Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway Review
Dave Barry once admitted to being a libertarian in an interview for "Reason" magazine, and nowhere more than "Below The Beltway" does his libertarian cynicism shine through. The commentary is just plain brilliant, besides being side-splittingly funny. Not a single D.C. institution escapes Barry's razor --Democrat or Republican, Congress, the President, the Supreme Court, or any one of the thousands of alphabet soup agencies that nobody voted for; all are deservedly skewered with just the right blend of satire, cynicism, outright nonsense and --most distubing of all-- actual quotes and references from real Federal agency "mission statements." Barry even openly admits that most of his material is made up on the spot --he even steers us to P. J. O'Rourke's "Parliament of Whores" for anyone who wants an even mix of humour AND verifiable fact-- but every so often he'll get to a part that He Swears He Is Not Making Up. And that's when the reader really starts to see government for the out-of-control, self-aggrandizing, eternally-consuming beast that it really is. I note with some amusement that some Amazon.com reviewers are taking Mr. Barry to task for his unrelenting attack on the silliness that is the Federal government, and it is those reviews that I can only conclude are either written by big-government apologists or actual Federal employees. As Barry himself says, only in Washington, D.C. is the phrase "Federal Worker" not considered funny. This book makes the WHY all the more obvious. Bravo, Mr. Barry, and keep making fun of the government for as long as there's juice in your word processor (or until Homeland Security forcibly shuts you down, whichever comes first). I have no doubt the self-important denizens of the nation's capital will continue to provide you with a never-ending supply of fresh material.
Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway Feature
- ISBN13: 9781441856593
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Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway Overview
Understanding the urgent need for a deeply thoughtful, balanced book to explain our national political process, Dave Barry has not even come close. Though he himself has covered many campaigns, run for president several times, and run for cover at the rainy inauguration of George W. Bush (the man will spare nothing for his art), Barry has instead outdone himself.
Below the Beltway includes Barry's stirring account of how the United States was born, including his version of a properly written Declaration (When in the course of human events it behooves us, the people, not to ask "What can our country do for us, anyway?" but rather whether we have anything to fear except fear itself) and a revised Constitution (Section II: The House of Representatives shall be composed of people who own at least two dark suits and have not been indicted recently).
Dave also cracks the income-tax code and explains the growth(s) of government, congressional hearing difficulties, and the persistent rumors of the influence of capital in the Capitol. Among other civic contributions, his tour of Washington D.C. should end school class trips forever.
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Customer Reviews
The government deserves it.... - Chris Gladis - Kyoto, JAPAN
When an election year comes around, I try really hard to stay above the fray. I know that there will be rumors and speeches and policies that get everyone really riled up, and I like to think that I can remain emotionally detached and not allow things to get under my skin.
I usually last until about the Conventions, at which point the slumbering poli-sci major in my brain wakes up and grabs the controls. At that point, I start to take things WAY too seriously. I write long, link-filled diatribes about why certain candidates (who shall remain nameless, in case I ever want to recycle this review during another election year) are completely wrong, utterly bereft of any kind of legitimacy or moral standing and how the American people obviously have the intellectual capacity of zucchini if they vote for them.
It's easy to get caught up, because that's what they want. Logical, well-reasoned approaches don't go over well with the public, so they rely on the emotional heartstrings, and sometimes they get me. I turn really serious and absolutely devoted to the idea that I Am Right.
The only antidote to this is humor. It's why I love watching The Daily Show - the more seriously you take things, the more self-assured you become in the absolute rightness of your position, the more you need to be taken down a peg. You need to take a breath, take a step back and allow yourself to laugh at the process. If you don't, you end up risking becoming one of those humorless, fanatic talking heads that just drive everyone crazy.
So, if you need some laughs, and we all know we do, you could do worse than to pick up this book.
This is an original book, rather than a collection of Barry's columns, and he promises right from the outset that he would do absolutely no research whatsoever. "To do an even halfway decent book on a subject as complex as the United States government," he says, "you have to spend a lot of time in Washington, D.C. So the first thing I decided, when I was getting ready to write this book, was that it would not be even halfway decent."
He is, of course, wrong. The book is at least three-quarters decent.
The government is a great source of humor, probably going back to the very first government when a particularly strong hunter-gatherer decided that he was the one best suited to tell the tribe what to do. Barry looks at the evolution of government, back from those early caveman days up to the early days of the twenty-first century. These days, instead of a large, heftable rock to beat possible opponents over the head with, they use commercials. Otherwise, the methods haven't changed.
Barry's sense of humor relies on him being The Common Man, someone who's not really interested in the intricacies of how the government works, but is perfectly happy just sitting back and making fun of it. He has a great time re-writing the Constitution ("Article IV, section 1: There shall be a bunch of States.") and illustrating the continual growth of the U.S. Government with the use of handy free clip-art pictures.
One of the best things he does is point out the fact that no politician ever, ever actually reduces the size of government, no matter what they promise. Government gets bigger, departments get more and more complex all the time, and there's really nothing that we can do about it but try and get a laugh. So whether it's the futility of trying to call prunes "dried plums" or trying to get Congress not to buy things that the military neither wants nor needs, the people in Washington that we trust to run the country are, obviously, insane. Why we keep sending them back is beyond me.
There is, of course, a section on the 2000 election - this book was written in 2001, so there was no escaping that - and a look at it from the unique perspective of those people who screwed it up for everyone. South Florida. The book gets kind of tangential at this point, going from making fun of the US government to making fun of Miami, but he does give us some warning. And in his defense, it is both funny and, in its own way, relevant. It has been argued that Florida is the reason why we've had eight years of George W. Bush, so perhaps if we understand it better we may avoid such... unpleasantness in the future.
But I doubt it.
So, if you're looking for a good laugh and something to remind you that you can't take all this too seriously, pick up the book. It won't solve your problems, and if won't stop you from wanting to strangle everyone on the internet who disagrees with you, but at least a moment's respite is worth it.
Hilarious as always - Linda - Wichita, KS
If you love Dave Barry, you'll love this book; very, very funny look at America's political system and how it really works, or in most cases, doesn't. If you're a Dave Barry fan but not into politics don't worry, Dave can make anything funny!
Listening to the CD makes the experience twice as humorous. - Robert Schmidt - Honolulu, HI USA
Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway is funny for the Washington-themed humor. Add to this a section on the history of our government, a pinch of South Florida politics, and add the great, great narration, and you will laugh, laugh, laugh.
As Dave Barry states, if he wanted this to be a real good book on Washington politics, he'd have to spend a lot of time in Washington. So this is not going to be a really good book!
The jabs at the US Department of Agriculture (not sure whether it should be permitted to call dried plums "dried plums"), the driving habits of older Floridians, and the Clintonian escapades are all fair game to Barry. And wait till you hear the attorney arguments in the 2000 elections!
Read it and weep... from laughter!
One of Dave's best, and that's saying a lot. - James Yanni - Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo. USA
Not as funny as his "Book of Bad Songs" -- nothing could top that. Not quite as funny as "Dave Barry Turns 40", but about on a par with "Dave Barry is Not Making This Up". Definitely a book that you won't want to miss, if you enjoy Dave's irreverent style (and who doesn't?).
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