Thursday, January 19, 2012

Ameritopia

The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell

Tyranny, broadly deļ¬ned, is the use of power to dehumanize the individual and delegitimize his nature. Political utopianism is tyranny disguised as a desirable, workable, and even paradisiacal governing ideology. - Marc Levin

Ameritopia is a new book by the acclaimed author and conservative radio host, Mark Levin.

In his book Levin discusses the Utopian visions of Plato, More, Hobbes and Marx and sketches the historical background of failed societies and their perilous visions of equality.

Each of these thinkers postulated what they believed to be an ideal society. Levin, however, skillfully demonstrates that each one of these ideals was no more than a plain tyranny. In order to achieve the perfect society an individual was stripped of his individual rights and had to submit to the tyrannical rule of a highly centralized government for the sake of the greater good. There hardly was anything noble or romantic about such dehumanizing visions of society.

In the second part of his book Levin discusses John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, and Alexis de Tocqueville and demonstrates how their principles of liberty influenced the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Levin explains that the skillfully revived Utopian ideology is threatening the liberty loving America that was built upon the philosophy of Locke, Montesquieu, and Tocqueville. The various liberal and socialist movements disseminate ideology that is intellectually and morally spent.

The "shining city on the hill" seems to dwindle with every new rule and regulation imposed by the ever growing central government. The shrinking personal liberties and civil rights are the terrifying signs that something is horribly wrong in the land of the free.

In the year of presidential elections, Ameritopia should be a required reading for all American citizens. 

Dominique Teng