Chieftain1776
04-24-2009, 05:20 PM
So I've been following "libertarian-conservative" Joe Scarborough a great deal lately. He has a fairly influential show on MSNBC called "Morning Joe" and has given Ron Paul a number of accolades. He mentioned that he predicted the downfall of the GOP in his 2004 book and I picked it up.
I read it in three sittings. It's really great and I recommend it to all.
As a member of the "Class of '94" Scarborough details the rise of the true conservatives and their struggles against what he calls the "Old Bulls" and the "Fat White Pink Boys" that run Washington. He lists the acts of betrayal and specific names who in his opinion were principled and the hypocrites who betrayed the "Republican Revolution". The latter causing me to disavow my previous support (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showpost.php?p=2075859&postcount=1) of Dick Armey...it was a disgusting act of hypocrisy. A good deal of the "freshman" genuinely believed in some of the "radical" things we believe in: Withdrawing from the UN, abolishing whole departments, balanced budgets etc. He chronicles the betrayal...first by the GOP leadership, and then some of the freshman themselves. He admits the "revolution" was failure.
His "Herding Fat Cats" section on pg 164 is the best short explanation of what happens when someone principled goes to Washington. He even addresses the Ron Paul strategy (though he makes no mention of Ron Paul throughout the book) of going just to educate people. It's an important confirmation to hear this from a real "insider" because libertarians from the outside are accused of being cynical and not "believing in the system" enough.
He then recommends some changes he thinks will improve the situation: Term Limits, "real time" campaign finance disclosure, banning congressmen from lobbying for 5 years etc.
He also has some interesting biographical details from his college days with which I identified. He actually tried to abolish student government itself and makes an excellent and apt comparison of government to a fraternity. And for the conspiracy theorists he details a real Fraternity power structure at his college campus which he alleges ordered the beating of a rival student government candidate and an attempted attack on himself. He also briefly discusses the death of his office worker.
In conclusion I think this book from 2004 is really important and that's why I made the effort to write the review. I don't want us to suckered in (like I did with Dick Armey) with guys who have the rhetoric and even philosophy down to the tee do things behind the scene to advance themselves. Especially the established politicians. But I do want RPFers to see that there a few principled people that at least tried.
I've added this to the Liberty Books (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=129762) section. Also he's coming out with another book in June ("Last Best Hope") and I'm looking forward to it.
Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day: The Real Deal on How Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Other Washington Barbarians Are Bankrupting America (http://www.amazon.com/Rome-Wasnt-Burnt-Day-Politicians/dp/0060749857/)
I read it in three sittings. It's really great and I recommend it to all.
As a member of the "Class of '94" Scarborough details the rise of the true conservatives and their struggles against what he calls the "Old Bulls" and the "Fat White Pink Boys" that run Washington. He lists the acts of betrayal and specific names who in his opinion were principled and the hypocrites who betrayed the "Republican Revolution". The latter causing me to disavow my previous support (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showpost.php?p=2075859&postcount=1) of Dick Armey...it was a disgusting act of hypocrisy. A good deal of the "freshman" genuinely believed in some of the "radical" things we believe in: Withdrawing from the UN, abolishing whole departments, balanced budgets etc. He chronicles the betrayal...first by the GOP leadership, and then some of the freshman themselves. He admits the "revolution" was failure.
His "Herding Fat Cats" section on pg 164 is the best short explanation of what happens when someone principled goes to Washington. He even addresses the Ron Paul strategy (though he makes no mention of Ron Paul throughout the book) of going just to educate people. It's an important confirmation to hear this from a real "insider" because libertarians from the outside are accused of being cynical and not "believing in the system" enough.
He then recommends some changes he thinks will improve the situation: Term Limits, "real time" campaign finance disclosure, banning congressmen from lobbying for 5 years etc.
He also has some interesting biographical details from his college days with which I identified. He actually tried to abolish student government itself and makes an excellent and apt comparison of government to a fraternity. And for the conspiracy theorists he details a real Fraternity power structure at his college campus which he alleges ordered the beating of a rival student government candidate and an attempted attack on himself. He also briefly discusses the death of his office worker.
In conclusion I think this book from 2004 is really important and that's why I made the effort to write the review. I don't want us to suckered in (like I did with Dick Armey) with guys who have the rhetoric and even philosophy down to the tee do things behind the scene to advance themselves. Especially the established politicians. But I do want RPFers to see that there a few principled people that at least tried.
I've added this to the Liberty Books (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=129762) section. Also he's coming out with another book in June ("Last Best Hope") and I'm looking forward to it.
Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day: The Real Deal on How Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Other Washington Barbarians Are Bankrupting America (http://www.amazon.com/Rome-Wasnt-Burnt-Day-Politicians/dp/0060749857/)