Customer Reviews

Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

Why is it that so many intellectuals and media-elites are uncomfortable with patriotism? Why do they fail to recognize that, despite its flaws, America remains a beacon of freedom to the oppressed and downtrodden around the world? And why do the elites cheer on America's enemies as those enemies seek to extinguish the rights that enable us to speak our minds, criticize the government, and determine our own destinies?

Bill Bennett tackles these nagging questions, and more, in his excellent short book "Why We Fight."

Bennett also explains the moral, philosophical, and theological justifications for using force to avert evil. He respectfully and thoughtfully examines the underpinnings of various strains of pacifism, and describes how many pacifists, including some Quakers, have come to recognize that there are times when force is not only justified, but required.

In the end, the explanation of why we fight is easily understood. We fight to preserve freedom's foothold against the forces of tyranny and despotism. America's moral failings, including slavery, are the exception rather than the rule. Those who do not understand that will never understand this book, and deserve our pity rather than our contempt.

This is a fine book that answers all of the silly arguments put forth by those opposed to defending freedom and America. Read the negative reviews, the arguments they put forth are answered by the book in marvelous and just fashion. Bennett is cordial, as always, he is not mean or cruel to those with whom he disagrees. He doesn't label them like the people who dish out the poor reviews on Amazon. A fine work. Read it yourself it'll take a few day tops.!

In this slim volume of reflections on the 9-11 attacks and the domestic reactions to it, Bennett calls for purposeful anger and determined retaliation against the terrorists. It says something about our times that this is a controversial position. Yet, after a couple of generations of having school kids indoctrinated in the evils of being judgmental, it seems that sizeable amounts of our morally enervated Ritalin zombies are wholly unequipped to respond to our latest challenge.

Bennett spends some ink deploring the Left in this country, who immediately blamed America for the attacks. Hate like that cannot be reformed, only resisted. But his greater concern is the moral illiteracy that these people have inculcated in American schoolchildren. The kids are being taught to think about the attack as if it were just a natural disaster, nobody's fault, except for the ones who are being taught to believe that Uncle Sam wore a short skirt and asked for it.

The weakest section is the one on Islam. Better surveys of that religion, its warlike tendencies, and its usage-hijacking, if you prefer-by terrorists are available by authors like Daniel Pipes, Bernard Lewis, Stephen Emerson, and Ram Swarup. Bennett is at his best excoriating miseducation of American children, and the resulting moral confusion they suffer. A generation that has been taught "Don't hit", may turn out peaceful, but one that has been taught "Don't hit back" has been cruelly cheated.

People who can watch 3,000 fellow Americans die and respond only with "Yes, but..." deserve nothing but contempt. This book gives it to them hot and strong. Get it to bolster your resolve. And watch what they're teaching your children.

Over the past several months America's involvement in Iraq has created a stir throughout the entire nation. One thing that has presented itself over the past several months is the question of why we are involved in Iraq.

William Bennett has tackled this question with this book. Bennett has certainly laid out a foundation of reason for the need to take on those that pose a threat to national security and those that use terrorist tactics to destroy.

Bennett pulls no punches as he skillfully draws the picture that patriotism is stronger now than ever. He brings out the strongest arguments to show that sitting back and waiting can only lead to further disaster.

Bennett's arguments are rationally discussed and the positively backed up with evidence. Bennett takes on both side of the argument, showing we the administration has failed and where is has been strong.

Overall, whether you like Bill Bennett or not, keeping an open mind while reading this book will certainly show you a few new things and open you up to new ideas. So whether you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, this book does shed new light on what makes this country what it is today - great!

I also wonder why our so called intellectuals have problems with patriotism. I Emailed Mr. Fish in regards to his stand and received back a razored reply and a disregard to Mr. Bennetts book and statements. Our country cannot survive without the complete patriotism that was in the past. The more we allow these denizens of America to cry and forgo all we have stood for in our past history the closer we come to the fall of our great country. The only thing I sincerly feel is after 9/11 we saw a lot of our young for the first time feeling the tear jerking, heart swelling pride that comes with being a American, this our so called intellectuals cannot pull away from our young. A great book and will continue to read more of Mr. Bennetts writings.

Let's try to judge this book on its merits. I just voted for Kerry for President, and while he got plenty of votes, he still lost. I read this book without judging the author on his politics or his gambling record.

We Americans were attacked by thugs on September 11, 2001. That put us at war, whether we wanted to admit it or not. Whether we fought back or not, we were still in a war. And this book is something of a pep talk for us as we try to take proper action.

Bennett's first topic is pacifism. He makes the point that at some point, those who refuse to fight are putting their fates in the hands of those who do fight. And, of course, he points out that some so-called pacifists are simply using that term as a cover for anti-Americanism: saying you are a pacifist does not guarantee that you are one.

The next issue deals with the fact that we have an enemy. Bennett shows that we have to regard those who attack us as our enemies. The question is how to define that group. Is it all radical anti-American Islamists? All Arabs? All Muslims? If we pick too narrow a group, we're letting our enemies join our alliance. If it is too large a group, we're alienating and attacking our friends. Bennett shows the core of the problem: those groups who are truly extreme automatically try to confuse the issue by saying that in going after them, we're being unreasonable, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and racist. And that in fact some groups that purport to represent many American Muslims, including the American Muslim Council (AMC) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have defended or supported the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas. I think he's making an excellent point here: we need to know where to draw the line.

Bennett also discusses a potential consistency problem we face: can we truly oppose terrorism and at the same time declare our determination to help create a state for Yasir Arafat, whom Bennett refers to as "simultaneously a terrorist himself, an instigator of terrorism, and a supporter and harborer of terrorists?" No, we can't. Bennett does a good job of explaining the terrorist attacks on Israel and the folly of appeasement with regard to them.

A final issue Bennett takes on is the reaction to patriotism in our universities. And his issue here turns out to be academic freedom. That greatly surprised me. I had expected Bennett, of all people, to take risks with our freedoms in order to fight the enemy. But he didn't. Instead, he merely advised us to be careful about having one of our best universities accepting funds (with strings attached) from the bin Laden family. And said that it might be a good idea for Harvard to restore giving credit for ROTC classes.

Bennett may not have a reputation as a moderate, but in this book, he took a very moderate and inclusive stance. If you read this book, I think you'll notice that.

This thought provoking (or perhaps more appropriately -- confirming) book is, in my humble opinion, the most important work published since the tragedy of 9-11-01. I have read some of the other reviews and I must say that whether or not Mr. Bennett has shortcomings in other areas (and that may well be the case), there is none here. It is very easy to quickly reject the writings of an author when you disagree with some of his earlier material. I only wish that this title was published anonymously so that the honest and objective wisdom was not marred by any previous opinion of the man (of which I honestly had none going in) As an aside, I would of course hope that you immediately discount the reviewer who foolishly asks readers to snap-judge a man's character by analyzing a jacket cover photo. How can anyone suggest such a thing and expect their criticism to be taken seriously?

I only hope that every American citizen reads this book at some point; if for no other reason than to prepare himself/herself for what is the inevitable descent into our next World War. What we see happening now is only a prelude and I think most of us know it (whether we want to believe it or not). Keep a copy of this book at the ready, for you may need a reminder every now and again of what we are doing it for and why we need to stand together. After you read it I am confident you will recommend this book to everyone you know.

I don't make it a habit to publicly review books that I read but this one just seemed so important at a time like this that I was compelled to do so. I understand that you don't know me and that I might just be another crackpot, but all I can say is that I really am not (I swear :) ). I am just a regular guy who happened across a phenomenal book and had to step up to the plate and put my 2 cents in.

Thank you, Mr. Bennett for so eloquently expressing and expertly compiling so many of the thoughts I know have been buzzing around in my own brain for years now (the months since 9-11 only adding fuel to the fire).

William J. Bennett has produced another thoughtful and intelligent work. It's his answer to why we fight -- the short version. I will simply say that, before you jump to conclusions one way or the other, read "West Point: Character Leadership Education, A Book Developed From The Readings And Writings Of Thomas Jefferson" by Norman Thomas Remick to bring why we fight into clear focus --- the complete story.

William Bennet has a superb ability to deconstruct the inherently empty rhetoric of liberals. He exposes their arguments and beliefs for what they really are--a system of destructive ideas wrapped in false intellectualism. The liberal "feel-good" ideas sound so appealing and superficially right that they appeal to a great many people, including the "intellectual elite." Bennett's not buying it. Anyone who really cares about our country should read this book.

Unlike some of those who have attacked this book in their reviews here, I've bought this book myself. At least 2 of the reviews I've read here have not even read the book, but instead posted attacks on the author, because their viewpoints are exactly the time of viewpoints Bennett is responding to in this book.

Agree or disagree with his viewpoint, this is an excellent book, and even those who are with the blame America crowd should read it, if for no other reason than to make them think more about their positions and how they can defend them.

Those who write attacking reviews and give the book 1 star ratings without even having read the book in question are really the lowest of the low.

Thankfully, they are in the minority.