The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Levin's "Ameritopia" Arrives!

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Just a quick note to congratulate Mark Levin for the release of his newest book, Ameritopia, the Unmaking of America. I wanted to try to write a review of it before it came out, but, alas, I have been trying to read too many books at once, and have only made it through the first 40 pages of Levin's book. But I can already tell it'll be a winner. In short, the book is a erudite, well-researched, well-explained extended essay against utopianism. He corrects the common misimpression that the search for earthly utopia is a highly moral pursuit even if it's impractical. Instead, Levin argues, quite rightly, that utopianism is itself a horridly immoral ideal from start to finish. The problem is that utopia by necessity emphasizes the collective rather than the individual. In a utopia, he writes:

The individual is inconsequential as a person and useful only as an insignificant part of an agglomeration of insignificant parts.... Utopianism is immoral per se. On what basis does utopianism make such a thorough claim on the individual's existence? On a mastermind's dogma!.... There is also no morality in utopian deception and distortion to promote an abstraction, forcing the individual to behave in ways that are congtrary to his best interests and destructive of hsi nature; attacking the civil society's ethical norms and social arrangements; and making commonplace dependency and coercion. Rather than cultivating a moral society and individual virtuousness, whether through faith, education, or sociability, and building on the accumulated experience and wisdom of earlier generations, utpopianism breeds dishonesty not good character; it encoruages ideology not reason; it rewards rashness not reflection; it attracts fanatics not statesmen; and it is transformative not reformative.

Really good stuff. Read the book!

View all comments (22) | Leave a comment

Margie| 1.16.12 @ 5:09PM

Mark Levin: par excellence!

Tina B| 1.16.12 @ 5:31PM

Regarding education and collectivist thought read John Taylor Gatto or view both Charlotte Iserbyt and Gatto on youtube. Thanks Quin, another new read to wake me, and America, up. I also love Mr. Levin and much of his writing.

L A Stich| 1.16.12 @ 5:54PM

That excerpt is the best defense of Roman Catholic doctrine (original sin, man's failings, the sacrament of confession) written in a political context.

Margie| 1.16.12 @ 6:21PM

God saves by Grace, not Sacraments, which are unbiblical and have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"..for by Grace you are saved, through
faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God;
not of works, that not anyone should
boast.." Gal. 3:8 & 9.

W| 1.16.12 @ 7:54PM

MullahMargie,
You do not believe that Jesus is God and you do not believe in the Trinity. Your beliefs are closer to the Muslim religion as RCV pointed out to you numerous times. So you have no standing to lecture us on Christianity.
Buzz off, go play with your snakes.

William R| 1.16.12 @ 6:14PM

Levin thinks he's an intellectual on the constitution and conservatism. Calls those that disagree with him statists. But Levin also supports all the wars in the Middle East of behalf of Israel. But war is the ULTIMATE HEALTH OF THE STATE. Government always grows during wartime.

Bottom line, Levin is a lightweight buffoon.

Clint| 1.16.12 @ 7:48PM

" CNN Poll: Obama tied with Romney & Paul in November showdowns

Washington (CNN) – Mitt Romney is all tied up with President Barack Obama in a likely general election matchup, with the president showing signs of weakness on the economy and Romney seen as out of touch with ordinary Americans, according to a new national survey.

And a CNN/ORC International Poll released Monday also indicates that Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is also even with Obama in another possible showdown this November. The survey also suggests the Republican advantage on voter enthusiasm is eroding, which could be crucial in a close contest."

The Tea Party Rebellion Steps On Mittens' Tail.

C Bowen| 1.16.12 @ 6:41PM

Mark Levin was another one who lied regarding an invented connection between 9/11 and Saddam. He should absolutely be investigated.

http://old.nationalreview.com/.....181121.asp

Great post, Quin. LOL

William R| 1.16.12 @ 6:55PM

Your link has been disabled

C Bowen| 1.16.12 @ 7:54PM

Quinn is too gutless to comment on whether he thinks Saddam was behind 9/11, so instead he linked me to some crackpot who said Saddam really had WMDs and Saddam was behind 9/11.

He won't actually admit he thinks these things (because he doesn't) so he linked me to it.

That is who Quin is.

Quin| 1.16.12 @ 8:56PM

I never even came close to writing that Saddam was behind 9/11. I did write that Saddam had WMDs, which is an incontrovertible fact. I linked to columns by Deroy Murdock, who is no crackpot, and who detailed the WMDs very carefully -- and noted carefully the small amounts found post Saddam's ouster, vs. the much larger amounts known to have existed and not accounted for during the 1990s.

C Bowen| 1.17.12 @ 5:31AM

Deroy Murdock is the crackpot who wrote a column as late as 2007 suggesting Saddam was behind 9/11- I wonder if he was paid like Armstrong Williams to have that opinion, but anyway, an investigation would required.

It is a lie of course, created by Rumsfeld's Office of Special Plans. A thorough investigation of AmSpec finances, since they promoted Laurie Mylroie at the time and took on a paid agent (illegal and unethical) of the Pentagon as editor, might get to the bottom of it.

At least we are getting somewhere now--you and Jeff were so coy.

Anyway, if you disagree with Rumsefeld and Bush and believe Saddam really had this thing you call WMD, that is all we really need to know--I'll be keeping this link.