The Ten Things You Can't Say in America (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Larry Elder, is there a connection between your beliefs and the house and the white woman you have waiting for you in the hills?..." (more)
Key Phrases: victicrat mentality, more gun laws, white condescension, New York, Los Angeles Times, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Larry Elder talks, sparks fly, and he likes it that way. Fans of the radio talk-show host from Los Angeles, who call themselves Elderados, have dubbed him "the sage from South Central." His critics--and there are many--use names that range from Oreo to the Antichrist. What's it all about? Elder, a libertarian, lays down his controversial views in his first book, which attacks the politically correct, black leaders, feminists, gun-control advocates, and other "so-called liberals." Some of the 10 things you can't say in America include "Blacks are more racist than whites," "There's only a dime's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats," "The media bias is real, widespread and destructive," and "America's greatest problem is illegitimacy." Elder aims to change the way blacks look at their future, demanding that they take responsibility for their lives, stop blaming all their problems on racism, and pay attention to the progress they've made. While there may be some truth in what he says and even some good news (for instance, the self-esteem of black children is equal to or better than that of whites), this isn't exactly a pep talk. Not surprisingly, his all-out attack on black leaders (whom he calls nutcases and hysterical) and white liberals has engendered a fair amount of hostility. With this kind of dialogue, it's hard to believe Elder's going to win too many converts. But for those who appreciate his views, or are curious about them, this book is a provocative and lively ride into the mind of one of the nation's most outspoken black libertarians. --Lesley Reed

From Publishers Weekly

Los Angeles radio talk-show host and nationally syndicated columnist Elder, who is African-American, has incurred the wrath of many blacks for his outspoken assertion that racism in the U.S. no longer represents a serious threat to blacks' upward mobility. This conversational, bluntly candid manifesto should prove equally controversial. Elder, who favors much less government and much less regulation, blames both Republicans and Democrats for creating and maintaining a bloated welfare state that stifles individual initiative and free enterprise. His "Ten-Point Plan" for transforming America calls for abolishing the IRS; passing a national sales tax; reducing government by 80%; ending welfare and entitlements, including Social Security, Medicare, and farm and tobacco subsidies; legalizing drugs; abolishing the minimum wage (which, he claims, undermines job creation for blacks, teenagers and entry-level workers); and eliminating corporate taxes. He also opposes affirmative action, hate-crime legislation and virtually any regulation of handguns, including registration. Elder (who is slated to host the forthcoming TV show The Moral Court) further accuses the white-run media of condescending to blacks by overemphasizing stories of racism and by subtly applying a lower set of expectations to African-Americans' behavior. Taking swipes at Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Johnnie Cochran, Louis Farrakhan and others, he blasts the black leadership, which, he insists, should focus on ways to morally and legally discourage "the young, irresponsible and unwed from having children." In Elder's apt phrase, we have become a nation of "victicrats," people blaming their ills on others and demanding special treatment while refusing to accept personal responsibility. While many readers will consider his prescriptions simplistic, they'll find his candor and straight talk refreshing.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (September 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031226660X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312266608
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (196 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #183,784 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

213 of 222 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Intro to Libertarian Ideas!, August 24, 2000

By	Thomas Kearney (Plainview, New York United States) - See all my reviews

Larry Elder is a courageous individual, a black man who challenges the Democrat/left establishment of Jesse Jackson, Maxine Waters et al. on his radio program, in print and as a guest on numerous TV talk shows. Elder points out the irony that many so called black leaders who tell us that affirmative action is still needed in employment and education and that racism is holding black people down are themselves individuals who obtained success by working hard and staying focused. Elder echoes self help guru Tony Robbins', who tells us that if you want to succeed in life, study successful people and do the same things that they did to achieve success. Instead, Elder laments that too many black Americans are poisoned by rhetoric that tells them the deck is stacked against them. Elder provides an interesting personal anecdote in his meeting with a black computer consultant in a gym locker room. The consultant complained that his client base was cities that had black mayors. When Elder told him that he was a recruiter for law firms and corporations, the consultant assumed that he specialized in minority attorneys and was surprised that Elder had white clients. The black consultant assumed that he could never succeed in marketing his services to whites and therefore never tried. His limitations were self imposed.

But The Ten Things You Can't Say is not just a black libertarian/conservative's view on racial issues. Elder covers a variety of topics such as gun control, welfare, health care and the War on Drugs. The chapter on the so called health care crisis was especially good, with Elder ably pointing out how the AMA is artificially restricting the supply of doctors and the ludicrousness of regulations that prevent nurses and other medical paraprofessionals from doing tasks that they know how to do, thus raising the cost of health care. This is also the first book I ever read which called the Marshall Plan's success a myth.

The Ten Things You Can't Say is a quick read, largely because Elder writes like he talks and uses simple down to earth language to get his points across. When reading this book, I couldn't help but hear his voice in my head. This book is bound to offend doctrinaire liberals, who will probably retort by saying something like "In Elder's world, there is no racism and sexism. It is all our imagination." If you have an open mind on the topics covered by Elder, this book will challenge your assumptions. The closed minded will prefer to keep this book...well...closed.

My only quibble with this book is that Elder's editor missed a few typos. On page 119, district attorney's is compressed into one word "distrtorney's" and on pg. 247 Congressman George Miller is referred to as "Democratic California republican George Miller" rather than "Democratic California congressman George Miller". I also believe that Sher Hosonko, who he refers to on pg. 266 is really Sher Horosko. Hopefully the paperback edition of this book will correct these mistakes.

81 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Larry Elder Let The Common Sense Genie Out Of The Bottle!, October 2, 2000

By	A Positive Guy "Jay" (San Antonio, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

Larry Elder is not called the "sage of south central" for nothing. If every American would open their minds instead of letting media and political bias sway their decisions we would have a new country inside of a month. In this book, Larry Elder shows in a very convincing and forthright way that although we live in the the country with the most freedom, we are relying more and more on a government which has no interest at all in seeing us free, and in many cases, seeks to enslave us and make us dependent.

This book is a real eye-opener and will have you thinking hard for some time after you read it. Some parts, particularly the chapter on legalization of drugs and how our "drug war" has failed will surely raise controversy and that is a good thing. Americans need to think and rethink their positions on issues instead of allowing those with their own vested interests to make up their minds for them.

If you believe that you can run your own life and affairs and that the money you make should remain in your own hands and that it is arrogance in the least and tyranny in the most for a government to tell you otherwise or make decisions about your life without your consent, then this book is for you. Larry Elder presents the evidence that we as Americans have been duped and conned into believing things that just aren't true.

This is a book well worth the money and you can't walk away from it without being challenged, enlightened, and informed.

115 of 123 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMUSING AND ENTERTAINING!, September 21, 2000

By	Dorothy Weiss (ORLANDO, FLORIDA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I never heard this radio talk show host. This is the first time I have read his words or reviewed his work. He makes Joan Rivers' dialogues and Bill O'Reilly's opinions seem as fluffy and soft as cotton candy. Dynamic, terse, over flowing with facts, Larry Elder invites debate. Among the issues, the "things you can't say in America", that he dares to explore are racism, drugs, the glass ceiling,politics and the destructive media. If you read this book, you're in for a very different perspective. Underneath the searing glass of this authors microscope are Orrin Hatch, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Gloria Allred, Dick Morris, The Los Angeles Times, Spider-Man Comics, Johnnie Cochran, O.J. Simpson, Al Gore, George Bush, Ross Perot, welfare, NAFTA, Sister Connie Driscoll and her partner, Sister Theresa O'Sullivan, just to mention a few. After a surprised gasp at this author's outrageous audacity, you will probably laugh then enter the debate. The book awakens your sense of inquiry and zeal for answers to the issues of today. Move over Joan and Bill, Larry Elders is on the move. Amusing and entertaining.