Rating: Summary: An antidote for political party propaganda believers. Review: This book should serve as an antidote to all the ditto-heads out there, as well as to all the annoying Democrats who think that their party is somehow pure. This book shows how both parties are bought and sold by big business, and how our government is run for the benefit of corporations instead of people. Mr. Spence clearly elucidates the trail that we've followed to get to this point in our history, and offers many imaginative ideas on how to get our government working for us again. While many of these ideas might seem radical, upon reflection they would certainly go a long way toward remedying many of the societal ills that both liberals and conservatives complain about. The ideas of the founding fathers were no less radical two hundred odd years ago. I think that the book is well written, and I would highly recommend it to people of all political persuasions.
Rating: Summary: Spence Dangerous To Liberty Review: Well, being a great admirer of Spence's courtroom techniques and dramatics (I am a third year law student), I must say that I was profoundly disappointed with this latest book. Spence's radical ideas undermine what America is all about--freedom, opportunity, limited government, and free markets. Ironically, if Spence's ideas were implemented, there would be no liberty in America. The book is laced with brilliantly disguised notions of communism, socialism, statism, fascism, egalatarianism, determinism, and a hodgepodge of other ideas opposed to the American way. Spence would be a great candidate to run on the Nader ticket in 2004. Just for funsies, let's cut to the chase and address his criticism of the "corporation." Ask yourself, what IS a corporation? A corporation is merely a business association that is subject to the laws of the relevant state. Nothing more, nothing less. It's just a business...a business that creates jobs, puts food on the tables of millions, and creates wealth for the economy at large. The vast majority of Americans employed by corporations wouldn't have it any other way. The corporation is American as apple pie, and it creates wealth, and for the millions whose livelihood depends upon the corporation, it creates freedom (dare I say, liberty?) in addition to prosperity. In short, Spence's radical ideas, while creative, do not comport with reality. He should stick with his specialty: courtroom dramatics and six figure jury verdicts.
Rating: Summary: Good ideas.. bad writing style. Review: When I picked this book up in the bookstore, I read the summary on the back. When I saw 'All of us are trapped by a complex web of corporate and governmental behemoths ... that controls our airways, educates our children, and manages every facet of our lives." I immediately became interested. This is an idea that I have explored thoroughly, and loved to read any extensive perspective on it. Gerry Spence's comparison between full-blown slaves and the american public was very compelling and eerie. And his ideals to change things, while I don't agree with every one of them, are very fascinating. Unfortunately, Spence's writing style is very erratic. The book is nothing more than a collaboration of independent ideas and perspectives sectioned off into non-continous brackets. He hardly ever has a continous thought that spans more than one page, and the discontinuity makes some chapters very fuzzy and incoherent.
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