Review: Glenn Beck’s Common Sense

Glenn Beck’s Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine

The latest media nugget from author, TV, radio and stage star Glenn Beck is easy to recommend, but with a caveat or two. First of all, if you listen to his radio program or watch his Fox News show, you’ve probably already got an idea of his shtick. He’s an extremely likeable, self-deprecating goofball who has no pretentions to ivory-tower intellectualism. Behind his overtly entertaining persona, however, is a guy who might be one of the biggest doom-and-gloomers when it comes to his vision of the short- and long-term futures of the country.

This book is apparently intended to claim for Beck the mantle of Thomas Paine for what he sees as a coming second American Revolution. It seems a little melodramatic, to me, but whatever. It’s a fine attention-grabber, sure to move units. But aside from that, it serves as a great high-level introduction to some of the biggest problems we face as a country right now: a skyrocketing budget deficit, unsustainable social programs, a power-hungry government, and a two-party system that, in Beck’s estimation, doesn’t offer Americans a choice.

Without wanting to sound like an apologist for the status quo, I think the two-party system is a perfectly workable institution that has served the country well, most of the time. My biggest beef with it is that I wish the two parties were the Republican and Libertarian parties, but I’ll leave that for another discussion. The problem we have today is that the Democrat party leadership is so far left, and the Republican party is divided over how to deal with it. If we had a Republican party that could settle on a strategy of fundamental defense of the Constitution and founding principles, we really would have a choice. And that isn’t a stretch to imagine if (and here I do come around to agree with Glenn again) we ignore the R’s and D’s next to the names of our representatives, and instead support people who represent our values instead of expecting parties to lead us.

The book is short. It’s only about a hundred pages of actual content, with another 50 pages or so dedicated to reprinting the original Common Sense by Thomas Paine. It’s an easy read, it’s a good introduction to Beck’s view of the world, and while not necessarily revolutionary in itself, it does contain one of the classic historical writings of the American Revolution. And it’s cheap! So it’s a good value if you have a wishy-washy friend or family member who might need a little push back into political wakefulness.