4 out of 4 stars
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If we consider America to be one big dysfunctional family, we can say that the Democrats and the Republicans are sparring siblings, and the Independents are the children who play quietly in the corner fully aware of the uproar. In his book, Boom! A Revolting Situation, Thomas Richard Harry highlights the silent majority that has been an under-reported component of our political system. He provides the reader an opportunity to get to know who these 'non-committed' voters are and how they would like to see our country governed.
Before the author can bring to light who these rogue constituents are among us, he first writes at length of how our government was formed. Even though the title speaks of an impending revolution on our political horizon, the author explains the foundation of why an uprising is at hand due to the increasing dissatisfaction of having our two-party system accomplish next to nothing. In this section of the book, it was as if I were listening to a trial lawyer lay out his argument to the jury to present evidence of the failures that have ensued, and the guilt that can be laid at the feet of both Democrats and Republicans. The author includes quotes and statements from other publications along with graphs to make his points clear. For those who want to know more about why we are in the chaotic state of affairs of today, this part of the book brings enlightenment without one-sided judgment. He simply presents the facts and lets the reader come to an understanding of where our representatives have lost sight of the people they were supposed to serve.
Once the audience is given background information as to where our political problems stem from, the author then goes on to discuss the growing number of Independent voters. I was astonished to learn that what is often an ignored group is a sizeable forty percent of our public. This means that each party that prevails in our elections are only receiving about thirty percent a piece of straight party-line votes while the rest of the wins are being determined by the Independents who choose the candidates who reflect their viewpoint the closest. With a large number like this, he makes the suggestion that at any time, those who are not wanting to side with one party or the other could band together and create a third, more cohesive unit to come in and shake up the status quo. This sounds foreign and it seems farfetched, but the author articulates a solid plan that we may one day see play out in our political arena.
I enjoyed his explanations on how we could revamp our campaign donations, our social security system as well as how we could be better stewards of our tax money. Most of what he says involves making it fair for the majority of people most of the time. This doesn't mean everyone is going to be completely happy, but the goal is to bring us back more toward the center, or what he states as a balance to combat our left and right driven political swings. I am reminded of the lyrics from an old 70's song titled 'Stuck In the Middle With You'. The main lyric proclaims: "Clowns to the left me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you." This falls right in line with the Independent voter who wants a more moderate approach to our country's decision-making process.
History and political books such as this one are not intended for light reading. I would guess that most people would shy away from these heavy topics because there are other genres that are more entertaining. However, I believe that if you are living in America, then you should be educated about your country. It harkens back to the time in your life when your mother told you to eat your broccoli and you wanted to dive into a big bowl of ice cream. While vegetables are important for physical well being and growth, so is the nature of this work. You will grow intellectually from reading the material. It will make you think instead of accepting what you have been told to be true. This well-written book is intended for those citizens who desire to know facts instead of surmising, to be able to engage in intelligent, meaningful conversations regarding important social issues that we all have to face and to hold accountable our representatives who make campaign promises.
I found only a few notable capitalization mistakes along the way such as the words government and balance. I was assuming the author was capitalizing these to emphasize his passion in regard to these subjects, and if that is the case, it would remain to have the same amount of impact had they been properly written. With that said, the book appears to have been diligently proofread so these slight infractions do not take away from the integrity of the material. I am giving this a 4 out of 4 stars for its in-depth exposure of our off the rails political system.
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Boom! A Revolting Situation
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