Kathleen Nelson, the president of Laissez-Faire Books (LFB), notified me today that Attention Deficit Democracy is a finalist for the Spooner Award. The award, for the Best Book on Liberty in the prior year, is given by LFB and the Center for Libertarian Thought.
I’m very pleased to have made the final cut. Since the 1970s, LFB has courageously carried books that other book clubs and sellers would not touch with a ten foot pole. LFB was crucial in getting my first book, The Farm Fiasco, on the radar screen back in 1989. I greatly appreciated that their ace, Roy Childs, wrote such a thoughtful and generous review of the book. (Howard Rich, the husband of LFB’s chief at the time, Andrea Rich, still jokes to me whenever I see him – “That farm book will never sell!”).
The award is named for the most eloquent anarchist of the 19th century. Lysander Spooner was an abolitionist but that did not stop him from denouncing President Lincoln’s claim that the Civil War was fought to preserve a “government by consent.” Spooner observed, “The only idea . . . ever manifested as to what is a government of consent, is this—that it is one to which everybody must consent, or be shot.” Spooner’s comment could serve as an epithet for Bush’s crusade to spread democracy around the world, except that few editorial page editors would have the gumption to print a line that cut to the heart of the fraud.
The other 3 finalist books are:
Timothy P. Carney, THE BIG RIPOFF
Elizabeth Price Foley, LIBERTY FOR ALL
Chris Edwards, DOWNSIZING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Jim,
Congratulations are in order here! However, an award regarding liberty makes one ponder how little of that commodity remains in America as we approach the 4 year anniversary date of Fearless Leader’s “catastrophic victory” in Iraq. The pertinent quote “–that it is one to which everybody must consent, or be shot” now applies to both our foreign and domestic policies. GW is using the global populace as his “democratic targets” and Shotgun Dick takes his not-so-careful aim on us locals. Maybe that explains why so few editors have any gumption!
I am glad to see that the book has made it to the final round with “Downsizing the Federal Government”, an equally competent book. To read the press reviews of “ADD”, one would think that Jim Bovard randomly hits keys to write books. It just goes to show that “You can see the stars and still not see the light”
I always like introducing people to Lysander Spooner. They initially assume that he can be brushed off due to his “fire-breathing”, straightforward rhetoric. But this is just sidestepping the fact that Spooner was a master polemicist who sadly has no equals when it comes to explicating/advocating a free society. It is a bitter commentary on our times that his pamphlets are even more relevant (esp. NO TREASON).
I must admit that when Republicans took over congress in the mid 90s, I had high expectations that they would begin to eliminate the agricultural subsidies. Instead they gave us The Freedom to Farm the American Taxpayer. The Republican Party is a fraud.
In that same vein, someone suggested that the “No Child Left Behind” Act be changed to the “No Child’s Behind Left Alone” Act. Republicanism has truly become “socialism-lite” (a la Larry Elder).
Thanks to everyone for the kind words on the book.
I’m glad that the award inspires people to go back and read Spooner. He is refreshing in a way that is damned uncommon these days.