Common Sense by Beck, Book 13 of 52 in 52

I've never been big into politics. I always figured that politicians would do what was best for their constituents simply to ensure they kept their jobs, but the more I've though about my kids future, the closer attention I've paid to what is happening on a local, state, and federal level (at least as best as I can). Honestly, the most disheartening part to me is the partisan bickering. I understand the conflicts based on ideology, but the rest of it (personal attacks, fear mongering, etc.) along with some of the recent arrogant, condescending remarks by politicians leaves me frustrated.

What does this have to do with Beck's Common Sense. I happened to catch a segment on Fox a few months back where a reporter went around New York City looking for Democrats. He would read them a series of quotes from the book and ask if they agreed. At the end, he would tell them that the statements came from Beck's new book, and the expressions on some of their faces ranging from utter surprise to horror were hilarious to see. I decided to give the book a try, but it's taken several months to get it on hold from the library.

The first 107 pages of Beck's Common Sense contain his commentary on the current state of things. He discusses the need for a debate on how to tackle America's current problems including money (spending and deficits), taxes, politicians, and progressivism. He explains the importance of religion in a democracy to install virtues such as honesty and selflessness. There are a few pages highlighting the principles and values at the foundation of the 912 project, and some suggestions for additional reading. The remaining part of the book is a reprint of Thomas Paine's original Common Sense.

Overall, I thought it was an excellent read, and I agreed with many of the points he made. It doesn't really matter what your political affiliation is. A lot of the material covers common ground that people in both parties could agree upon. I wish more people would take the time to study up on the founding fathers and learn their original intent. Maybe then we could get the country back on course.