Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Demonic by Ann Coulter

I confess, that Ann Coulter sometimes makes me uncomfortable. She can be so acerbic that even when I agree with her views, as I do most of the time, I find myself cringing from the way she presents them.

She is however, undoubtedly brilliant. I would challenge anyone to argue otherwise.

"Demonic, How the Liberal Mob is endangering America" is her latest book, and of everything she's written, this is my favorite. Ann makes a compelling case, starting with the most in depth coverage of the French Revolution that I've ever read.

The French Revolution, inspired and led by Robespierre, was per Coulter, more of an unruly and unthinking mob action than a thoughtful inspired process of change. "In the blink of an eye, a great civilization was reduced to rubble, its most valuable citizens dead or living elsewhere." Over 600,000 French citizens were killed and another 145,000 fled the country.

In the American revolution, fewer than 10,000 died in battle, and another 10,000 from disease and other causes. And, as Ann wryly notes, the King was fighting back in this case. In France, the king quickly capitulated, but that didn't stop the mob slaughter of hundreds of thousands of citizens. The leaders and participants in the American revolution didn't turn to killing their own once their enemy was disposed. She makes the case, that the American revolution was a well thought out path to change, with moral underpinnings, that forbade mobs. As contrasted, to the French, Russian, German, Southeast Asia, and more. The American Revolution was also, not led and inspired by atheists, as were all the others.

Coulter compares liberals to a mob. An unreasoning mob where slogans replace reason, and where the most ignorant and immoral are led by the more intelligent and immoral to wreck havoc on civilizations.

She cites father of mob psychology, Guistave Le Bon, from whom both Stalin and Hitler took inspiration.

Coulter says liberal mobs, follow the same path. fully prepared to use violence to gain their ill considered goals. This is contradictory to our traditions as Americans.

It's an interesting, albeit undeniably, controversial book. Reading Coulter's critics, one is struck by something she gives as a sign of a mob. Instead of presenting a rational argument to her assertions, most simply attack her.

The book is thought provoking. Some are going like it. If you're already a Coulter fan, you'll probably love it. If you're a liberal, it will anger you, but if you're thoughtful, it will just make you think.

If you're simply an a-political history buff, you'll enjoy that side of it as well.

And her humor, a bit dark and smart alec to be sure, but.. well, funny.


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