@JonahNRO The Tyranny of Cliches A Book Review

The Tyranny of Cliches by Jonah Goldberg

I just finished up with the book today and I have to say it was a treat.  This is his second book, the first being Liberal Fascism.  Unlike Liberal Fascism this is an easier read.  Not to say that I didn't like his first book, but it was a very heavy topic.  This book is written in a more fun fashion and you get to see more clearly the humor that is usually accompanied in his pieces on National Review Online.  

He takes 24 clichés that we hear ad nauseam from the left and disseminates them bit by bit.  Among the topics are Dogma, Dissent, Ten Guilty Men, and No Labels.  I would have to say one of my favorites is The Catholic Church.  

He takes apart the notion from the left about the evils of the church since its inception.  He talks about the truth of the crusades, the inquisitions that swept Europe and the calls for the "Martin Luther of Islam".  It is highly likely what you think you know about this period in human history is exactly wrong.  The history has been hijacked and turned into something that it is not.  Shocker, I know.   

In a related by different chapter is the notion of "Social Justice"; one of my pet peeves that is constantly thrown in our faces as conservatives.  He goes into the history of how this began in the Catholic Church and what it originally meant.  Again, not at all what it has been portrayed as.  It too was hijacked by Marxist theology in order to justify the means towards an end.  That end being a more socialist worldview.  

The best part of this book is that contains useful and easy to remember facts that you can have at your disposal.  I am a big believer in understanding our history and how things came about.  We, as a society, are woefully ignorant of it.  We allow ourselves to be taken in by talking points and have no real grasp on what led us to the place in history that we find ourselves in.  I do have to say that I was disappointed to read his defense of The Patriot Act.  Seriously, Jonah?  There is no reason in the world that they need that many days to get in front of judge.  But other than that, it is a good read that I believe you will find informative, enjoyable, and at times downright witty.  

If you have not read Liberal Fascism I recommend that you purchase both.  As they will both give you some important history lessons that will score big in debating with liberals.  

For the tweeters out there, if you are not following him, you don't know what you are missing. @JonahNRO

Both books are available on Amazon.  Please feel free to use the widget on the left.  After all, a girl has to eat.