Review by dhenry9092 -- Common Sense and Reasonable Answers

[dhenry9092]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Common Sense and Reasonable Answers" by Warren William Luce.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Common Sense and Reasonable Answers by Warren William Luce is an exemplary book addressing many of the issues we confront today, from national defense to personal wellness. Luce divides the book into twenty chapters, each one addressing one of these issues in depth with analytical thoughtfulness, but in a manner easily understood by the average person. Luce provides a well-researched introduction of the individual, societal, or national problem followed by a cogent list of thoughtful solutions. The book is exceptionally well edited and free of any spelling or grammatical errors.


Although Common Sense and Reasonable Answers addresses all levels of problems confronting 21st century America, it emphasizes issues involving our national government and ideas for fixing these self-imposed problems. The first half of the book addresses such national problems as war, terrorism, health care, the economy, and even the postal system. Having been a senior leader in the United States Army for over two decades, I can attest that Luce’s arguments regarding our national security, terrorism, and our Middle East strategies are extremely credible. For example, Luce identifies the trends within American military strategy beginning with World War II, in which he served as the member of a bomber crew, all the way to the current war in the Middle East.


Luce identifies how the American political and military leadership complicates simple problems either through subterfuge or poor conceptual understanding. For example, Luce correctly identifies the American signaling, intentional or otherwise, which gave Saddam Hussein the green light to invade Kuwait subsequently leading to an enlarged western presence on the Saudi peninsula and eventually the attacks on America in 2001. Related to this, Luce argues that American military strategy becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy by inciting the very terrorism we seek to combat and destroy. Luce identifies unfortunate parallels between the attrition warfare involving drone warfare of today with the unrestricted bombing runs of America and the allies during World War II. As proof that many of these national security missteps are the result of intentional malfeasance, Luce cites the admonitions and concerns of another military leader Dwight Eisenhower, who, becoming president, warned against the conspiratorial alliance between defense contractors and the military leadership which may be shaping much of our wrong-headed defense policy decisions today.


Luce goes far beyond merely addressing national security, however, and addresses a whole host of national problems that also have rather simple solutions. For example, Luce addresses the problems of border security addressing the futility of building a wall and arguing for the expansion of E-Verify, a program that has already proven worthwhile in combating illegal immigration. Luce also identifies problems that other writers might shy away from because of their controversial nature such as political treason, social security, and even religion. Although the reader may not always share Luce’s point of view, anyone reading this book will appreciate his candor and straight forward suggestions.


Luce takes on many of the sacred cows of the American establishment and has no reservations about thinking outside the box. However, in some cases, Luce’s prescriptions for fixing national problems are unrealistic. Luce’s prescription for ending the current 18-year-old war in the Middle East by unilateral declaring an end to hostilities is unlikely to end the conflict. The myriad number of issues, such as Israeli policies, religious beliefs, and other state actors in the region, makes the issue much more complex than Luce suggests. Related to this, Luce’s recommendation to merely bring the troops home from areas such as Europe and Asia is myopic. Although such isolationist ideas play well on the surface, the unintended consequences of such actions may lead to reckless security vacuums in these regions and throughout the world.


Although Luce accurately identifies the nearsighted and poorly managed efforts in national security, economic planning, immigration and other issues we confront as a nation, Luce also explains the connection between the natural world’s turbulence we see today and the state of our own individual being. Arguing that all things are interconnected, Luce sees the wellness of the planet directly affected by the frenetic culture of the 21st century. Luce advocates slowing our pace and taking time to personally meditate as a way forward to ease the disequilibrium manifesting in our weather, society, and politics.


I strongly recommend that every person pick up a copy of this book to read and debate the ideas that Luce presents. Although you may not agree with his recommendations, it provides an important starting point for a national dialogue on serious problems that may unravel our social fabric. For this reason, I am rating the book 4 out of 4 stars. No matter what your background or experience, we share the problems identified in this book. We have a collective responsibility to come up with the solutions. This book is an excellent start to beginning this process.

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Common Sense and Reasonable Answers
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[LeDiplomatique]

This is a great review. very informed!