I'm reading "What Would Jefferson Do?" by Thom Hartmann

[CrispyQ]

& am stunned at how far off course we have wandered from what our founding fathers originally intended.

I am just starting chapter 4, "When Democrcy Failed" & am amazed at the similarities Hartmann mentions between where the US is now & Nazi Germany of the past.

Has anyone else read this book & what are your thoughts?


=====
BTW, can you tell that I am in love with Thom Hartmann? I recommend his books all the time & this year I will be giving everyone on my holiday list "We the People: A Call to Take Back America."

[dsewell]

1. I have it on order!

I was looking for a copy of Chris Mooney's "The Republican War on Science" when it caught my eye and I liked what I saw, so I'm looking forward to getting both books in the next day or two.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

2. Picked up a copy today

Went to local bookstore just to get a calendar for work and saw it in the new books section.

[RBBernstein]

3. comment from Jefferson biographer

I'm new here; I found this place because I heard that Elizabeth Edwards was reading my Jefferson biography and cited the famous "reign of witches" quotation that she found there. I am deeply grateful to this brave and gracious lady.

I have to say that I cannot recommend Thom Hartmann's book. It's a totally ahistorical misreading of Jefferson and his ideas. You'd be far better off reading something like Francis Cogliano's fine new book on Jefferson's historical and cultural reputation, just published by the University of Virginia Press, or Gordon Wood's REVOLUTIONARY CHARACTERS .

[angry_chuck]

4. what do you think about

the other Hartman book mentioned above, "Call to take back America"? I think?

[Jim__]

5. Could you give some examples of where we've wandered off course?

I don't mean bush. I don't consider him to be at all within the American spirit of government.

But, my understanding is that the current role of the federal government is much larger than the founders ever would have foreseen it. A number of people cite the policies of FDR as violating the spirit of the founders. I think a lot of what FDR did probably would have been opposed by the founders, although, I do believe what he did was within the bounds of the Constitution.

Does Hartmann address the larger issues, or is he mostly concerned with bush?