Also, how do you respond to his assertion that America was founded by Christians? Last time I checked, Thomas Paine (infamous for writing Common Sense) wrote not one, but *TWO* papers blasting the church. In addition, to his final pamplet called “Agrarian Justice” where he advocated an inheritance tax, a social security system, and an amount of money to be paid out to everyone upon reaching maturity (Don’t believe me? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrarian_Justice).

Also, Thomas Jefferson infamously said that “Religion retreats before Science like witches at daylight” and he, along with Madison, both went on an escapade to cut off all public funding to churches in Virginia.

Then there’s the infamous Treaty of Tripolee, signed by George Washington and approved by all the Founding Fathers alive at the time, that states in its very beginnings “America is not a Christian Nation”.

On top of that, can you reconcile Levin’s erronous statements in regards to “Christians being the most tolerant people of them all” only to go on and demonize atheists and Muslims?

In addition to that, what about his speech on how the consititution must be obeyed completely and totally, followed by his trumpeting of states opposing the constitution in the matter of slavery?

As for his opinions on FDR and claiming that “rapid industrialization ended the depression”, then I am to presume that all those tanks, planes, missiles, bullets, etc et al that the government bought during that time didn’t have anything to do with it? Also, might I point out that most of his citations were from the Hoover Institute who, surprise surprise, says that it was FDR who prolonged the depression and attempts to exonerate Herbert Hoover? (If tables were turned and there was someone quoting some kind of Roosevelt Institute saying that FDR saved us from the depression and Hoover deepend/caused it, would you be apt to believe them?)

Then there are the statistics he shows, which has unemployment during Roosevelt’s presidency steadily decreasing, along with the statement that “Every government job created destroyed half a private sector job” (Might I point out by simple mathematics that’s not at all a bad situation?)

Also, how about his statement that “Science is a dead end”, while not recongizing the fact that if it wasn’t for science things like the radio, the printing press, etc. would not be around, meaning he couldn’t spread his message?

Or how about his criticism of Obama’s speech about how in a globalized society, events all over the world affect us, while at the same time he trumpets George Bush’s invasion of Iraq as a stroke of brilliance?

Then there is his terminology, re-labeling liberals statists, proudly proclaiming Republicans as Federalists, then going on in a few chapters later to bash Federalists of America’s beginnings.

And, forgive me for making this statement because I know it will offend you greatly, but judging by your support of the Free Market I presume you very much approve of the drug trade going on throughout the world then and would not like it to be stomped out? After all, the drug trade is the only truly free market out there. Laissez-faire specifically states for there to be no rules and there are certainly no rules in that.

Also, after reading this book, I was both surprised and extremely, unbelievably sickened to see that Levin opposed the Rights of the Child and the Convention on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. So he’s all for child labor/prostitution? He’s also for rape, enslavement, gang rape, and the general brutalization of women as well? There are some things so sickening that the idea of banning them in the harshest terms in writing should not even be given a second thought. Of course, he’s ignoring the fact that they’re *CONVENTIONS* as opposed to *INTERNATIONL LAWS* (unfortunantely). And then there’s his false statement that we’ve agreed to the Kyoto Protocols (they have yet to be signed).

How do you also reconcile his comment that he felt President Regan’s General Amnesty of illegal immigrants to be a good idea, yet he feels the need for their immediate expulsion?

And what about his statement urging people to indoctrinate their children and grandchildren? If he is such a proponent of free choice, then would he really want that to happen? After all, you’re not giving children much of a choice there. In fact, it’s being downright oppressive and tyrannical I would say.

“Ultimately, Levin’s “conservative manifesto” seems far more George Bush than Thomas Jefferson.”

If you read the book you’ll see that he does have good points. Conservatism might not be “popular” at Northwestern or among young people but there are still plenty of folks here that embody conservative principles and believe in its values, even if the GOP isn’t a perfectly precise representation of conservative values (for whatever reason).

Stop hatin’