Customer Reviews

"Feeling Your Pain": The Explosion and Abuse of Government Power in the Clinton-Gore Years

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Bovard provides us with the big picture regarding the policies of the Clinton Administration, whereas the media has only looked at certain things in isolation. Coming in the wake of the Danforth Commission on Waco, which claims to absolve the government of any fault in the death of the Branch Davidians, Bovard devotes a chapter of his book to the incident. Like many people at the time of the conflagration, I was one of those Americans who thought, "Well, they were a bunch of religious fanatics, whattaya expect?" Therefore, it should be rather sobering to read in "feeling your pain" that BATF agents could have arrested Koresh at any time when he went into town prior to the raid, and that at one point Koresh even invited the ATF to come and inspect the compound, but they refused the invitation. Instead, they opted for a military raid to be covered by the media to bolster the agency's image in the minds of the American people. A lost tv cameraman inadvertently tipped the Davidians off, but knowing this, the ATF tried to storm the compound anyway. The rest, as we know, is history.

Civil libertarians should be troubled by the attempts of the administration to limit privacy over our internet commmunications and in banking. The book also gives a good summary of why the military intervention in Kosovo was such a blunder. Interestingly, I just read in the paper this morning that an American serviceman pleaded guilty to raping and murdering an ethnic Albanian girl in Kosovo. Is this what Clinton meant by a humanitarian intervention? Other areas covered include the War on Drugs, agricultural policy, HUD abuses and gun control efforts.

I had recently read Bovard's previous book, Freedom In Chains, which I gave 5 stars. One of the weaknesses of "feeling your pain" is that Bovard recycles some of the same material. There are even entire paragraphs that look like they were cut and pasted from "Freedom". But since some of the issues he looks at were the same, I suppose we cannot expect him to reword everything he said. This book also differs from Freedom In Chains thematically. Whereas "Freedom" examined the concepts of freedom and liberty and the conflict between liberty and statism in a philosophical framework, his current work looks at how the Clinton Administration's policies have curtailed or threatened to curtail our liberties in a number of policy areas.

While some of Bovard's detractors may dismiss "feeling your pain" as just another Clinton bashing book, Bovard acknowledges that the Republicans would not have had a much better track record on many of these issues if they controlled the White House. This book is a must for anyone who wants ammunition to argue with a die hard Clinton partisan.

This is an important "anthology" of the abuses of the Clinton-Gore administration. To regular Bovard readers, it does cover some of the material that his other works have detailed but is a disturbing litany of statist, unconstitutional, and power hungry moves by this administration. What this summary does is put in greater perspective the actions of the Clinton-Gore administration that range from seemingly unrelated domestic policy such as HUD and farm loans programs to foreign policy such as the WTO and the Serbian war.

The common thread is a executive branch gobbling ever increasingly amount of control over normal people's lives while dishing out intellectually contorted reasoning appealing to people's emotions and fears. Intentions are always more important than results, activity more desired than progress, the end always justifies the means, and the truth is simply a tool to be used, warped, or discarded to advance one's aims. When we are constantly told that "it's all old news" or "just about sex", the casual political observer can't help but sit back and wonder about the lies we don't know about. This is what the book is all about.

I recommend you read the one star review from the person from California ("Hatred, not analysis"). This is an ironic message that illustrates all that the Clinton administration wants you to swallow. The reviewer reminds you that any dissenting opinion is simply "right wing hatred". He/she -- knows -- that the author has his facts wrong but won't tell you how they know this nor site any examples of these errors ("just trust me..."). What the Clinton-Gore apologists want us to believe is that any administration discretion is just a rare, isolated brush fire that really isn't a big issue, has been dealt with and there's nothing to worry about except when one steps back and examines the forest they find that the entire landscape is in flames.

If even half of this remarkable, lucid book is true - and, knowing the author of "Lost Rights" and "Freedom in Chains," there is little question that "Feeling Your Pain" is a searingly factual indictment, and a frightening exposure of the havoc wreaked upon the Constitution and its protected citizenry by the Clinton Administration - Bill Clinton was impeachable for reasons having not a bloody thing to do with sexual harassment suits, stained blue dresses, or a little perjury, suborning perjury, or obstructing justice to hide a little extramarital nooky in the Oval Office.

And it is just as damning an indictment, if read very carefully, of a Republican Party which held control of Congress for most of the Clinton years and saw fit to do little more than turn around, bend over, and bleat, "Thank you, sir, and may I have another?" at nearly every turn of the Clinton screw, making them accessories to a thorough flouting of the Constitution and trampling of the rights and even lives of individual Americans and what remain of their rights and sovereignty. (I hardly need to say that it indicts a Democratic Party which aided and abetted the turns of Clinton's ... at every last turn, effectively letting him make a monkey out of a party which had already long gone ape in the fever swamps of Statism.) This book should be required reading for anyone who would dare to enter the voting booth on November 7.

I first became acquainted with James Bovard through his book "Lost Rights, the Destruction of American Liberty." That book formed the basis of countless hours of discussion on my radio talk show. "Feeling your Pain" is even better! Bovard has focused on the excesses of one administration --- the anti-rule-of-law years of the Clintonistas. If you have a friend or acquaintance who feels that government is benign -- or who would rather watch pro-wrestling than spend one moment actually discussing politics and government ... then see if you can get them to read just one page from "Feeling your Pain." After they manage to peel themselves off the ceiling they'll become newly aware of the threat present by an Imperial Presidency. Neal Boortz END

James Bovard is a passionate man, as anyone who's ever spoken to him will attest. He is also- and this will surprise those who read the title of this book- he is a very non-partisan critic, too.

Bovard's enemies are not Democrats, but statists- those peopel who would subjugate the rights of the individuals to those of the group. Readers of his other books, like "The The Farm Fisaco", will attest that Bovard has no more love for statist Republicans than he does for statist Democrats.

This book is a good summary of what Bovard- and others- feel are the most aggredious offenses against personal freedom of the last eight years. Fans of Bovard will find familiar ground here, as will fans of books like Virginia Postrel's "The Future and its Enemies". But I would also recommend it to die-hard old school Democrats and ACLU card carrying civil libertarians, who may find themselves more in agreement with Bovard and than they might suspect.

James Bovard's "Feeling Your Pain" covers much of the same territory and the same abuses as his other excellent book, "Lost Rights." Nevertheless, "Feeling Your Pain" still is a very good book, especially in the chapters covering the abuses under Americorps. Bovard basically accuses Americorps of being a liberal indoctrination program which provides little to the communities in which they serve. His chapters on the abuses of the ADA and farm subsidies are also very interesting and show the extent of government waste in America.

I personally feel that Bovard should also be commended for continually reminding his readers about the abuses of civil liberties and human rights which happened at Waco and Ruby Ridge. Bovard's chapters on these almost forgotten scandals parallel those in "Lost Rights," although the chapter on Waco is more in depth to the aftermath of Waco. Bovard also offers extensive documentation of his resources in case readers want to verify Bovard's conclusions.

Basically, the only reason I am giving this book only four stars is because it covers the same material as "Lost Rights." Nevertheless, it still an excellent book from one of America's best liberatarian writers.

This is a must for anyone concerned about civil liberties and individual rights. Democrats take notice!! If you don't why so many Democrats left the Democrat Party, you need to read this book. I was a former Democratic Party activist. Clinton and Gore are the RIGHT WING of the Democratic Party. Clinton's actions in office, as written in this book, prove the point. My home town Omaha is mentioned for misuse of Federal funds.

I have read over 10 books on the Clinton administration and each one of them has been excellent, this book is another in that line, The author's fact based, well documented approach to the subject matter is nothing short of amazing.

In the Clinton spin machine the author breakdown the myths told by the liberal biased and based press to take a look into the most scandal ridden administration in American History, going far beyond the lies, obfuscations and demagoguery you have read and heard.

From Ameri-Corps, IRS, affirmative action, FEMA, drugs and drug warfare, free trade, HUD and welfare to the farmers, disabilities, the 2nd amendment, Waco and Ruby Ridge, Janet Reno and Louis Freeh, Kosovo and impeachment, you are given explanations, facts and inside information.

You'll read about the scandal after scandal that has plagued the White House, this society and how you have been lied to and what the affect has been and will be. The author holds nothing back and his direct approach is a simply a breath of fresh air.

I'll not bore you with a lot of verbage.This book should berequired reading for ALL voting adults.It is simply outrageous....

Jim Bovard has hit another grand slam. With his just the facts, no prisoners style, Bovard has proven once again why he is sure not to get on the governments christmas card list.

His hard research continues to present to one and all who dare to open the cover, that no matter how much the media and the spin doctors try to snow the general public with their sugar coated tales, that under that coating is the bitter taste of reality.

This is not a book for those who wish to remain "Comfortably Numb". How ever if you have the courage to face your deamons then this book is for you!

The chapter on the events at Waco Texas and the Branch Davidians is top shelf, fact filled and moves right along.

This book is a must for anyone who is concerened about the countrys direction and wishes to be both well informed and brought up to speed as to just where we are headed as a nation. If we continue to ignor those whom we have intrusted with the public well being, then Mr. Bovard will have even more material for future volumes.

So warm up your reading glasses and after you finish reading this excellent work, share it with a friend or two. Medicine isn't always plesant tasting, but in the end we will all be better off.