Beckerman's point is that following true believers can lead to truly inane and asinine positions and laws, moving us from a democracy into the titular dumbocracy. He contends we are better off finding and following a rational middle ground and that while the vocal extreme tends to dominate political discourse, they do not represent what most of us think and believe.
Just as war is graphically brutal, some may take offense at some of Beckerman's humor. It is often explicit and can border on raunchy. At times it moves the book from satirical to bawdy, perhaps undercutting the points he's making. Yet it is part and parcel of the overall tone and the book's take on the U.S. becoming "Prohibition Nation."
Dumbocracy also suffers from a feeling that the three sections into which it is divided are parts of three different books (although the acknowledgments suggest why). The first section is aimed at outlining and attacking the unreasonableness of those who seem to see the world and current political hot buttons in black and white terms. The second examines what Beckerman considers the puritanism of American culture. In assessing national debates on pornography, marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes and fast food, Dumbocracy displays a palpable Libertarian bent. Finally, although the title refers to "American Idiots," the third section is largely devoted to Beckerman's travels in Israel during and after a July 2007 "Global Summit for Young Jewish Innovators." In fact, throughout the book Beckerman cites laws and events in other countries to illustrate how extremist positions impact reason.
Dumbocracy may not place Beckerman in the upper tier of today's political satirists but he certainly is another trenchant voice for the politically disaffected.
Article comments