Political Writers Item ID: #446Broke by Glenn BeckProduct Information:
Item DescriptionBroke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure. In the words of Harvard economist Niall Ferguson, the United States is “an empire on the edge of chaos.” Why? Glenn Beck thinks the answer is pretty simple : Because we’ve turned our backs on the Constitution. Yes, our country is financially broke, but that’s just a side effect of our broken spirit, our broken faith in government, the broken promises by our leaders, and a broken political system that has centralized power at the expense of individual rights. There is a lot of work ahead, but we can’t move forward until we first understand how we got here. Starting with the American Revolution, Glenn takes readers on an express train through 234 years of history, culminating with the Great Recession and the bipartisan recklessness of Presidents Bush and Obama. It’s the history lesson we all wished we’d had in school. (Did you know, for example, that FDR once made a key New Deal policy decision based on his lucky number?) Along the way, you’ll see how everything you thought you knew about the political parties is a lie, how Democrats and Republicans alike used to fight for minimum government and maximum freedom, and how both parties have been taken over by a cancer called “progressivism.” By the end, you’ll understand why no president, no congress and no court can fix this problem alone. Looking toward them for answers is like looking toward the ocean for drinking water— it looks promising, but the end result is catastrophic. After revealing the trail of lies that brought us here, Broke exposes the truth about what we’re really facing. Most people have seen pieces of the puzzle, but very few have ever seen the whole picture—and for very good reason : Our leaders have done everything in their power to hide it. If Americans understood how dire things really are, they would be demanding radical reform right now. Despite the rhetoric, that’s not the kind of change our politicians really believe in. Finally, Broke provides the hope that comes with knowing the truth. Once you see what we’re really up against, it’s much easier to develop a realistic plan. To fix ourselves financially, Glenn argues, we have to fix ourselves first. That means some serious introspection and, ultimately, a series of actions that will unite all Americans around the concept of shared sacrifice. After all, this generation may not be asked to storm beaches, but we are being asked to do something just as critical to preserving freedom. Packed with great stories from history, chalkboard-style teachable moments, custom illustrations, and Glenn Beck’s trademark combination of entertainment and enlightenment, Broke makes the case that when you’re traveling in the wrong direction, slight course corrections won’t cut it—you need to take drastic action. Through a return to individual rights, an uncompromising adherence to the Constitution, and a complete rethinking about the role of government in a free society, Glenn exposes the idea of “transformation” for the progressive smokescreen that it is, and instead builds a compelling case that restoration is the only way forward. THE FACTS. THE FUTURE. THE FIGHT TO FIX AMERICA— BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. Item Reviews5 Responses to “Broke by Glenn Beck”Leave a Reply |
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One of the Best books ever written. I often wonder why Glenn Doesnt Run for President. Great IDEAS to FIX this Country.
After reading the free book sample on Kindle, I decided to move on and get the audio book download on Audible. Why? Because, just by reading the sample, I realized that “Broke” reasoning and arguments are not directed to blame anybody or anything in particular. It blames us: the people. The approach of explaining today’s struggles from a historical perspective on political systems that once thrived and then failed when people, by some reason and sometimes not willingly, renounced their own freedom is absolutely convincing and agreeable.
The tale of the working ant and the lazy grasshopper presented in the beginning – and that is of knowledge to the most of us – is a very comprehensible example on how to turn a stimulating and constantly growing environment into something abysmal, allowing government to take part on things that we could manage ourselves. When there’s no personal savings, there’s no liberty. The whole book develops around this concept which is so simple in theory, yet so difficult to put in practice. We need somebody to remind us about it from time to time.
To make a case, the book contains in several passages an “interruption” with quick facts comparing past to present data on social and economic indicators which is very hard to disagree if we look around. I believe these fast, non intrusive breaks are quite welcomed and provides to all readers/listeners not only with reasons to keep moving on until the end of the book and let everyone draw their own conclusions, but also the very reason to why this book was written.
I initially liked how Beck et al. frames American Economic History. I soon became leery of his approach when he systematically left out multiple points in the discussion like: how did LBJ get into the presidency? or: what kept FDR in the presidency for 3 terms? and: what accounts for the masses voting these presumably “evil” men back into office? (Yeah, Beck has successfully destroyed my understanding of LBJ as the Civil Rights president!)
Beck’s basing some of the history lesson on Friedman’s “Government (being)the (only) problem”…while NOT evaluating the antics of the robber barons of the 19th century, the international bankers/the Fed of the early 20th century, or the recent devils manipulating both the government and the private sector (Abramoff, Graham’s role in deregulatng Wall Street, and the Enron scandal in the last two decades immediately comes to mind!) easily rendered (at least for me!) Beck’s ‘history lesson’ to the level of politics and propaganda. I’m very disappointed with the result (or perhaps very naive). Too bad: it was a good read until I came to my senses. Now…I’m finishing the book just to arm myself with the knowledge of how “TV/Media conservative pundits” think for the purposes embarking on a good (useless) debate someday…
Also, the condescending language Beck used to critique the “enemies of Freedom”, doesn’t ultimately serve his book well for those reading who are not already in Beck’s choir loft (Was he using irony or sarcasm here?) History books are generally skewed towards the ideology of the writer, but discovering that palpable tone was the beginning of the end for me and my enjoyment of exploring Beck’s take on American history. In comparison, Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom, Goldwater’s Conscious of a Conservative, Sowell’s Ethnic America or more recently Steve Forbe’s latest (How Capitalism Will Save Us) feels less insulting and more serious in delivery…and you might begin reading those books first.
This book is incredibly informative and I’m recommending anyone interested in the state of the country whether conservative or progressive to read it. There’s alot in here that’s good for discussion. It’s the smash mouth call outs in the margins of the text that make this book punchy and lively. They back up alot of what he says.
Of course opinion will vary depending on your interpretation so it’s up to the reader to decide. But when you have the likes of Thomas Jefferson calling out from the grave in the pages of this book…it’s hard for people who disagree with Glenn Beck to counter his proposals and historical accounts of what’s happened. Bottom line is I believe progressive thinking is in serious trouble if Glenn Beck is right in his new book.
Broke is Glenn Beck’s third “text book” styled book. The same high gloss, colored pages are back with all your favorite wit and humor used to tackle serious issues. This book, unlike Beck’s others, is much more focused in it’s scope. It deals with the past, present, and possible future of the financial state of the Nation.
A great feature in this book are citations that take up over 50 pages! You may not agree with his conclusions, you may say they are reaching a bit, or paranoid, but you definitely can’t say that he is simply pulling all this stuff out of thin air!
I’d recommend this book to any Glenn Beck fan, and to anyone who has never actually watched his show. If your entire view point on Beck’s character is made up entirely by Stewart and Colbert, you owe it to yourself to find out exactly what it is this guy is saying.