Limits of Power
Posted on November 12th, 2008 by Clark Stooksbury
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The December Chronicles has my review of Andrew Bacevich’s The Limits of Power. Reading and writing about Limits in the month of September, which addresses the problems that the country faces in a serious fashion, made me all the more impatient and disgusted with a political campaign which did not. If had to recommend one book for conservatives in this post election season, it would be The Limits of Power.
Filed under: Conservatism, Magazines
The campaign addressed nothing in a serious or principled manner because that’s the nature of political campaigns. You cannot successfully appeal to morons (who make up the majority of voters) by treating them like intelligent, competent adults. You win elections the same way you win hog-calling contests: by convincing swine that you have something for them. (I should apologize to the porcine species for insultingly comparing them to American voters. In the fine words of a British punk-rocker whose name eludes me at the moment, pigs are “intelligent creatures, and they make a good bacon sandwich.”)
I wonder if it was Alex James of Blur:
“Alex James said that pigs are ‘intelligent and engaging’, but you mustn’t give them names or you couldn’t then eat them…In response to the big question of the day, from the UN, about whether we should feed hungry people and not livestock animals, Alex James’ considered reply was that ‘we all deserve a pork life’ (one of Blur’s albums is ‘Parklife’) and ‘we all deserve a bacon sandwich’. ”
nesxvegans.makessense.co.uk/news/2072.html
I am not much of a conservative myself but I can say that The Limits of Power needs to be read regardless of where you lie on the political spectrum.
Looking forward to your review, Clark. I’m interested in your take on his urgings with regard to climate change, which seemed a little misplaced in the scheme of his other criticisms of government profligacy.