What now?

Forgetting the sin of the past is the easiest way to learn it anew in the future; our forefathers wisely knew the value of limited and inept government that only a major crisis could move. Now as we move into the crisis of national health care, child care, and global warming I only hope there are enough of us to remember that sin. We are a limited government meant to move not over imagined crisis, but rather the real thing. We have enough evil with which to deal so that we need not invent a crisis.

Liberal Fascism

I am almost finished with my latest “great” book, Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism. For me, one of the marks of a great book is that it does not (as many books do) start off with a general thesis and decline soon after the point is made, and while still early in the book. Jonah Goldberg evidences himself as a deep scholar of world and American history. He manages to give new insights and twists on almost every page, citing illustrations that prove his point.

His moderation, a compelling sense that seems to intuit itself fairly often, makes his comments and comparisons to be more powerful because he consistently softens his thoughts, trying to make an objective appraisal. He definitely does not overstate his case, but his knowledge is so replete that I was left terrifically impressed with his case.

If nothing else take food for thought: early in the book Mr. Goldberg borrows from George Carlin in calling our day “smiley-face fascism”. My only caution would be that the reader better be versed in history. I do feel that I am, yet frequently I found myself googling people or movements that Mr. Goldberg refers to.