A Book Recommendation as We Welcome a New Administration

Into the breach against progressivism

Progressivism may not be dead, but it's been sorely wounded. (Thank God!) The previous fanatically progressive administration exits bruised, battered, and hostile. Hopefully the new administration will inflict a final sword thrust and progressivist politicians will disappear into the forgotten pages of history like the Whigs. 

That's probably a forlorn hope. Stupidity seems to be a staple of human existence and all the vices that lead people to envy, sloth, lust, etc. will continue to undermine society and the electorate no matter who the leaders are. There will be no Utopia on earth! And those who preach it, almost always are working for a utopia of greed for themselves created on the backs of those they consider deplorables. You know...the red state populations who are responsible for everything bad that happened in the last four years. (Thanks for the compliment, Joe!)

But what are the problems of progressivism and can we rouse people to recognize them and fight for a more sane secular society? Grace builds on nature, so if we can educate people to a more realistic view and understanding of how things work, i.e., truth about politics, economics, etc., we will be building the Kingdom of God. Prayer comes first, but working in the marketplace is also a Christian duty.

So let me recommend a book for adults and also a book series for children to help us all understand the political and economic realities that influence us with their impact on the world we live in.

First for adults.

I'm reading Excuse Me, Professor: Challenging the Myths of Progressivism edited by Lawrence Reed. In 52 short chapters, the contributors skewer the fallacy-laden ideas of the progressive tyrants with their vision of absolute control of every element of our lives. At best their ideas are stupid; at worst they are destructive. Look at the COVID debacle for a graphic illustration of the catastrophe of government control of medicine. Physicians developing life-saving protocols were defamed and their cures described as quackery. Meanwhile, Fauci et al oversaw the (dare I say deliberate) pharmaceutical murder of millions. More and more data is coming out revealing the criminal negligence of Pfizer. The slandering of doctors like cardiologist Peter McCullough continues and Joe Biden is using his last days to pardon people who haven't been charged. Obviously, that tactic illustrates a serious problem.

While Excuse Me, Professor was published in 2015, it speaks to much of what we continue to face ten years later. Each essay takes a progressive myth and debunks it. In the introduction Ron Robinson writes:

Excuse Me, Professor is not meant to be the final, definitive response to a harmful ideology. Progressivism, if nothing else, has proven to be a slippery, clever beast It's like the arcade game, "Whack a Mole," Smack one myth and another one rears its head. And the one you smacked never really vanishes; when people forget its underlying falsehood or a new generation comes along, it just reappears.

Among the chapter titles are these:

• Equality Serves the Common Good 
• The More Complex the Society, the More Government Control We Need
• We Are Destroying the Earth and Government Must Do Something
• If Government Doesn't Relieve Distress, Who Will?
• Profit is Evidence of Suspicious Behavior

The contributors skewer these myths with common sense and short, easy-to-understand messages. 

Children can also learn about the dangers of government interference and economic issues. Connor Boyack is committed to educating them with his Tuttle Twins series. I recommend that as well. The colorful-illustrated books teach children about government over-regulation and corruption without being heavy handed. The twins learn about entrepreneurship by running a lemonade stand. They visit a pencil factory and find out how protectionism impacts the livelihood of the food truck vendors. Boyack also developed a video series. I prefer the books, but the videos can certainly be conversations starters for children. 

Let's make 2025 the year we learn more about bad ideas that are hurting America. Then let's work to change things. Many Christians don't want to be involved in politics, but as Ghandi said, those who think religion has nothing to do with politics don't understand politics or religion.