| Tom Clancy Berkley, New York 1997 Paperback $7.50 US |
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I guess Tom Clancy is one of the better known writers today. I've enjoyed several of the movies created from his works. The movies are usually well-paced action adventures that keep my attention for the duration of the film. I suppose many people feel that his books are also.
Mary bought Politika for me at a discount house for $5.62. She felt I needed something light to read after several Windows 95 MCP study guides. I guess I did but this book just didn't cut it.
The book seemed extremely slow as far as pacing was concerned. I felt like I was dragging myself from one page to the next following the trite plot and characterizations. The concept that a rich man who is the head of a major corporation knows better how the world should behave than elected officials is obscene. It reminded me of High Noon, a good film but the ideology behind it bordering of fascism.
I guess what amazes me most about this book is that corporate fascism is presented as something completely acceptable. In fact, Clancy presents it in a self-righteous, this is the way it should be manner. He presents the government and law enforcement as inept and unable to find those responsible for the atrocity that takes place at midnight December 31, 1999.
Finally, as for the game demo-CD, I didn't bother loading it up. From reading the game's description, it sounds to me as if Clancy and Red Storm Entertainment took the concept from the game Diplomacy and transposed it to a multiplayer internet environment. There's nothing really new there.
Overall, I did manage to finish the book. I usually try to finish books that I start. It was rather difficult at times to force myself back to this piece of propaganda. I guess the closest thing I can think of that would compare with this would be the film Red Dawn. Sort of like cotton candy. Nothing there of any real value and full of potential danger to those who eat it.
Unless you're looking for something that tells you that you really don't know how to protect yourself because you're not rich I don't recommend this one.