currently reading
I've decided I'm going to utilize this space for an as-regular-as-possible book review column. Ratings scale from 1 to 10, 1 meaning "total crap, stay far away," 10 meaning "get your ass to Barnes and Noble and buy this book right now."
The book featured in this first installment earns a solid 10. I've actually only made it to page 28 of God's Politics, but I'm entirely confident in my recommendation. Don't hesitate. Go. Now.
Sometimes, when it comes to politics, I think I'm living in my own imaginary world. Being West Wing obsessed, venturing out into the real world of actual political events and people tends to elicit from me little more than raging frustration and overt signs of depression. And I'm more than happy to retreat back to my imaginary world.
This book, however - or at least the first 28 pages of it - has at least partially convinced me that I'm not the only American who is frustrated with the apparent lack of vision in politics. There is no one out there with vision. No one with gravitas.
I think oftentimes people envision a democracy as a system in which elected officials must always sacrifice their vision to the will of the people. And so no one will educate. No one will lead. And the vision dies. Edmund Burke once said "A representative owes not just his industry but his judgment, and betrays you if he sacrifices his judgment to yours." This is one area in which I give our president credit. He was willing to lead with a vision. It was a misguided vision, and he was wrong, and he's terribly unpersuasive, definitely lacking the gravitas, but still he was willing to lead. I think we need to see more of that.
And a little gravitas wouldn't be bad either. A little inspiration. Maybe someone who's had a course or two in public speaking. After all, words, when spoken out loud for the sake of performance, are music. I would listen to that kind of vision.
So where's our hundred days? Where's our Great Society? Where's our New Frontier? Do we have a vision? And what is it?
Okay, so this is less an actual book review and more a rant inspired by the first 28 pages of a thought-provoking book. But I think you get the point. If any of this interests you at all, in fact, even if it doesn't, get your ass to Barnes and Noble and buy this book right now.
The book featured in this first installment earns a solid 10. I've actually only made it to page 28 of God's Politics, but I'm entirely confident in my recommendation. Don't hesitate. Go. Now.
Sometimes, when it comes to politics, I think I'm living in my own imaginary world. Being West Wing obsessed, venturing out into the real world of actual political events and people tends to elicit from me little more than raging frustration and overt signs of depression. And I'm more than happy to retreat back to my imaginary world.
This book, however - or at least the first 28 pages of it - has at least partially convinced me that I'm not the only American who is frustrated with the apparent lack of vision in politics. There is no one out there with vision. No one with gravitas.
I think oftentimes people envision a democracy as a system in which elected officials must always sacrifice their vision to the will of the people. And so no one will educate. No one will lead. And the vision dies. Edmund Burke once said "A representative owes not just his industry but his judgment, and betrays you if he sacrifices his judgment to yours." This is one area in which I give our president credit. He was willing to lead with a vision. It was a misguided vision, and he was wrong, and he's terribly unpersuasive, definitely lacking the gravitas, but still he was willing to lead. I think we need to see more of that.
And a little gravitas wouldn't be bad either. A little inspiration. Maybe someone who's had a course or two in public speaking. After all, words, when spoken out loud for the sake of performance, are music. I would listen to that kind of vision.
So where's our hundred days? Where's our Great Society? Where's our New Frontier? Do we have a vision? And what is it?
Okay, so this is less an actual book review and more a rant inspired by the first 28 pages of a thought-provoking book. But I think you get the point. If any of this interests you at all, in fact, even if it doesn't, get your ass to Barnes and Noble and buy this book right now.
posted by stoerzie at
8:38 PM
