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June 15, 2005
A Brief Reprise on the "Politically Incorrect Guide to American History"
Cathy Young ("Woods is a bad ally for libertarians, though his message may appeal to those who can’t distinguish the flaws of America from those of outright despotisms. Decentralization is an important libertarian value, but surely our first principle is individual liberty; and nothing is more inimical to liberty than slavery or totalitarianism. The Civil War may not have begun as a war for abolition, but it nonetheless led to the end of slavery and to fuller enfranchisement of blacks in the North. And U.S. intervention in World War II and the Cold War may have been vital to defeating totalitarianism. On those two crucial battles, Woods is wrong.")
Jeff Lipkes ("Particularly in his discussion of events in Europe in the 20th century, Woods’s contempt for the evidence is as thoroughgoing as that of any p.c.-textbook-writing hack. It does students no service to expose one set of myths if you’re going to substitute another.")
Posted by Eric at June 15, 2005 7:20 AM
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Comments
I'm glad you got the link I posted!
I actually bought this book. I haven't read it yet though, so my opinion on the book will have to wait.
But from all the other reviews I am reading, I'm not so sure if it's worth my time.
Posted by: Sarah at June 15, 2005 6:08 PM
Lipkes did just about the only decent review on the book. At least he bothered to correct Woods' facts, and not denigrate his politics.
Posted by: Dano at September 21, 2006 12:27 PM