VOICE OF REASON

OUR OLD FAMILIAR FRIEND Al Gore has written a new book, The Assault on Reason (I had supposed I had already written the book on that subject, my Firm League of Friendship – see my website, firmleague.com). [[www.firmleague.com]] But Gore, as usual, has something new and different to say.

The book starts off with all the stuff we heard during the twentieth century, that broadcasting would change or had changed everything; individuals are always hearing but seldom heard. Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin . . . and of course the arch-Republican Nixon, who changed the course of history by slamming the gold window. If there was any reference to the predominance of public (subsidized) schooling, I failed to recognize it.

However, we soon go beyond platitudes to subjects where an ex-senator and ex-president-of-the-Senate should be well informed. “Should” is the operative word. What we are given – I should say, sold – is a protracted diatribe against Bush 43 and all his works (of course, whoever was president on 9/11 is fairly easy game; I remember hearing it said, “Thank God we didn’t elect Gore!”) Bush is ridiculed for the excited protest when the Chinese shattered one of their satellites in orbit, instead of vaporizing it into ashes on re-entry: however, Gore does not find himself reminded that when he was v-p, there was widespread dismay at the revelation that China had emulated the latest U.S. strategic missile technology.

One might think that ignorance such as this is only to be expected of a Democrat. However, Gore is ignorant also where a Democrat should be well informed. He appears to believe that all the Blacks in the southern States were slaves (the ordinary school-books say that even as early as George Washington’s day, slaves were being emancipated.) He also thinks that the War Between the States was over slavery, rather than “Protection for American Industry” (the Republican platform.)

Finally, Gore returns to the theme of the individual having no voice. “The majority are not silent; the government is deaf.” Curiouser and curiouser, Gore never even hints that, just possibly, the citizens could speak to the elected representatives in their States, the State legislatures should speak to their representatives in the Senate, and the senators should advise the president (and not be content merely to consent.) This would be what the intellectuals (as opposed to the demagogs) call DEMOCRACY.