudulent voting machines in Ohio, covered by the network news).
All this contributes to a culture of vitriol, hate and self-promotion that poisons discourse in America and cheapens our culture. Bravo to Zell, a man with the courage to tell the truth and not be bullied by those who fear he speaks the truth about them.
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