The Assault On Reason by Al Gore - A Book Review

I am not in the habit of reading books authored by American political figures. Though I have read two of former President Jimmy Carter's books, I am not drawn to partisan writings on politics in general. What drew me to read former Vice-President Al Gore's The Assault On Reason was mostly the title, although Gore's impressive film An Inconvenient Truth added interest.

The title of his current book reflects my own view of our modern age, that reason, wisdom and intellect are not valued but mostly belittled and socially ostracized. Just watch any television sit-com that features an intelligent or highly educated character, they are always the most socially awkward character and whenever they attempt to expound intelligently the other characters roll their eyes and tune them out.

Gore begins his look at the subject, appropriately in my view, with a discussion of television. His introduction discusses not only the fact that Americans have for 40 years relied on TV news as their main source of information nor on the fact that political campaigns have long been built around the 30 second sound bite, but also on the effects of TV viewing and the essential ways in which it differs from the print medium.

Television is, Gore asserts with good supporting data, a one-way medium. The news is given to the viewers with little opportunity for feedback from them. In times past, when the newspaper was our main source for news, there were many different papers offering competing views and each of them carried daily letters to the editor where the public got to jump into the debate. TV offers no such diversity and no such public access, for the most part.

In his first chapter, Gore addresses the politics of fear, noting:

The effects of television viewing are effectively used to manipulate the public through fear, Gore contends, observing that:

The fear inspired by the images of 9/11 helped elicit public support for the invasion of Iraq and for the implimentation of the Patriot Act and other measures that contradicted long standing American ideals and even violated constitutional protections of civil rights. This fear is still very much in evidence. Gore notes that flight insurance that covers "death by terrorism" outsells insurance that covers "death from any cause", even though that would include death by terrorism. Clearly not a rational choice.

Gore also addresses the role of religion in politics in the USA today. In his second chapter he states:

Often when liberals challenge the blurring of the line between church and state they are accused of being irreligious, of being unfaithful, of being almost heretics by those with a dogmatically held faith that leaves no room for a difference of opinion. Gore addresses that accusation thus:

The other accusation that liberals have long had to contend with is that they are socialists. The blend of Christianity and capitalism that has been brewing on the religious right seems to see wealth and privilege as the just desserts for the faithful. There is even a theological argument being put forward openly by some for the accumulation of great wealth. Liberals have been tarred with the brush that says their opposition to state religion and to excessive wealth makes them the moral equivalent of Godless communists. Gore brings to this argument the observations of the founder of capitalism:

This unholy alliance of wealth and faith, along with the control that wealth exercises over the main source of news and information, the TV, means that wealth gets to dominate the public conversation on politics, Gore argues.

It is at this point that the book becomes, rather predictably, quite partisan. Given that the author is not only a lifelong and second generation Democrat and former Vice-President, but also the man who lost the most controversial election of modern times to the current President, it is hardly surprising that Gore is sharply critical of George W. Bush's administration. It would be surprising if he weren't.

Do Gore's criticisms stand up to scrutiny? Do his accusations against President Bush stick? Well, this is for each reader to assess for themselves. Following are three excerpts from the book that give a sense of the severity of Gore's criticism of Bush:

Gore is truly alarmed at what he sees going on under the current administration and feels that the future of the American republic is at stake. He cites examples where he feels that the administration is undermining American moral authority in the world because of their abuse of civil and human rights, including condoning torture:

Perhaps sensing that his book might be received as mere partisanship taken to a familiar extreme in these times of polarized political rancour, Gore draws from conservative sources and spreads blame to both parties:

As strident as his concern for the future of the republic is, Gore goes further. As might be expected of this environmentalist champion, Gore warns that the ability of the planet to support human life hangs in the balance. The failure of the Bush administration to take climate change and pollution seriously, and the deliberate attempt to muddy the waters on the subject, threaten all of human civilization, Gore claims.

However, the book is not all doom and gloom. Gore offers up hope in the form of the Internet and electronic communities such as Gather that give citizens an opportunity to debate the issues of the day, as they once did through the pages of the local newspaper.

I found Al Gore's The Assault On Reason to be a worthwhile read which framed aspects of the current political realities very succinctly. The book focused more directly and narrowly on the American political scene than I would have liked, as I thought a more global perspective might be a better approach.

However, given that Gore is, first and foremost, an American politician, this is not surprising. Given the role that the Bush administration has played in transforming American society and the importance of America in world affairs, especially given the way international agreements like the Geneva Convention and the Kyoto Accord have been abandoned by their actions, it is perhaps fitting after all that they be the main focus of the book.