I have often wondered why we don't see political pamphlets in today's world of politics. Once upon a time, political pamphlets were a primary source of political debate. Pamphlets produced The Federalist Papers and Common Sense. Why don't we have something comparable in today's political world? It seems Encounter Books has wondered the same thing. They have announced Encounter Broadsides, which are:
a new series of critical pamphlets from Encounter Books. Uniting an 18th-century sense of political urgency and rhetorical wit (think The Federalist Papers, Common Sense) with 21st-century technology and channels of distribution, Encounter Broadsides offer indispensable ammunition for intelligent debate on the critical issues of our time. Written with passion by some of our most authoritative authors, Encounter Broadsides make the case for liberty and the institutions of democratic capitalism at a time when they are under siege from the resurgence of collectivist sentiment. Read them in a sitting and come away knowing the best we can hope for and the worst we must fear. The best defense is a good Broadside.
These pamphlets are to be produced in time to weigh in on current events. The pamphlets are designed to each run 48 to 50 pages and to be read in one evening. The price is also very affordable at $5.99 each. My only complaint so far is that they haven't been released. Some of the pamphlets scheduled to be released are:
- How the Obama Administration Threatens to Undermine Our Elections
by John Fund.
- How The Obama Administration Threatens Our National Security
by Victor David Hanson.
- Obama's Betrayal of Israel
by Michael Ledeen.
- Why Obama's Government Takeover of Health Care Will Be a Disaster
by David Gratzer
I personally ordered the first three scheduled to be released at the end of October and the beginning of November. I hope to write about them as soon as I read them, so come back here to see if they live up to the hype, or to make your own comments if you read them.
7 comments:
I'll hold off until the following comes out in pamphlet form:
-How Obama has been plotting to take over the world, since he was 7.
-How to blame everyone but ourselves for our problems, for dummies.
-40 pages of nonsensical argument and sicourse. A look back at republican discourse from 1/1/09 until 10/1/09.
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Come on Andy, you really read this garbage?
Dave, I will buy you one if you read it. You might actually like it.
Somehow, I knew you were going to make that offer lol
:)
I got in trouble once on here for criticizing An Inconvenient Truth without having seen the movie. One of my readers challenged me to watch the movie. I challenged them to read a global warming book of my choice. Here, and here are my reviews from watching it. I never heard back about the book....
I challenge you to read one of these pamphlets before you write them off. They are cheap and short, so it shouldn't be a huge investment of your time. Let me know which one you want, and I will have it sent to you. Read it, and if you feel strongly about it afterward, I will let you make a post on here with your review of the pamphlet.
Perhaps we don't have many pamphlets today because of our forms of media. (Not CNN/FOX media) With all of the technology, we have 24/7 information transmission. Every comment is instantly tweeted, posted, blogged, and i-reported for the masses. You only need to use Google or Bing to find your information source. Also, I, like many, simply don't trust entities who pass out political pamphlets. They may have an agenda I'm not in favor of, and I won't support them by buying one. In this political climate, probably more people would trust the opinion of an individual who writes for the enjoyment more than they would an entity.
I would, however, read it online for free if they posted it. Perhaps, I may learn something I didn't know.
Oh yeah, I gave you a shout out today. Check it out.
http://blogs.ajc.com/best-of-big-a/2009/10/26/favorite-local-blogger/comment-page-1/#comment-5739
Patrick,
First, I am humbled and thankful for the vote. If I am ever famous and powerful, I will remember the little people that got me there. Until then, I have to be just thankful.
I think you raise some very valid points about the problems with pamphlets in today's world. However, a number of people write books hoping to change the mind of the reader, I would think a smaller, cheaper version would reach a larger audience.
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