I was browsing the Amazon pages for a few of my books and noted some new reviews with varying perspectives.
Here’s one reader’s thoughts on Attention Deficit Democracy:
 A fine contribution to the growing literature of liberty, November 2, 2006
James Bovard’s Attention Deficit Democracy is an engaging, articulate, and passionate expose of one of the major causes of America’s loss of liberty, the American people’s apathy, ignorance, and collusion with the power-grabbers. Bovard takes the American people to task, pointing out that we must take much of the responsibility for allowing the federal government to steal our rights over the last 100 years. The Spirit of 1776 is long gone; in it’s place is a willful refusal to get involved in the hard work of keeping the federal government under control, and a willingness to give up hard-won freedoms to the Nanny State. Unleashing Leviathan results in we ourselves becoming leashed, and serving as no more than cannon fodder and cash cows for the powers-that-be. The cost of this apathy and ignorance in terms of lives lost, property stolen, and rights trampled is shown to be truly devastating, both here in these United States, and overseas. Bovard’s book is a call to wake up; I only wish he had spent some time giving us his views on what can be done to turn things around. |
And here is a reviewer that tries to give ‘what fer’ to my 2003 book, Terrorism & Tyranny:
Racist Trash – Supoorts Child Murder, July 31, 2006
Reviewer: naturally good (Houston, TX) – See all my reviews
Quote for the “book”:
“When you see the photos of corpses of young children being dragged from the Qana, Lebanon rubble, remember: These are not human beings. These are terrorists.”
If you think this is literarture, you’re as sick as Bovard.
—a zero star rating and a waste of worthless federal reserve notes
****
Alas, people who misspell words like “support” sometimes fail to catch irony or sarcasm. The line he quoted was not from the book but from this blog entry ridiculing those who defended the Israeli bombing of Qana. Here is the context:
One point that few people are making: George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress bear some of the responsiblity for the 500+ Lebanese civilians who have thus far been killed by the Israeli Defense Force. The House voted 411 to 8 to cheer on Israel after the IDF’s attacks began, and congressmen sneered at efforts to get any substantive complaint about civilian casualties in the pro-Israel resolution. And Bush gave his blessings to the IDF even after the Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon announced on Israeli Army radio last Wednesday that “All those now in south Lebanon are terrorists who are related in some way to Hezbollah.”
When you see the photos of corpses of young children being dragged from the Qana rubble, remember: These are not human beings. These are terrorists. And Israel announced ahead of time that, because they were in south Lebanon, they were legitimate targets. ********
I wonder if “naturally good” is his/her FReeper handle. This kind of crude smear job is a Bushevik specialty.
His “naturally good” tag name didn’t say what he was good for.
irving kristols volume on neo conservatism has a review that is literally 10 pages long. the guy chronicles his own conversion from neo conservatism to Mao-ism of all things
The interesting thing about Mr. Bovard’s books is that the negative reviews are never actually critical, they are propagandizing. People’s real problem with Jim Bovard is that he takes no sides and puts the problems of American politics under a cool blue light. It is much easier to be silent about his books than to disagree with them. I have only read two of his books (A.D.D. and “Feeling Your Pain”) and most of his columns, and he seems to have improved stylistically as well as in his focus on the defects of politics. However, the only legitimate criticism we can thus far make of Mr. Bovard is that his books can seem repetitious, as most of the mistakes that government make fall into about one of ten different categories. Yet, he finds almost Kafkaesque humor in his pieces that make solid books exceptional. It is this quality that makes him into a lightning rod.
Adam – thanks very much for the kind words.
Glad that the change in the type of beer I drink may have helped the writing style.
That’s pretty funny about how the second reviewer read your blog. The way American politicians treated Israel during that period was pretty funny too. These people must all go to the same frat WAP – warmonger attack politicians. Maybe if we thought a little harder about our policies we’d realize that war is not the answer. I’m new to Mr. Bovard’s work, but find his views and approach worthwhile. He’s no “naturally good”, but thank the lord for that.