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Too bad Americans don't know this guy. A classic. Bought it for my European nephew for him to understand the USA.
This is a must-read book for every American before going to the polls. Read it. I was surprised that this is not an anti-Demorcrat or pro-Republican book. We are at a crossroads and what we do now will determine our future success or failure. Glenn Beck does a great job blending history, law, money and politics. Surprisingly, this is an incredible book to read. He illustrates how out-of-control our government is and what the future ramifications of this are if we do not change our course. It really comes down to assessing whether we will be better off with more government or less.
Fortunately, my most recent books have been about the middle ages leading up to the age of enlightenment - that helped a lot. Would Thomas Paine question if the elite see our national economy as their sand box to play in for their own benefit and advancement. Rather, it was a must read because I am US citizen and want to know more about the fundamental philosophies of our forefathers. How exciting it must have been to live in those times of enlightment. John Adams and Thomas Paine. Tax payers keep shoving sand into the sand box and the elite keep spending it to advance, not society in general, but to shore up their own bases and thus their power.
Equally important was "the rights of man". Common Sense forced me to question whether the political elite, of both parties, use the power to tax in ways similar to how monarcial classes did. As a citizen of a representative democracy and having lived an abundant life, that transformation took some doing. Once my mental transformation took place I just could not get enough of this book.
Thankfully, I am happy with my day job. My Gosh, do I have a bit of Thomas Paine in me. It is not a book to read for enjoyment. For me, to truly enjoy it, I had to mentally place my mind back a couple hundred years and envision what it must have been like to live under the tyranny of a monarcial ruling class.
The break from English powers did not happen easily but it happened because of people like Samuel Adams. To me, it was not a page turner. I suppose I ordered Common Sense / The Rights of Man because I am troubled by the direction our country is taking. Or, maybe I am a Tea Party guy and don't even know it.
I have to say that I had a bit of a tough time getting into this book. Sadly, we take the fruits of our forefathhers labor for granted and we should not. In my soul, I question if the monarcial ruling class has been replaced by an elite ruling class of two political parties.
arrived quickly; was in good condition.contents of book were already known, just wanted a copy of my own.
Today's citizens could all benefit from gaining an acquaintance with the people and ideas that helped forge a new - and different - nation. This classic hardly needs a review from me as to its merits; what's really needed is a renewed interest in reading this important work. For that reason, this little tome is highly recommended.
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