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"A Riveting, Entertaining Read
Publicani is not a book to pick up lightly. It is a riveting page turner that could, if it affects you like it affected me, capture your attention, at the cost of sleep and reprioritization of your work day.
It's a story with strong characters and a fascinating plot that spans the globe with politics, intrigue, a bit of science fiction and a bit of kabbalistic mysticism that are all woven together into a credible novel that at the end is compelling and satisfying.
As a reviewer, this was a pleasant surprise, when so many political novels are more lecture than good story, how well told this was."
~ Rob Kall, OpEdNews.com, Publisher
......................."An appropriate read for our current events
In short: I really enjoyed this book. The theme centers around the universal struggle for freedom and liberty in a post-modern world where the term "thought police" has gone from metaphor to an actual existence in the form of a government agency. Like all government agencies it has an innocent sounding name and a purpose that aims to improve the "common good." Following a scientific breakthrough allowing the physical transfer of intelligence between people, the government has decided that certain individuals with "brains to spare" are to become "volunteer" donors to such important members of society as politicians, military leaders, ambassadors, and select researchers. This is all for the good of the nation of course, but it has some severe consequences for the donor, especially if they don't comply.
You see, as with all "voluntary" government programs, if you dare to not cooperate, you suffer the consequences. "Publicani" takes us through this scenario time and again through the eyes of many characters who are the enforcers and the enforcees... and sometimes both. This book manages to play this scenario out while engaging in many intentional parallels with the current politics of the day, and I think this is why it was so enjoyable to me. The underlying theme throughout is simply this: If one of us can be enslaved, then we are all slaves. For this theme alone this book is worth reading, but the story is very interesting without being overly wordy. I finished the book in about three hours and I think it was time well spent.
Finally, I think this book offers some perspective to those of us who don't really see the significance of what is happening in the United States today. In the book an extreme circumstance is at hand: the government forcibly ravages your brain. However, is that not indirectly what the government is doing now? If you are a very successful, highly educated businessman who deals in Intellectual Property, you are punished by this government as being an "evil, greedy, rich" person. With this justification, the government promptly taxes you at every turn: the highest income tax rate, capital gains taxes on your investments, property taxes on your car and house, sales taxes at the local and state level, energy taxes on your electricity and gas, the list goes on and on until you die and they then take half of what you had left!
So in the end, the fruits of your intelligence are taken from you. In Publicani, they just go straight to the source. In real life, we're almost there.
~ Thomas Utley (South Carolina, USA)
OpEd News Member for 855 week(s) and 1 day(s)
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Friday, March 27, 2009
The Cheburashka Scheme: Obama's Publicani Are Asking for Tools After all, by and large, Americans are proud, hard-working, freedom-loving, success-appreciating, charitable individuals. How did we become government handout and favors seekers, racial, sexual, and religious whiners, who-do-you-know what-group-do-you-belong-to and not what-can-you-do people? it's all based on a single political technique, the Cheburashka scheme.
Friday, March 27, 2009The Cheburashka Scheme: Obama's Publicani Are Asking for Tools After all, by and large, Americans are proud, hard-working, freedom-loving, success-appreciating, charitable individuals. How did we become government handout and favors seekers, racial, sexual, and religious whiners, who-do-you-know what-group-do-you-belong-to and not what-can-you-do people? it's all based on a single political technique, the Cheburashka scheme.
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Sunday, August 23, 2009
Six simple steps to fix our healthcare This proposal is not as radical as the bill proposed in the Congress, but it's the only proposal I am aware of that when implemented, will really reduce the price, will really increase the choice and the competition, will really be deficit neutral, will really provide free or almost free cover for all uninsured and all people with preexisting conditions, and will really not raise a penny in taxes on anybody.
Sunday, August 23, 2009Six simple steps to fix our healthcare This proposal is not as radical as the bill proposed in the Congress, but it's the only proposal I am aware of that when implemented, will really reduce the price, will really increase the choice and the competition, will really be deficit neutral, will really provide free or almost free cover for all uninsured and all people with preexisting conditions, and will really not raise a penny in taxes on anybody.
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Giuliani Connection to the TASER Abuse Explosion Bernard Kerik, a former Giuliani's driver is behind sudden advancement of tasers.
Thursday, November 29, 2007The Giuliani Connection to the TASER Abuse Explosion Bernard Kerik, a former Giuliani's driver is behind sudden advancement of tasers.
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Friday, April 24, 2009
Nine Best Arguments Against Obama on Torture and Why I Support Him Not necessarily Libertarian, Republican, or Democratic discussion of Obama's decision to consider indicting Bush's officials for their advice on torture.
Friday, April 24, 2009Nine Best Arguments Against Obama on Torture and Why I Support Him Not necessarily Libertarian, Republican, or Democratic discussion of Obama's decision to consider indicting Bush's officials for their advice on torture.
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
If you are pro-life or pro-choice, watching this will make your blood boil. Nothing to do with abortion. Does the government know what is better for you? Can you ever say: "This is my decision?" If you are pro-life, you want to protect the life of a person, even if it hurts other people. If you are pro-choice, you want to protect the right of a person to do whatever she wants with her body, even if it hurts other people. Am I right, more or less? Now, watch this:
Thursday, December 27, 2007If you are pro-life or pro-choice, watching this will make your blood boil. Nothing to do with abortion. Does the government know what is better for you? Can you ever say: "This is my decision?" If you are pro-life, you want to protect the life of a person, even if it hurts other people. If you are pro-choice, you want to protect the right of a person to do whatever she wants with her body, even if it hurts other people. Am I right, more or less? Now, watch this:
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Friday, April 10, 2009
Passover, Tea Parties, Slavery, and Redistribution What is slavery? Using force to get other people's property. What is redistribution? Using force to get other people's property.
Friday, April 10, 2009Passover, Tea Parties, Slavery, and Redistribution What is slavery? Using force to get other people's property. What is redistribution? Using force to get other people's property.
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
And the Whisper Joins the Song Two remarkable events happened during this presidential cycle that went underreported by big media but produced huge splashes on the internet. The first was the song sung by John McCain answering a question about the Middle East. The other was the whisper, probably coming from a hidden wire worn by Romney during a debate.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008And the Whisper Joins the Song Two remarkable events happened during this presidential cycle that went underreported by big media but produced huge splashes on the internet. The first was the song sung by John McCain answering a question about the Middle East. The other was the whisper, probably coming from a hidden wire worn by Romney during a debate.
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Monday, September 22, 2008
Failure to act - haven't we heard that before? George Bush says failure to act on bailout will have broad consequences. Haven't we heard a similar warning from him before?
Monday, September 22, 2008Failure to act - haven't we heard that before? George Bush says failure to act on bailout will have broad consequences. Haven't we heard a similar warning from him before?
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Saturday, April 26, 2008
Does the U.S. Government spend all our income? It looks like the U.S. Government takes in taxes at least about 50% of the national income, and borrows another 50%. If this is true, it means that the entire national income - everything that we earn - the government spends on the project it deems important, such as Iraq. It's pretty serious. I'll tell you what my sources are - please let me know if I am making a mistake in my numbers.
Saturday, April 26, 2008Does the U.S. Government spend all our income? It looks like the U.S. Government takes in taxes at least about 50% of the national income, and borrows another 50%. If this is true, it means that the entire national income - everything that we earn - the government spends on the project it deems important, such as Iraq. It's pretty serious. I'll tell you what my sources are - please let me know if I am making a mistake in my numbers.
