Slouching Towards Gomorrah

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Summary: TOP HISTORICAL REVIEW
Review: IF YOU ARE HISTORY BUFF THEN YOU HAVE JUST FOUND A BOOK WHICH WILL KEEP YOU READING--READING AND READING! ROBERT BORK HAS LIFTED HISTORICAL RESEARCH TO A HIGH LEVEL USING A POPULAR STYLE OF WRITING. EVERY SUBJECT WHICH DEALS WITH THE DOWN FALL OF LIBERIALISM IS TOUCHED ON BY SHOWING ITS BEGINING AND HOW IT HAS DETORIATED INTO A MASS OF QUICK SAND IN OUR CURRENT AGE. THIS IS ONE YOU WILL WANT TO KEEP IN YOUR BOOK SHELVE WHERE YOU HAVE THE BOOKS YOU USE OVER AND OVER AGAIN!

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Summary: Examining the cultural divide
Review: A serious-minded work which examines what is wrong with society and how to fix it from the conservative perspective. As usual, Mr. Bork is incisive and to the point, which will probably drive his critics mad. Nonetheless, his message cannot be dismissed. Unfortunmately, some parts dragged and others drifted toward the philosophical abstract, but on balance, the book is a good read. Paul J. Walkowski, Co-Author, "From Trial Court to the United States Supreme Court"

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Summary: A wake up call for the naive and contented!!!
Review: If you have ever struggled to make sense of what is happening on a daily basis in the United States this book is for you. Robert H Bork in Slouching Towards Gomorrah offers compelling evidence in support of his claim that the major factor in the decline of America is modern liberalism. Under the guise of traditional liberalism the elitists in America have implemented a strategy designed to undermine and ultimately destroy American culture. Having tried to breakdown the resistance, weak though it was, to their attack on American institutions through civil disobedience in the 60s, the radical elite opted to erode the American way of life from the inside of these institutions out. The radicals of the 60s are now in positions of power and wreaking havoc in virtually every institution that has historically been charged with guarding our culture. Radical elites now dominate the media, academia, religion, and regrettably the Supreme Court. Because the democratic process often leads to results unacceptable to the cultural elites the use of the Supreme Court to overcome the will of the people is key. According to Bork the aim of the radical elite seems to be the destruction of democratic and capitalistic America in favor of a socialistic and tyrannical America. Socialism provides for the equality of result that is so precious to the radicals. Tyranny is the means with which the controls necessary to sustain the radical elite agenda can be put in place. Appealing to the inherent tendency toward fairness in most Americans the radicals embarked upon a plan calling for the acceptance of all types of behaviors in the name of tolerance, rejection of traditional moral and family values as oppressive to women and gays, and the invalidation of traditional education as culturally biased. Their ultimate goal is to tear down the sources of strength to which most Americans turn and substituting their own solutions to whatever problem exists. The success of the radical elite in implementing their agenda is startling and nearly complete. Bork questions whether Americans can regain their will to take control of the future of the country. He recalls a conversation with an associate about the "end of Western civilization". The associate responds that "Of course it's coming to an end. But don't worry. It takes a long time, and in the meantime it's possible to live well." He offers suggestions such as calling for a willingness on the part of Americans to stand up for traditional values, taking over the culture church by church and school board by school board as means to take control. He even offers up for two controversial topics for consideration and discussion. One, the idea of returning to censorship to control the most vile forms of expression that is destroying the moral fabric of our country. Two, democratic review of Supreme Court decisions as a means of insuring the will of the people is being carried out. Unfortunately the radical elites have chosen to focus everyone's attention on these two topics perhaps because they don't understand Bork's point. Another explanation is they do understand and want to play the "fear" card before too many people give thoughtful consideration of the issues involved and take action that would be harmful to their cause. Either way focusing on these two issues as the core of Bork's message does a great disservice to the rest of this book. Bork's book is thought provoking. Those living a naïve and contented life should find it extremely unsettling. For those who value what America once stood for this book serves as a wake up call. For the radical elites that are systematically destroying the country in a stealthy manner - the cat is out of the bag

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Summary: Legal scholar shows roots of American cultural decline.
Review: Despite Robert Bork's upopularity in mainstream America, this seasoned observer and legal scholar offers a healthy dose of common sense regarding the moral and cultural decline of America. Moreover, he proposes workable solutions to the problems he elucidates. Bork, whose name became a household word when his nomination to the U.S. Supreme court was vigorously (and successfully) opposed by the far-left in American politics, nonetheless hits a nerve in SLOUCHING TOWARDS GOMORRAH. He pointedly shows that the roots of our current cultural problems are deep in 1960s radicalism. While many believe that the 60s radicals have disappeared, Bork observes, he asserts that this is far from accurate. Indeed, those who launched protests at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago and who took over college campuses to show their angst over various injustices, are still alive and well, and in charge of many of our educational, cultural and political institutions. Perhaps the best example of Bork's premise is Bill Clinton, whom he saliently observes to be the quintessential baby-boomer radical who has grown up and risen to a position of great power with his philosophies essentially unchanged. Bork's well-written and thoroughly researched work is a tour de force of the rapidly decaying culture of the United States, and will prove to be thought-provoking even for those who disagree with the author and his beliefs. I heartily recommend this volume.

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Summary: This is the best book on the market!
Review: Robert Bork uses clear logic and insightful analysis to show the common threads of modern liberalism running through our society. He shows where modern liberalism departed from classic liberalism, and why the two are different. He is the Boethius of modern times. This book is an intellectual tour de force, a classic, and it will be sad if it is not recognized as such.

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Summary: A masterful analysis of the forces shaping our country.
Review: Bork's thorough presentation of significant historical events in the U.S., coupled with his superlative analysis, provides the reader with an understanding of how we have arrived at our present sorry state. He carefully divides the causes of our moral degradation into major categories and shows how each has contributed to the successes of modern liberalism. Anticipate a consolidated attempt to discredit this work by the media, which disagree with the arguments so forcefully put forth by Bork

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Summary: Right-wing ideology defined
Review: In this well-organized and often closely reasoned monograph Robert Bork lays the blame for every evidence of moral decline in this nation squarely on the shoulders of modern liberalism. Do not look here for "balance." Bork stakes out a right-wing ideological position and is not reluctant to be strident in so doing. He makes no apologies for his thesis that the liberalism of the latter half of this century is the root of all evil. As an ideological conservative myself, I was prepared for a more centrist approach, perhaps one which would point out liberalism's flaws but at the same time suggest corrective action. But Bork takes the position that modern liberalism is irredeemably immoral, espousing as it does all of the evils of radical egalitarianism, radical individualism, and moral relativism. Many of Bork's arguments are compelling, as he makes cogent cases against the demands for equality of outcomes rather than simply of opportunity; the individualistic drive toward hedonism and libertinism rather than freedom tempered by responsibility; and the absence of any true moral compass. Even staunch conservatives may find Bork's unremittingly harsh attack on liberalism embarrassingly vituperative. There is, nevertheless, so much truth in his opinions that the reader who approaches the book with an open mind is likely to lay it down with eyes open rather wider. By the way, I was amazed and amused at the number and intensity of the reviews posted by Amazon's customers. At my last reading of these, I found no indifferent takes on this book.

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Summary: Thought provoking, scary, and a must read!
Review: This is one of those books you put down after ever chapterjust to think about the implications Bork is writing about.What is a citizen's recourse against judicial tyranny? Is the Constitution really meaningful words on paper? Or is it an accordian, expanding and contracting, at the whim of 5 judges? How did America slip this far this fast?

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Summary: Conservative ammunition for the culture war.
Review: Bork argues categorically that the decline of American culture is caused by modern liberalism, a mix of radical individualism and radical egalitarianism. In the arts, government, relegion, education, etc., radical individualism results in an anything goes descent into hedonism, while radical egalitarianism, by promoting equality of outcome instead of equality of opportunity, results only in broadly lowered standards. Conservative apologists will find Slouching Towards Gomorrah a conveniently arranged, indexed, and endnoted sourcebook for anecdotes and statistics. Liberals may find it useful for anticipating their arguments. Finally it is simply interesting to experience the way a supreme court nominee thinks and writes. The following is from the introduction: 'The Fifties were the years of Eisenhower's presidency. Our domestic world seemed normal and, for the most part, almost placid. The signs were misleading. Politics is a lagging indicator.

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Summary: The book is pessimistic but sadly rings true in many areas.
Review: While many (liberals) may scoff at Bork's pessimism and recommendation for limited censorship, they will do so uneasily as there is an unsettling ring of truth to the book. Bork can be critisized for assuming to understand completly the psyche of women who lean towards feminism, or liberals who lean toward total egalitarianism. However, he has clearly painted a picture of a society as a whole that is leaning toward Gomorrah. Don't ignore the message for disdain of the messenger.