Ogre’s Politics and Views

The Natural Family: a manifesto, by Allan C. Carloson and Paul T. Mero (256 pgs). Spence Publishing Company, Dallas, 2007.

First, to qualify the title and “Manifesto” (from the book’s introduction):

A manifesto is a coherent expression of a social, political, and cultural platform. A proper manifesto includes an account of history, a statement of principles, and a program of action. The classic manifesto is also universal; that is, it aspires to speak to the whole human experience, to all peoples, not just to a small community.

Let me be the first to say this is a “proper” and “classic” manifesto. This book, while only 256 pages long, is a monster. It’s absolutely jam-packed with great stuff. Sure, it’s somewhat political, but not in the typical way. It doesn’t look for government solutions or political solutions to problems — instead it outlines exactly what SHOULD be. At the same time, it doesn’t take the high road and preach to the reader. It just tells you the way it really is.

Read this statement:

And yet, the natural family — part of the created order, imprinted on our natures, the source of bountiful joy, the foundation of new life, the bulwark of ordered liberty — stands reviled and threatened in the early twenty-first century.

This book is good. REALLY good. So good, in fact, that it’s going to appear here in the weekly book review again in the future. I’d like to just quote the whole book here for you, but then you won’t go buy it, will you? (Disclaimer: I receive no renumeration for this review in any way, shape, or form. The publishers were kind enough to provide me a review copy, but that’s it).

I have already read and re-read many sections of this book. There’s a few small place where I disagree — because part of the manifest proposes solutions to the crisis of the disappearing natural family. When they are common sense solutions, I always agree. But when they are government solutions, I hesitate a great deal. I cannot decide, personally, if the state really has a vested interest in the family enough to warrant taking away freedoms to support the family.

The book lists out various ideas and has a long list of principles. For example, the very first principle is a tough one — it’s one that simply does not exist any more today in most of the country:

We affirm that the natural family, not the individual, is the fundamental unit of society.

Try and sell that one on Wall Street or Madison Avenue.

This book is not just good, it’s great. If you like reading about deep subjects, if you want to see true solutions, and perhaps if you like to root for the underdog, this book is for you. I wish everyone in the country could read this book — it could be as powerful as Atlas Shrugged. You can get more information about this book online, and you can even get your own free copy there!

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