The Art of Politics: The New Betrayal of America and How to Resist It

Author and political philosopher Kekes (The Roots of Evil, The Illusions of Egalitarianism) lumps together French Jacobins, Adoph Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot with ""present-day American ideologues"" in this impassioned polemic. His concern is primarily with coercive eudaemonists who would use their power to outlaw behavior they regard as wrong (""immoral, unjust, exploitative, discriminatory"") and at liberals who happily tolerate ""a wide variety of religions, sexual practices, and pornography. ...but not those who oppose affirmative action, homosexuality, or the policies advocated by feminists,"" among other traditionally non-liberal opinions. Though his views are supported with cogent argument, Kekes rarely gets down to the nitty-gritty; one characteristic exception is his take on law-breaking abortion opponents, whom he sees as pacifists driven to illegal activities because of ""good will and conscience,"" and, like anyone expressing opposition to ""capital punishment, euthanasia, suicide, military expenditure, risky occupations and sports, or dangerously high speed limits,"" should be punished ""as mildly as possible."" Whether one agrees with Kekes's bottom line, ""that political and legal inequalities should be eliminated but economic inequality is unavoidable,"" this turgid ramble proves a familiar exercise in libertarian outrage.