Forbes' E.D. Kain on Declaration of Independents

Nick Gillespie | July 6, 2011

Writing at Forbes, E.D. Kain reviews The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong With America:

It’s a good book, a well-written, easily accessible manifesto on how libertarian ideas and anti-authoritarianism can help change the world, and how they will one way or another, whether we like it or not. Just as importantly, the book is uplifting, optimistic and full of energy. This is no pessimistic rant about how awful the “other guy” is – its a cheerful dismissal of tribalism and monopolistic thinking, in life and in politics. Nor is it merely a stab at the state – the old dinosaurs of corporate America face the same dismal looking future, and only manage to hang on to their advantage through state protection to begin with.

In many ways, the book is a celebration of the sort of lifestyle libertarianism that Reason has symbolized for so long: freedom not just in economics, but in the way we live, who we choose to live with, and the variety of new lifestyles gaining in acceptance. It’s a celebration of mutants and individualism, of the many weird and unexpected and fundamentally good ways that America has evolved, from growing acceptance of everything from multi-racial couples to gays to medical marijuana. And while it would be easy to cast a pall over the whole thing by pointing out the many ways the police state and the foreign wars and the various other government abuses have shaped our society for the worse, Welch and Gillespie keep their message upbeat, and I think the book is better for it.

Read the whole review here.

Buy the book at your local bookstore or at your favorite online vendor.

More reviews, events, etc. at Declaration2011.com.

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Nancy Grace|7.6.11 @ 10:33AM|#

Somewhere, Nick Gillespie and Matt Welching are dancing.

Nancy Grace|7.6.11 @ 11:07AM|#

There's no way this review speaks the truth.

Tot Mom|7.6.11 @ 12:48PM|#

Eat me.

Citizen Nothing|7.6.11 @ 11:04AM|#

Libertarianism...a celebration of mutants and individualism.
It's a fair cop!

T|7.6.11 @ 11:11AM|#

A celebration? I thought it was more of a menagerie or a collection.

|7.6.11 @ 11:22AM|#

Was Christopher Pike a libertarian? I don't think so.

Captain Christopher Pike|7.6.11 @ 11:26AM|#

Libertarians are Republicans who smoke pot.

Also, I want you to enlist in Startfleet...as a cadet, which doesn't make any sense, but fuck it. JJ Abrams is writing.

You know? Fuck that whole George Lucasian remake. Fuck it all.

Captain Christopher Pike|7.6.11 @ 11:29AM|#

Also, fuck Nancy Grace...that pro-prosecution, evil, acidic, diseased cunt steak.

|7.6.11 @ 11:31AM|#

Beep beep-beep beep beep beep-beep beep.

Trekkie|7.6.11 @ 11:33AM|#

Which one is the real Christopher Pike?

|7.6.11 @ 11:33AM|#

"Use the beeps!"

Captain Christopher Pike|7.6.11 @ 11:39AM|#

I'm a mushroom cloud laying motherfucker, motherfucker. Every time I hear beeps, I'm Superfly T.N.T.! I'm The Guns of the Navarone!

|7.6.11 @ 11:36AM|#

freedom not just in economics, but in the way we live

That's crazy talk!

Greer|7.6.11 @ 11:48AM|#

I guess after 3 months of hyping it, I'll have to see if the library has a copy I can borrow.

I don't buy new books (maybe there's some in the used store by now?).

Sobered Christopher Pike|7.6.11 @ 11:59AM|#

I'd like to apologize for my recent outbursts. Maybe I should've been more reserved in my judgment of Abrams Trek, but I just get passionate over that...

STUPID FUCKING, DOG-FACED, MEMORY-FUCKER WHO FUCKED MY FAVORITE FRANCHISE IN THE EARHOLE IN THE EFFORT TO MAKE IT MORE LIKE A FUCKING STAR WARS MOVIE!

|7.6.11 @ 12:21PM|#

Newsflash - Trekkies dislike new Star Trek movie because it was actually pleasurable to watch.

.|7.6.11 @ 8:47PM|#

And The Onion confirms it.

|7.6.11 @ 12:22PM|#

OK, The Jacket and Matt Welch, you guys win. I just put in an order for the book on Amazon.

Troll|7.6.11 @ 7:41PM|#

I paid full price in barnes and noble yesterday. It was so old timey!

GILMORE|7.6.11 @ 12:32PM|#

Wait a second... Matt and Nick wrote a *book*? WTF@?! How come they havent' promoted it at all...?

Sorry, wait, I was thinking of something else.

I'll buy the goddamn thing already if it will help. but i feel like ive already read it twice now. I think the marketing has officially reached the 'brutal' phase. If only there were a safe-word I could use to stop it...

really, i keed.

kinda

Tot Mom|7.6.11 @ 12:49PM|#

You could get a life.

GILMORE|7.6.11 @ 12:54PM|#

...oh, wait...

|7.6.11 @ 5:37PM|#

I'll buy the goddamn thing already if it will help. but i feel like ive already read it twice now.

Matt and Nick have been piecemealing this book out over the past 2 to 3 years for free with their work here at reason.

I do think the tone is vastly different then what we read on hit and run though. Far more optimistic.

If you are a libertarian who wants to have a smile put on your face then this book is for you.

|7.6.11 @ 5:52PM|#

# Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

* #31 in Books > Nonfiction > Politics
* #77 in Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences

I have been holding off on posting these numbers because i thought there would be a come back after the peak i saw of being ranked 180 at about the time it was released.

It does not look like that peak will be beat.

Here is hoping that Nick and Matt get a long and lucrative tail.

Seriously|7.6.11 @ 6:02PM|#

long and lucrative tail

I don't think libertarians have groupies.
Present company excepted.

scarpe Nike Store|7.28.11 @ 3:23AM|#

is good

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