My Review of Gore's "The Assault on Reason"

[mb7588a]

Sorry, I'm a slow reader, and if there's any of you out there yet who have picked up this book, prepare to drool over words.

I don't necessarily like to read books, and when I do, it's almost always non-fiction and in the political realm. Finding the time to read is difficult, it's almost always on trains or planes. I much prefer my list of favorite blogs, forums, and magazines over a good book. It's sad for me, I know.

In anticipation of this book, I had planned my trip to a friendly and nearby B. Dalton bookstore (Union Station, Washington, DC) on the day Al Gore released his assault on the Assault. I was disappointed to find the book on a faraway shelf, rather than front and center. Thousands of people, interested and intelligent DC folks begging for an enlightening experience, would not have seen this book on their hasty commutes to work.

I purchased it, and immediately began reading when I got home that day after work. I had expected a quick read about the malice of the Bush administration, and the virtues of Al Gore's plan for the planet. Instead, I got those things, plus a philosophical discussion of the American experiment as we live it today. This particularly pleased me, because one of my undergraduate majors was philosophy, generally, today's philosophical writings make me want to read something else.

Gore finds President Bush and his Administratino in utter contempt of humanity's laurels. From the response to Hurricane Katrina, to the allowance of torture in the name of every American, his scathing critique of the Neo-Conservative governing doctrine (with a healthy dose of a unitary executive theory) is relentlessly fascinating. In some cases, apt comparisons between the handling of an issue by the Clinton Administration versus the current occupants of the Pennsylvania Avenue executive buildings is the best support for his claims.

In a particularly chilling section, Mr. Gore takes aim at the "Convenient Truths" the Bush Administration and the Republicans in Congress choose to use as their instruments of destructive rule. While discussing environmental companies ruling policy decisions, Gore writes, "The President has, in effect, outsourced the truth."

In this one sentence, he guises the ugly reality of what has happened to America, not just environmental policy. Money, religion, political convenience and expediency, and irrationality have destroyed a once beautiful representative republic Of the People, for the People, and By the People.

Mr. Gore also revealed some disturbing facts which I had been unaware of, despite my job in politics, and numerous hours educating myself online each day. Judges are being paid to go on extravagent vacations, during which they sit through brainwashingly brasen seminars by radicals hell-bent on changing their judicial philosophy. And, Mr. Gore reveals that they are, for the most, succeeding. In this manner, the book is visionary. Just when I thought I knew everything...

However, most impressive of his effort, is the unrelenting description of the processes the Bush Administration used to control the media, Congress, and the people of this great land to invade another country that posed no threat to us and then later torture for no damn good reason behind our backs. And then hiding it. And then denying it. And then blaming our brave soldiers. He wrote of this phenomen in relation to the war, "When you boil down precisely what went wrong with the Bush Iraq policy, it's fairly simple. He waged the politics of blind faith. He used a counterfeit combination of misdirected vengeance and misguided dogma to dominate the national discussion, bypass reason, silence dissent, and intimidate those who questioned his logic both inside and outside the Administration."

This tone cannot be taken in the 30-second TV commercials by politicians which Gore blasts, or in interviews with the media. However, that needs to be changed, as Gore advocates. We must rise above the convenient untruths, blind faith, the politics of wealth, and the disconnected citizenry. Politics - shit, even society - wout not be the same if all of its participants read this book.

Ultimately, the lesson of Mr. Gore's book is that we cannot be duped any longer by lapses of irrationality, be it by our own doing, or be it manipulated by a few jackasses with a twisted view of democracy. In my judgement, only a truly visionary and Progressive man, with the wisdom and means to distribute his message, could convince an entire sociey of this message - Albert Gore, Jr

[bbgrunt]

1. I need to get my hands on a copy. Thanks for the synopsis

[me b zola]

2. I highly recommend it

I am only on the 3rd chapter, Convenient Untruths, and it is the best book that I have read in a while. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[YvonneCa]

3. This is a great review...

...thank you! :) I've read Gore's book twice (some parts three times) and think it's one of the best books about our current situation...from a historical perspective...ever. It should be required reading for every citizen. I'm glad to hear that someone else was impressed as well. We need Al Gore to continue to lead...the country needs him.

[mb7588a]

5. Thanks!

You're right. The last thing the world needs is Al to simply give up, or move on. He fell out of love with politics, so let's hope that doesn't happen to making a difference too.

[Felinity]

4. K& R

Is it just me, or is there a good reason for us to purchase as many of these books (diagnosing and documenting the ills of this administration) as possible in hard copy? Future historians may have to look hard to find them.

Remember, you're not paranoid if someone is really out to get you.