Governments

Walter Bagehot was a journalist and a social and political thinker of the middle Victorian period (1850s and 1860s). His classical work "The English Constitution" comes as a collection of polemical assays upon the structure of the British political system. Cabinet, monarchy, Houses of Commons and Lords, execution of political power, and the foundation of the systems of checks and balances are explored in the book.

Throughout the book a comparison and contrast of Cabinet system and the Presidential system (a.k.a USA) is a constant theme. Bagehot does not hide it preference for the Cabinet system, which in his view is a both more dynamic and more effective. One of his main points is that direct popular election is a myth, since most of the electorate are ignorant of the nature of the political power (and moreover are forced to this ignorance by the effective uselessness of the legislative debate in the USA as opposed to the UK). Moreover, a result of the direct election is a static Presidential term of 4 years, which allows the executive branch to execute almost unchecked control of the political process. According to Bagehot, the indirect electoral system of the Commons, where people vote for the MPs and they then select the PM amongst themselves produces a more effective government, which is more responsive to the popular will since it can fall at any time due to policy disputes. A hidden secret of British success according to Bagehot is a fusion of legislative and executive powers in the Cabinet system. In the latter chapters, Bagehot exposures two forms of power - the dignified power (in the person of the monarch and the lords) and the effective power as exemplified by the Cabinet. Dignified power serves as a façade of legitimacy under which the dynamic and opportunist real effective power can subsist. He follows through to explain how each of the minister of the government exercises its power for the common goal, what are the legal powers of the monarchy and how it is exercised indirectly via control of the composition of the peerage and the power to dissolve the Commons.

Bagehot's style is clear, flavorful, his knowledge of political process is profound (with a qualification of more so of British then American), his research is well done, and he is a master of dramatic tricks to keep the reader interested. I would recommend the book as both a scholarly reference, and a well presented popular case.

First, to the reviewer looking for the doctrine of separation of powers: you'll find it in Montequieu's "Spirit of the Laws". Also check out "The Federalist", number 51.

Now then, Bagehot, like Madison, describes the operation of a modern liberal regime. The trick for founders of liberal government is to produce a government that permits the people civil liberties, but does not permit the people to abuse those liberties, or in the words of Madison, to create a government that is "democratic yet decent". Madison and the American Founders accomplish this end by so constructing the institutions of government that mens' selfish natures will be turned against each other ("ambition is made to check ambition"), rather than united in tyrannical concert.

Bagehot too describes the operation of a system of government that rules by the consent of the governed, yet which does so by restraining the vices of those who ought not to rule. Bagehot argues that the English government is moderate and decent because of a division of government into the "dignified" and the "efficient" parts, and a "noble lie" about the relationship between the two. It is this noble lie that permits the government to operate without the interference of those who would turn it away from the public good. But to discover the noble lie, you'll have to read Bagehot.

Warner Winborne

Professor of Political Science

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA

I am a law student in the university of Plymouth and i would like you to send me some information that this book contains, concerning the subject of the separation of powers. Your advice will be of great help. Thank you.

I bought this book on impulse at the SEPTA Transit Museum Store (of course you'd expect it to be there!). It turned out to be one of the best impulse buys I ever made. Berson manages to keep the plot moving along briskly even as he provides a brief history of some of the world's worst passenger train disasters, a subject that should intrigue amateur historians as much as it does railfans like the ones in the book. The relationship between Szczymanski and McBride develops naturally, and the climax in the Reading Terminal Market is appropriately thrilling.

So I'm home sick with the flu, with hardly enough energy to pick up a book. Fortunately, the book I picked up -- Foamers, by Jon Berson -- was enormously engrossing! Berson has crafted an exciting story with appealing characters; the plot moves briskly without being predictable, and the history of trains and transportation policy is interpreted accurately without the dryness that accompanies most such accounts. Once I started the book, it was very difficult to put it down; I finished it in about 24 hours. Foamers was a welcome tonic for a guy on his sickbed!

Josh Silverma

"Foamer" is Amtrak slang for a train fanatic, and this story is an action-filled mystery containing a wealth of information on train travel and Amtrak.

As a train lover and Amtrak retiree who worked in Philadelphia for almost 20 years, I enjoyed the author's excellent descriptions of Amtrak operations, train travel, and the City of Brotherly Love. It was easy for me to visualize the weekly meetings at Cavanaugh's, a favorite gathering place for railroaders near Philadelphia's 30th Street Station.

The story is about the simultaneous and often conflicting investigations of a series of train accidents by an attractive FBI agent, Jennifer Szczymanski, and a foamer, Larry McBryde. Each of them is backed by their respective organization, and several interesting secondary characters help keep the novel interesting. The developing relationship between McBryde and Szczymanski adds a romantic side to the story.

I really don't like reading about train accidents, particularly when they resemble actual occurrences. However, the author's great story-telling and vivid descriptions make this an exciting book which I thoroughly enjoyed. The resources used by Szczymanski and McBryde to predict the next train accident stretched my imagination a little, but did not detract from my enjoyment of the book.

At first, I was not sold on the idea that a guy from SEPTA should be the hero in a story about Amtrak. Also, I would have liked a plug for the Amtrak Police, which I think is unique in being certified as a national police force.

I enjoyed reading Foamers, and would recommend it to anyone, not just people interested in railroading. As I read it here in Paris, Texas, it brought back memories of old friends and pleasant experiences. I hope Jon Berson will write a sequel. I have a few ideas if he is interested.

--James Arneson

This book is a must read for anyone who wishes to know about the founding principles of America and why we must instill those principles in our children. Bo Short's writing style is easy to read, and using five great forefathers of our Country relates one trait from each of them that was instrumental in giving birth to our country. Vision, Courage, Perserverance, Responsibility and Character. These are the values that this great country of ours was founded on. Wherever you are in life, if you learn those five principles and apply them, nothing will stop you and it can be done. If you instill those five principles in your children then you have successfully laid the groundwork for America and the world, for an even better life in the 21st Century.

The author breaks down the characteristics of leadership to the reader with a unique and forceful style that excites, interests and motivates. Well written and easily readable, you will feel at home with this classic the moment you pick it up. One of the few books I have read that leaves you wishing it was longer and yet at the same time you know that any author would be hard pressed to reach the same level of excellence that has been set with this work. First rate in every respect.

Bo Short does an excellent job of boiling down the topic of leadership into five true foundational characteristics. Excellent historical references mixed with quotes from today's Senators make this book a grippingly fast read. I recommend it very highly for readers of all ages who desire a concise picture of what makes American leadership great.

I don't know what angers me more: the absolutely startling facts unraveled in this book, or the sad reality that such jaw-dropping research is at a sub-15000 ranking in terms of sales on Amazon and has garnered only 3 reviews.

I happened to buy this book perchance while casually browsing the non-fic section at an airport. Now I recall my hair standing on its end as I read it on my flight. The only other book I recall seething with anger with while reading was "The Rape of Nanking".

"Gold Warriors" is more than a nail in the coffin of Japan's "serious, sober and deliberate" plundering of Asia's treasure from 1895 until 1945, and its collusion after the war with American officials to recover and use the loot as a secret political action slush fund to denounce communism. It is in fact a journey into the darkest recesses of history and the human soul.

The authors are not afraid to name names, and the excruciatingly detailed research is a marvel. The sheer scale and limits of the underlying deceit are mind blowing.

Some very minor observations. The authors may know their Philippines well, but their statements on Japan could be corrected. The book has some minor errors (that I could figure out) --

(1) The Japanese ship they repeatedly call the "Huzi" should actually be "Fuji"
(2) The important Japanese Sea port is "Maizuru" not "Maisaru"
(3) "Tairiki" is not a Japanese word: they probably meant "Tairiku Ronin", i.e., a Continental adventurer (in reference to Chinese carpetbaggers)
(4) Their mysterious "Lord Ichivara" should most likely be "Ishihara" (Ichivara is somewhat implausible)

Anyway, these are minor cavils. I highly recommend this book for any one interested in the shenanigans of power, it will leave you aghast. If this piques your interest, click over to the website bowstring.net and download two CD full of documents etc.

I had heard rumors that Allied (primarily American) forces had
overrun and discovered huge quantities of Nazi, and in this
case, Japanese seized riches, and had always wanted a
documentary of this.
Wow--by page 4, even with my preconceived expectations, my
jaw had dropped. These events have shaped dramatically
the world we live in. There is so much unexplained even
now, but this book is a step forward. If power corrupts,
and absolute power corrupts absolutely, try power with
limitless funding.

In 1947, Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered the immediate termination of all investigations of Japanese war crimes and the immediate suspension of the arrest of any suspected war criminals.

In June 2000, Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah) said, "You mean our federal government can just say, 'To hell with you, Bataan Death Marchers, and you people who were mistreated (by the Japanese), we are just going to waive all your rights.'"

As disturbing and painful as it may be to read, this is a book all victims of the Japanese, and their next of kins, must read. It's documentation and research is beyond reproach. For many of us, this book will be our 'fall from innocence', if that is still possible.

Fred Baldassarre
Son of a Bataan Survivor

I have read several books about the Sioux Wars so i wasnt really sure i wanted to read another one, but Mr Robinson's book is fantastic.He writes taking in consideration that the reader doesnt know anything about the topic so he explains with good accuracy terms and places like no other author. The author is bold and right on the money when it comes to point a finger at somebody, like for example the stupidity of the Army officers.I found that the interviews and research the author made for this book are very good, especially from the indians perspective.The only thing i didnt like is the fact that Mr Robinson doesnt go into details when it comes to Crazy Horse.I would have loved to read more about Crazy Horse part in this Wars.Otherwise this is an excelente book!

This is by far the best book on the Army's conflict with Native Americans since "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee". It treats the material as a campaign rather than a series of seperate battles, so that Little Big Horn is treated as part of a whole. The author also describes the personalities and deeds of several Indian characters, not just Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. This is an eye-opening recounting of an important part of US history and a look at one of the greatest guerilla forces ever to wage war against the American Army.

Rather than concentrate on one battle or campaign, Robinson sets the stage for the reader to follow the movement of all the actors playing a role in the drama across the seasons of the war. I used this book as an orientation to the conflicts of 1876 prior to a trip to Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas to visit battle sites while on vacation. My trip was greatly enriched by reading this volume first. You can find more concentrated studies of particular engagements and the biographies of the participants that will offer deeper insights into the war, but for one overall narrative that provides the reader with the flavor of the contemporary army and Indian experience, here's my choice.

The Author of this book has a website, with the latest news, photos, etc regarding Southern Africa.

It is: http://WWW.AfricanCrisis.org

It was with great interest I read the work of author Jan Lamprecht, a former Rhodesian who has lived in South Africa since the take-over by Mugabe in the early 1980's. I first read Mr. Lamprecht's work on the Rense.com website, and found it easy to read, personal and informative.

When Government By Deception was completed and offered to the public, I bought six copies for friends of mine. Two of them live in South Africa. The others are from the states. All have found the book to be an interesting and informative read. They are glad to see someone offering some real information on southern Africa. Mr. Lamprecht has good sources of information and some very interesting interviews are scattered throughout the book.

If you like history, you will find interesting historical facts on southern Africa. The book was carefully researched and has many quotes by well known political players in this bloody and tension filled arena. Due to this book and articles by Mr. Lamprecht, the American people will, if they choose, see the many similarities between our countries. They will learn how the communists have pitted the blacks and whites against each other in a war that neither will benefit from. The destruction and suffering going on in southern Africa at this time will serve only a few who seek power and wealth for themselves alone. There is a message here for American's. This book will help you understand more clearly the signifigance of how little truthful news we are exposed here in the states, regarding southern Africa. How much do we hear regarding the brutal murders of some 1400 white Afrikaner farmers in South Africa? More recently the farm murders and the takeover of white farms in Zimbabwe are at last getting some attention. You will read about the workings of socialism and the potent weapon of white guilt. The importance of detecting the mind games and psychological warfare being used on the American as well as the African people each and every day.

I believe you will be surprised and perhaps shocked at some of the information presented in this book. It is an excellent buy, and a great effort by someone who KNOWS first hand what it feels like to see your beloved homeland painted "RED" with the blood of her people.

My suggestion to fellow Americans is to buy the book, read it, learn from it, and act on what you have learned.

I have read the book Government by Deception by Jan Lamprecht. I found the book had good information on the present day situation in South Africa. Jan is a computer-programming expert and used his talent to give a great analysis of the situation. He lays out the situation with an open mind gives credit where credit is due even though he may not agree with the results. He grew upon farm in Zimbabwe and left there when Mugabe came to power. He now lives in South Africa and has been in the middle of all the changes in Government. He is a great writer and has written a very interesting book

...

You should all go out and buy this book, or sit in your office and buy it online if you want. But where is the cover art? I really liked the picture on the cover, it's black and white and it's like a mass movement. Well, do not judge a book only by its cover (or lack thereof). You should buy this book; despite the amazon oversight of cover art, the text is way better than the image on the front.

I learned a lot about the current situation in the mid-east when I read this for class. It is so interesting to see a devout country that doesn't do the whole Jihad thing against America. I would recommend this book RIGHT NOW. you should get it and learn about the REAL situation there. great stuff.

I personally found this book very useful in understanding the status of women in Egypt, but also the entire Mid-East. I was able to see that female discrimination did not end in Afghanistan with the Taliban. This book shed a light on an under-represented area of social studies (in my opinion). I would recommend it fully.

"The FBI: A comprehensive reference guide" is a great book for information on FBI history and organization. I learned a lot about how the FBI carries out its mission by reading this book. This is a terrific reference.

The FBI Comprehensive Reference Guide is a very good resource for background information on the FBI. I have never seen a better book on the history and workings of the agency. I would recommend it, along with "FBI Careers" (by Thomas Ackerman), to anyone who is seeking FBI employment.

This book covers the history and evolution of the FBI from 1908 to the present from an objective point of view. It has been well researched by these four scholars. The essays are well written and organized in ten chapters. Each chapter gives an in depth explanation of the origins of the FBI, its changes through the years, the relationship with other state and federal law enforcement agencies as well as its relationship with the President, Congress and the media. The reader not only learns about the history of the FBI, but also will learn about 20th century U.S. history. The chapters on Notable Cases and the FBI's influence on the American popular culture are very interesting. This book is very useful not only for the those who are interested in learn about the FBI but also for historians, sociologists, criminologists.

"We have sunk to such a depth that the restatement of the obvious has become the first duty of intelligent men." So wrote George Orwell, whom Peter Bauer quotes approvingly. Indeed, "From Subsistence to Exchange" is little more than an attempt to dispel popular misconceptions in the conventional wisdom of development economics.

The heart of Lord Bauer's argument is to take issue with the widespread excuses that have been put forth to explain why certain countries seem unable to prosper. Writing in times when state planning was in its intellectual apogee, Lord Bauer offered an alternative where the role of the individual and the market were central.

From this basic outlook follow many attacks on the fallacies of development economics. Lord Bauer dismisses with great ease the assumption that countries are poor due to the lack of adequate resources: at some point, he writes, every country was poor; if infusion of capital was a necessary condition for growth, then the West would still be living in the Stone Age.

But Lord Bauer does not stop there. He takes on other issues such as foreign aid. Not only is foreign aid based on the false premise of the vicious cycle of poverty, but it also creates a mentality of dependence. Even worse, the result in the recipient countries is the emergence of powerful interests whose sole purpose is to obtain a bigger piece of the aid cake.

Why then do rich countries offer so much aid? The answer for Lord Bauer is simple: guilt. Western and African intelligentsia does what it can to cultivate the belief that Africa's evils are of European doing. No matter that the evidence for this claim is scant or non-existent. After all, Lord Bauer writes, Africans were poor before Europeans got there and remain poor for long after they have left.

In the end, the message is clear. The legacy of post-war development economics was to construct a distorted image of why some countries are rich and some poor. At the basis of the convolution was the desire to find excuses for the failure to grow economically. "From Subsistence to Exchange" is a collection of essays that have rescued us from this intellectual trap.

The other reviewers are generally spot on with their comments about this collection of Bauer's works: wonderful, even if a little repetitive. I myself found the repetition useful for most of the book, even if the feeling of déjâ vu came over me once in a while. I'll thus say nothing more in general except that his writing style is erudite and fluid but gets a little arcane at a few points (especially in the first few essays).

As for the essays themselves: they're all great. My favorites were "Subsistance to Exchange," "Western Guilt," "Hong Kong," "Class on the Brain" and "Egalitariansim." These are penetrating in their analysis and effective in their prose. The last was truly inspirational as an attack on the foundations of egalitarianism.

"Eclessiatical Economics" was an interesting demonstration of the contradiction of the Vatican's position on development, but lacked some of the oomph of the others. "Liberal Death Wish" had the oomph and was interesting, but seemed a little of a diatribe, but can serve as an effective summary to most of the entire collection of essays. The title is a little misleading too, as Bauer doesn't discuss either classical-liberals or how left-"liberals" might have a death wish, except for western guilt. The others are almost too short to call essays, but still worthwhile.

While Bauer doesn't set out to expound the free-market or classical-liberal policies, per se, it's clear he feels that they are more likely to hold the keys to economic development than the vicious-cycle-of-poverty theory or western guilt.

Bastiat would be proud that classical-liberals can still write like this.

"From Subsistence to Exchange: and other essays" (FSE), is a wonderfully insightful little book that throws light on the problems of the Third World economies, egalitarianism, the "mathematized" economics profession, and, among other things, offers rigorous arguments against foreign aid and Western guilt (for allegedly causing Third World poverty).

I found this book to be both a great introduction to development economics and Peter Bauer, as well as a handy catalog of refutations of popular economic myths. Additionally, the critical essay on the mathematization of the economics profession is valuable: It helps to buttress Bauer's thesis that economics is not an "ivory tower profession" (my words): It is a social science that must rely heavily on historical investigation and direct observation; it is not, nor can it ever be, like the natural sciences of physics and chemistry. The attempt to make it more "respectable" by hiding simple truths among complex formulae, or worse, by deriving conclusions from mathematical models that do not resemble the real world, has resulted in putting elaborate clothes on a non-existent emperor (Bauer's words). It has also fueled fallacious attacks on the entire field and reduced both public understanding of and respect for economics. Bauer's essay on that topic is a breath of fresh air.

In discussing popular myths, Bauer tackles the "viscous circle of poverty," among numerous others, e.g., that the West is rich because the Third World is poor. Often these myths are based on similar false premises. For example, the refutation of the vicious circle argument also undermines the exploitation one (noted above).

Here's how: If the vicious circle of poverty is correct, then this statement is also: Without outside investment, third world countries cannot break out of the circle of poverty, because they can not save in order to invest in capital, because they live at a subsistence level and (usually) produce only enough to meet short-term needs.

Bauer states it better, but that's a decent summary. Bauer takes this to the limit of its logic: If the above were true, then the human race could never have left the stone age: the world never received capital (or any) investment from outside of itself. The vicious circle argument ignores the factors that Bauer notes are crucial to finding answers to economic problems: namely, "that economic performance depends on personal, cultural, and political factors, on people's aptitudes, attitudes, motivations, and social and political institutions."

That kind of outlook, intuitively valuable, is inimical to modern applied "mathecomics," the practitioners of which typically deride an outlook like Bauer's as mere "empiricism." Indeed, Bauer discusses just such a caricature.

The argument against the circle of poverty implies that there is no fixed amount of income to be distributed. Again, for someone with an eye on economic history, that should be intuitively true. Yet if there is no fixed income, then the people in the West are not necessarily rich only because the Third World is poor. Bauer notes, having extensively studied the Third World countries and its people, that those with the least number of ties to the West are the worst off!

There are so many other insights in this book that to adequately catalog them all would require thousands of words. Yet FSE is short and easy to understand. I read this book alongside Chomsky's "World Orders Old and New" until I realized that Chomsky, when he actually gave an argument, was eviscerated by Bauer's arguments and knowledge. Of course, this represents the merits of Bauer's historical and observational approach to Chomsky's pronouncement from on-high approach. Bauer lives in and describes reality. Chomsky does neither.

As a final note, although this book is repetitive as the reviewer below me noted, Bauer's points need to be drilled into people's minds. Repetition of key points and arguments helps to cement them in one's memory; Bauer's excellent and fascinating writing does not get the justice it deserves from this review, and it is not something that, once read, you will want to forget.

The post-Civil War years were a time of rapid industrialization in America, aided and abetted by burgeoning plans to build a transcontinental railroad. Many people saw an opportunity to get a piece of the action, to speculate with family savings, the little that there were, in hopes of making millions of dollars in return. Investing in coal mining was one example. It is against this background that _The Gilded Age_ takes place.

Many in Congress saw an opportunity to support various projects that were supposedly for the public good, e.g. building a university for the newly freed slaves upon land, located in Tenneesee, bequeathed by a family patriarch to his children. These schemes were also meant to line many people's pockets. The novel's Senator Dilworthy supports various liberal causes and "family values," i.e. Sunday school education, but is also thoroughly corrupt.

_The Gilded Age_ is meant to be a morality tale where everyone receives his just deserts: the evil or those just plain greedy are punished, including a vengence seeking young woman deeply wronged by her married lover, and the good and the conscientious are rewarded. While the book occasionally gets bogged down in the scandalous details of this young woman's love life, _The Gilded Age_ is often an interesting, lively and educational glance into the manners of 1870s America.

The literary criticism you can get from the Oxford edition (check your local library); the commentary is thorough (which parts did Twain write? which parts Warner?) and informative. My reasons for recommending this book have nothing to do with its literary value (spotty) and everything to do with its subtitle. Every now and then an old book teaches us that much of what we take to be modern and sophisticated is truly old hat. One of the best descriptions of the Cold War was written by Thucydides, and one of the best depictions of the go go dot.com economy was written by Twain. Substitute web sites for depots and bandwidth for rails and the conversations in this book could have been overhead on cel phones in San Jose. IPO's and bubbles are not twenty-first century innovations: as Twain shows us,it may be possible to get rich from hard work, but it's more tempting to get rich by looting the pockets of the uninformed. Senator Dilworthy's dedication to pork evokes Byrd, and we learn lecherous behavior in Congress didn't start with Condit. An entertaining validation of Ecclesiates: there truly is nothing new under the sun.

Moving stuff at the start, very funny in spots, and heartily American. The end wasn't all I'd hope for but there is still good stuff up till the end which is hard to do in any book. Like I said in the title, I liked it better than Huck Finn because Huck Finn is more of the kitchy journey story which is too easy whereas this one is not a road trip but a full fleshed tale.