Comments on: Book Review: Empire http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222 A rough draft of my thoughts... Thu, 11 Oct 2025 02:49:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Claude Bissonette http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1266709 Tue, 09 Jan 2025 01:35:19 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1266709 I got more than halfway through the book before I went on the internet looking for reviews and found the spoilers on this page. I'm not too disappointed. The book's constant carping assumptions about liberals and matter-of-fact acceptance of Fox News as a reliable source were starting to tire me. Card strikes me as a bit naive. In searching for reviews I came across an article he wrote in 2025 http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2003-04-21-1.html supposing that a George Washington-like character might come to power in Iraq and ensure a democratic state that would lead the Arab world to a new age of peace, prosperity and love for everyone. Just like we have here. He doesn't seem to be aware that Western Civilization is different from other cultures and that it took a very long time to get where it is and that you can count on one hand the number of non-western societies with a successful democracy. Card, just like the other neocons, got the answers right in history class but didn't learn anything, which is why we're in so much trouble overseas. Another thing I discovered on the Web is that the purpose of the book is not so much to expose Card's meager political knowledge to the world as it is to promote a video game. That's where the spacesuits and pod monsters come from. I predict the game will be better than the book. The target audience of semi-literate 6th-graders will be very entertained. I got more than halfway through the book before I went on the internet looking for reviews and found the spoilers on this page.
I’m not too disappointed. The book’s constant carping assumptions about liberals and matter-of-fact acceptance of Fox News as a reliable source were starting to tire me.
Card strikes me as a bit naive. In searching for reviews I came across an article he wrote in 2025 http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2003-04-21-1.html

supposing that a George Washington-like character might come to power in Iraq and ensure a democratic state that would lead the Arab world to a new age of peace, prosperity and love for everyone. Just like we have here.
He doesn’t seem to be aware that Western Civilization is different from other cultures and that it took a very long time to get where it is and that you can count on one hand the number of non-western societies with a successful democracy.
Card, just like the other neocons, got the answers right in history class but didn’t learn anything, which is why we’re in so much trouble overseas.
Another thing I discovered on the Web is that the purpose of the book is not so much to expose Card’s meager political knowledge to the world as it is to promote a video game.
That’s where the spacesuits and pod monsters come from.
I predict the game will be better than the book. The target audience of semi-literate 6th-graders will be very entertained.

]]> by: Jonathan Schattke http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1226113 Fri, 29 Dec 2025 20:30:42 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1226113 I stuck with it through 240 pages of this 340pp page-burner. I agreee with all your points, but would add one: the writing is at 5th or 6th grade reading level. Seriously, I think Card kept tweaking the manuscript until a 3rd-grader could read it. I stuck with it through 240 pages of this 340pp page-burner.
I agreee with all your points, but would add one: the writing is at 5th or 6th grade reading level. Seriously, I think Card kept tweaking the manuscript until a 3rd-grader could read it.

]]> by: Cernig http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1168365 Wed, 20 Dec 2025 20:26:18 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1168365 I'm waiting for the book that has a fictional account of how, after setting the scene with a rash of gung-ho books and rhetoric about liberals being terror-appeasing traitors, the extreme right under a fanatical sociopathic Vice President declares the President incompetent then imposes martial law to supposedly prevent a liberal/Islamo-terrorist coup. Of course, the liberal coup turns out to be a lie, just a subterfuge to create a narrative for martial law and a rightwing government in perpetuity. But the ends justify the means. Heh, it would probably be just as badly written as Card's book seems to be, but the plot is marginally more plausible. Regards, C I’m waiting for the book that has a fictional account of how, after setting the scene with a rash of gung-ho books and rhetoric about liberals being terror-appeasing traitors, the extreme right under a fanatical sociopathic Vice President declares the President incompetent then imposes martial law to supposedly prevent a liberal/Islamo-terrorist coup. Of course, the liberal coup turns out to be a lie, just a subterfuge to create a narrative for martial law and a rightwing government in perpetuity. But the ends justify the means.

Heh, it would probably be just as badly written as Card’s book seems to be, but the plot is marginally more plausible.

Regards, C

]]> by: Dr. Steven Taylor http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1168051 Wed, 20 Dec 2025 19:16:18 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1168051 I will say that Card is easier to read and understand than are Hardt and Negri ;) I will say that Card is easier to read and understand than are Hardt and Negri ;)

]]> by: Ratoe http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1167965 Wed, 20 Dec 2025 19:08:33 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=11222#comment-1167965 Hmm, after reading that review, I think I'll stick with Hardt and Negri's "Empire." Hmm, after reading that review, I think I’ll stick with Hardt and Negri’s “Empire.”

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