Good political writing, whether the reader agrees or disagrees, should make the reader thirst to read more. It makes the reader not content with what is on the pages of one single book, regardless of how well written it is. It makes the reader either question some of his convictions or makes him stronger in them, sometimes both at the same time. “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” by Mark R. Levin is one of those books.

Among friends and family, many of whom are nowhere near as interested in politics as I am, I'm considered very knowledgeable by those who agree with me, and probably insane by those who disagree. To both those groups, I humbly admit I am little more than a “back bencher” at best and a “big dope” at worst. For those who don't listen to Mark's show, those are two terms he frequently uses.

Throughout his book, Levin refers to America's founding documents (the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution), the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers, as well as such great thinkers as Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, Alexis de Tocqueville et al to discuss the type of government our system was intended to be. To illustrate how we got to where we are now, he quotes Karl Marx, Saul Alinsky and even several of our Presidents and other officials of both Democratic and Republican stripes, showing the steps that destroyed the firewalls of the Constitution.

Levin calls to task many politicians for their role in promoting “Statism” and the “soft tyranny” that exists in today's government. He lashes out at Democrats for their role in growing the bureaucracy, but also calls many Republicans to task for the same. Many of his ideas challenge the status quo that has been promoted by both major parties – the “progressive” income tax and federal involvement in education just to name two – in an attempt to get people to think independently.

As I read, I found myself checking out the bibliography at every single footnote with the thought, “I definitely have a lot more reading to do.” I've read, listened to and watched people of various opinions in the media talk about how things ought to be, but few if any have delved as deeply in my opinion as Mark Levin.

I found myself more convinced than ever before of the dangers of the ever growing federal government, and of the constant surrender of states' rights that has transformed them from the entities that created and should be the biggest check on federal power to mere appendages of the bloated administrative state in DC.

I found myself in disagreement with some of the finer points of his arguments on foreign policy, but believing more firmly in the damage we have done to ourselves as a nation by swinging between three extremes of isolationism, interventionism and globalism. All have, in one way or another, weakened us as a nation.

This big dope enthusiastically recommends “Liberty and Tyranny” to all, not as a be all and end all of political thought, but as a springboard to greater knowledge of government as it is and as it was meant to be. As for me, I have a great deal more reading to do.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and for millions of Catholics worldwide, that means the beginning of Lent. That also means a lot of complaining about not being allowed to eat meat today and for the next six Fridays, and yes, guilty as charged, I did a lot of that in my younger years. There is a certain irony to that, as Lenten discipline used to have more strict guidelines centuries or even decades ago, and there was a lot less complaining.

Many of my Protestant friends years ago used to wonder why Catholics were so hard on themselves these forty days. In recent years, many of them have put my Catholic brethren to shame by getting in on sacrifice during Lent, and doing so with zeal. Several of my Jewish friends, many of whom are not particularly religious, nonetheless abstain from all food and drink on certain high holy days without a grumble nor a whine. I don't live in an area with a high Muslim population, but the few I do know are faithful to the sunrise to sunset fasting provisions during Ramadan. I attempted a similar thing one year during Lent, and I failed miserably.

Even completely separated from any religion, there are certain physical and psychological benefits to fasting and sacrifice. A friend of mine who studied nutrition told me once how an occasional fast helps cleanse the body. Going without certain things from time to time, even when we don't have to, helps us learn to live with less, just in case we ever do have to. It helps detach us from some of the less healthy foods we put in our bodies. Such discipline can also be fiscally beneficial, as it can cut a little from our grocery bills. Sacrificing other things that entertain us can, for a time, remove certain distractions and allow us to use our time more productively.

Government could stand to learn a little bit about sacrifice, especially when politicians of both major parties lecture us about it on a regular basis. Ever since the New Deal and even before, government programs have been introduced to get us out of economic downturns. The problem is, once those programs are in place, they usually prove to be permanent, though any perceived economic benefits are not. We are told we need this program or that agency in place to keep the economy strong.

Yet, America has had several recessions, hyperinflation, stagflation, stock bubbles, housing bubbles, and a host of other economic problems since the New Deal. With every challenge that has come to our economy, another costly program is introduced on top of the older ones. When the economy picks up again, there's never any cutting back on the bloated administrative state.

The most recent example is Barack Obama's “stimulus” package, passed just one year after George W. Bush's $700 billion bailout package. Though I'm no economist, I'm often kept up at night by the thought that those two items may have pushed our nation to the point of no return, and scores of generations won't be able to pay if off. Should the economy recover, government's track record indicates what is now “new” spending will become standard.

In periods of downsizing and restructuring, companies often become leaner and more efficient. If not, they tend to go out of business. One could look at it as a sort of “fasting” period. Government, however, continues to grow in good economies and bad.

Perhaps if government learned to make sacrifices the way businesses and individuals do, to “fast” if you will, it too would become leaner and more efficient. If government cut back to levels that are sustainable (we hear them tell us about that word all the time), not to mention Constitutional, it could manage a balanced budget in a slow economy, when taxable revenue is lower. When the economy is more prosperous, government would even be capable of running a surplus as a result.

Of course, the best thing to do if that should miraculously occur would be to start applying that to our debt. With the national debt and unfunded entitlement programs exceeding total world economic output, the government needs a lot of “fasting” to turn things around.

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses. All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do yet not; for they say, and to no. For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them. And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes. And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues, And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi. But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren. And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters; for one is your master, Christ. He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.” (Matthew 23: 1-14, Douay-Rheims Bible)

Enter the modern-day scribes, the secular Pharisees of America, our “esteemed” Congress. Yes, definitely obey the laws they pass, for we are a nation of laws. But do not follow their works, indeed.

They bind up heavy and insupportable burdens – confiscatory taxes, crippling regulations – but will not lift a finger to move them. Throw in the additional books of rules imposed upon us by the bureaucrats, who were never elected and whose rules were never voted upon in Congress, and it's a wonder this country can even operate. Yet, for all the dictating about cutting water usage, cutting energy usage, reducing our carbon footprint or paying our taxes, let's take a look at the secular Pharisees of the day.

Al Gore, the master scam artist who has made a nine-figure income off of environmental alarmism, doesn't seem too concerned about his own carbon footprint. It seems, dare I use the cliché, hypocritical to ride around in his jumbo jet with a fleet of SUVs telling us WE are melting the ice-caps by our overconsumption. This is coming from the man who has a larger carbon footprint in one day than the average American will have in a year.

Former Senator Tom Daschle, one of President Obama's cabinet picks until recently, has had very harsh words for those who cheat on their taxes. Yet he had over $100,000 in back taxes, forcing him to withdraw from the running. The list of tax cheats seems to grow on a daily basis. Throw in several members of Congress, most notably career Representative Charles Rangel of New York, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Of course, it was a simple “mistake” when it came to his non-payment of taxes. I can understand that. After all, he only helps write our tax laws; how is he supposed to know them? That's the job of ordinary serfs like you and me.

Still, we can't come down too hard on our beloved Congress, nor on our Executive Branch. They are so generous with government money (aka the taxpayers' money) to “stimulate” the economy. They can't stop talking about their generosity. Too bad it doesn't translate into their personal giving. Take a look at our Vice-President, Joe Biden. He's all too willing to tell us it's our patriotic duty to pay higher taxes in order to pay for this massive “stimulus” bill, which will get the American serfs...I mean, people...twenty-five cents back on each dollar if we're lucky. But this same man, after making a seven figure income, gave only $3,000 to charity.

They love the places of honor at banquets. They love titles of honor. As a matter of fact, they demand it. Should anybody dare to oppose them, should anybody dare to criticize them, retribution will arrive swiftly. Personally, I use the titles Congressman, Senator or President not out of any respect for the individuals. I use those titles as a reminder to THEM of the job they were elected to do, of the service THEY owe to the people who put them in office. George Washington didn't want a title of honor or royalty. “Mr. President” was meant to be a title of service, not of grandeur. He that is greatest shall be your servant.

The modern Pharisees also certainly do their fair job of devouring the homes of widows, and everyone else for that matter. They force banks to lend to those who can't afford it in order to end discriminatory lending practices, and then blame the same banks for predatory lending practices. They tax the heart and souls out of families, forcing one parent to work to feed the family, while the other works to feed the government. They spend the money of future generations, stealing the bread out of the Social Security trust fund, running up a $53 trillion unfunded liability that will destroy this country and leave our great-grandchildren broke.

As a Christian, I believe God will judge a great many politicians very harshly in the afterlife. However, even in the absence of that, secular history will damn you for generations. You powerful political dynasties – be they named Clinton, Bush, Kennedy – your once revered names will go down in history as the ones who destroyed the greatness America once knew.

Thank you for your time, and I hope to be back again. God Bless!