Rating:  Summary: Ramblings of a Bitter Man Review: This is a sad book. It is a record of a man driven by bitterness, resentment, and defeat. This is unfortunate for the conservative movement, which should be looking for positive images and ideas that move the us forward as a nation. Bork has always been on the extreme right, and those who live on the edges, both liberal and conservative, tend to feel marginalized and resentful. Unfortunately, this manuscript is more insightful about the psychological state of the author than the state of our nation.
Rating:  Summary: A conservative masterpiece Review: So what connection did the 60's riots have to modern trends? And why is political correctness such an unapproachable dogma? Bork goes straight to the core of modern liberalism and pulls out answers, supported by visible evidence, brilliant logic, and his classic, vitriolic, wit.Slouching Towards Gomorrah does, as a cultural analysis, what Bork's other masterpiece, The Tempting of America, does as a constitutional analysis. By exposing inconsistencies and downright lies in the media, politically correct dogma, and intellectual trends, he reveals the modern liberal air castle as what it is: a vicious goal. And by outlining its inevitable results, he scares me to death. 5 stars--this book is well worth reading. Prepare to be challenged to do something to reverse our culture's downward spiral to destruction.
Rating:  Summary: Go Figure: Modern-Liberals Hate This Book Review: If you have ever wondered why modern liberals hate conservatives and conservative principles, this book is for you. In Slouching Towards Gomorrah, Bork takes the reader on a step-by-step logical analysis of why modern liberals hate the United States and the principles it was founded upon. Although I don't always agree with Bork, his arguments are often difficult to rebut. Regardless of your politics, this book is a wonderful source of the conservative perspective.
Rating:  Summary: Forced a re-evaluation of my own views Review: If you noticed how a large number of this book's negative reviews are written by people with ".edu" in their email address, then you need look no further for the validation of Bork's theory that the American educational establishment (a word they don't like to be called) continues to be the incubator of post-Port Huron liberalism. As someone who always considered himself a liberal in the classic sense, then found himself battling the universty's modern liberal elite while in college (and won, or escaped with my sanity) I can say with absolute certainty that Robert Bork is right on with his scathing analysis. While I take his view of rock and roll with a grain of salt, his observations on the bored youth of the sixties, and the effects of their misguided views are chillingly accurate. (Originally posted October 1999 but truer now than ever.)
Rating:  Summary: Stomping toward fascism........ Review: After watching Bork being interviewed on the Charlie Rose show, I purchased this book to see if the level of arrogance he displayed on TV was something I had projected onto him, or a true Borkian characteristic. I got my answer.... this is without a doubt the most arrogant, hubristic, frightening diatribe I have ever encountered. Since he was not appointed to the Supreme Court, he has decided that the Legislature should have the power to override Supreme Court decisions. He is constantly harranguing over liberals misinterpreting and adding on to the constitution when it suits them, but has no qualms about rewriting the constitution and Bill of Rights to suit his own personal agenda. And what a monumental agenda it is..... First he equates modern day liberals with fascists. That's right!!! The pursuit of equal individual rights for all people is really fascism. That was a newsflash for me. Then he so eloquently tells the reader that women now have so many different and confusing choices (thanks to that pesky liberalism) that we just can't reasonably decide what to do. He suggests that it would be so much better for modern day women to have much fewer choices so that we don't get our pretty little minds in a frenzy by trying to think for ourselves. What a thoughtful patriarch he is.... I am so grateful that he can take time out of his busy life to try to make my life easier for me. ...I cannot reiterate enough what a terrifying book this was... To those who wish to impose their hateful view of the world, humankind and our entire environment on the majority of Americans, read this book and luxuriate in its coldness, bitterness and sheer savagery. For those of you who see the problems in our society and seek to do something about them without rolling back every citizen's right to live their life in peace and harmony, read this book as a cautionary tale. This is what the enemy is up to.... and it isn't a conspiracy theory. I think, therefore, I am dangerous....
Rating:  Summary: Restores one's faith in Democracy Review: Reading this poorly-written, but extememly angry book, I feel a new respect for the Senators who so decisively rejected Bork as a Supreme Court Justice. The book is a series of random rants on various topics where Judge Bork gets to demonstrate his complete ignorance of life as it is actually lived in America. Bork blames Liberalism for the rising tide of crime and illegitimate birth that threaten to engulf our society. On Planet Bork this may be true, but on Planet Earth, he wrote thes words while were experiencing the most dramatic 8-year decline in both crime and illegitimacy in the nations history. It takes a mighty arrogance and an invincible ignorance to be so dramatically wrong.
Rating:  Summary: End of the World? Review: This isn't an eye-opening book per se, since we could piece the ideas in the book by merely reading the newspaper and the Bible. However, the power of this book comes from its historical context, its analysis, and finally the proscriptions Bork offers. Bork spend the first several chapters tracing the history of modern Liberalism. I think his insights on the Korean and Vietnam War were fascinating. He did miss one observation, namely during WWII we had many celebrity joined the cause, notably Jimmy Stewart. I think that Elvis was the last famous person to be drafted. I believe in the power of example, and the good power of a good example. Bork, despite what you think of his stance on abortion or chain smoking, is an analytical genius. He isn't on the level of an Aquinas, but he is certainly in the top 10% of living human computers. He covers the current hot button issues (remember what I said about the newspaper and the Bible), such as race relations, feminism, religious liberalism, and so forth. The strength, and the weakness of this analysis, is that Bork takes a legal perspective. His most controversial suggestion is having a congressional override of Supreme Court decisions (p. 117-119). He had in mind Roe V. Wade, but other decisions as well, such as affirmative action, or Church and State issues. One of the problems that Bork has is that he relies only on legal solutions. Structure can only go so far in solving problems. And in the future, such a legal structure could work against conservative. I am not knocking the idea, but what I am saying is that this solution would have to be just one arrow in the quiver. I think that another arrow would have to be a solidifying of the moral base. This would have to be done in the Churches and in the schools. We have a toehold now since many schools now have character education as part of the curricula. Why it was ever taken out is a mystery to me, since Congress said, "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged." (Northwest Ordinance, Article 3). Bork observed that morality needs to be renewed with each generation (p. 275), and the basic structures for teaching morality, the family, the church, and the schools have failed at living up to their charge. That last area that Bork covers is proscription. He suggests that the current trends can be reversed by four trends: a religious revival, a revival of public discourse about morality a cataclysmic war, or a deep economic recession (p. 336). As of the writing of this review, Feb 1, 2002, we have three of these four-the discourse on morals, the war, and the recession. The next question is, "Are these three severe enough to reverse the trends?" Pat Buchanan in "Death of the West," Richard Swinson in "Hurtling Towards Oblivion," Aldous Huxley "Brave New World/Brave New World Revisited," and George Orwell, "1984" and "Animal Farm," say no. Peter Kreeft, "C. S. Lewis of the Third Millennium," Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologica," and Ted Kascinski, "The Unibomber Manifesto" say yes. C. S. Lewis, "Abolition of Man," says maybe, if the scientists undergo a type of repentance. I believe that the trends are almost irreversible. And if they are not, then at least we can soften the blow when "Doomsday" finally comes. In any cas4e, this question of doomsday has taken on a new meaning and urgency since the fall of the Soft Union in 1989. We manage to game-theory our way our of World War III, but this fanatic terrorism may actually get us yet. And if the terrorists don't get us, our moral implosion will do us in. Weather the world ends by fire or by ice, it is going to be bad for the world.
Rating:  Summary: One of the greatest insights Review: Hands down this man is brilliant. Weather you agree with him or not is a different stoty. I do agree with him. I picked this book up by chance one day and found it to be most interesting. It is not so much a political manifesto as are most political books out there today. Instead it is a dissection of the American Culture not its government. Bork describes where liberalism came from and the generation it has its roots in. Its a telling tale of the success of liberalism and the destruction it is doing to the fabric of our society. The FOunding Fathers noted that men were not angels and if they were there would be no need for government. That given, they also noted that for a society to remain as free as possible from the government they must be a moral people. With that in mind you will see how liberalism is Slouching us towards Gamorrah and in effect destroying the very idea of liberty.
Rating:  Summary: Nixon Idealism Review: Did you ever see Oliver Stone's "Nixon?" Remember the scene at the racetrack where Nixon shakes hands with J. Edgar Hoover? The look of discomfiture in Nixon's eyes? He's never fully reckoned the depths of politcal degradation to which one may sink. Short of KKK literature, this book came closest to letting me experience that sensation.
Rating:  Summary: Stimulating--Intelligent! Don't read if you refuse to think! Review: I'm 29 and impressed with Bork--(I wish he was 30 yrs younger and not married! :}). This book fell into my hands after reading other authors mention his stuff. I sat late into the night finishing it to the bitter end; it was amazing to realize concepts I'd never considered before--I really felt naive in huge ways, but never considered myself so before reading it. Also, I found myself shaking with understanding about things that were head-scratchers to me for a long time, i.e. the generation above me--the 60's folks--and their role in the moral decline of our great nation. One thing that disappointed me a little was that Bork offered very few solutions to these enormous run-away problems he identifies. His identifications, though, are brilliant! Which, of course, was his purpose in writing it I'm sure, but oh, how I longed for solutions in the hours I spent in the pages! I was inspired to use my own capacities to discover solutions--and I am ready to take on another book by Bork and perhaps find them in some of his other stuff. Bork, you rock!! Total Intellectual Hottie!
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