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A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America | 
| Author: Jim Webb
Publisher: Broadway
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Rating:  32 reviews
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0767928350
Dewey Decimal Number: 320.60973
EAN: 9780767928359
ASIN: 0767928350
Publication Date: May 19, 2008
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Product Description
“I’m the only person in the history of Virginia elected to statewide office with a Union card, two Purple Hearts, and three tattoos."
Jim Webb—the bestselling author and now the celebrated, outspoken U.S. Senator from Virginia—presents a clear-eyed, hard-hitting plan of attack for putting government to work for the people, rather than special interests, and for restoring the country's standing around the world.
Infused with the intelligence, force, and firebrand style that has earned Senator Jim Webb enormous national attention from his earlest days in office, A Time to Fight offers a thorough and provocative assessment of the thorniest issues Americans face today, along with cogent solutions drawn from Webb's lifetime of experience as a much-decorated Marine, a widely traveled, award-winning journalist and novelist, a highly placed member of the Reagan administration, a Senator with a son who fought as a Marine in Iraq and, perhaps most important, a proud scion of America's vast but frequently ignored working class.
Webb exposes how America has entered a dangerous, unprecedented cycle of seemingly unsolvable unknowns. Our economic policies, particularly in this age of globalization, have produced widely divergent results leading to a country calcifying along class lines. Our demographic makeup has been altered dramatically and is set to keep on changing, through both legal and illegal immigration. Our editorialists and politicians talk about the American dream, and some urge us to bring democracy to the rest of the world. But more than two million Americans are now in prison, by far the highest incarceration rate in the so-called advanced world. Our foreign policy is confused, without clear direction; increasingly vulnerable to such largely unexamined long-term threats as China's emerging power while it has become bogged down in the never-ending struggles of the Middle East. As this drift toward societal regression has taken place, America's leadership has largely been paralyzed, unable or unwilling to stop the slide. "Where are the leaders?" Webb asks. "Has our political process become so compromised by powerful interest groups and the threat of character assassination that even the best among us will not dare to speak honestly about the solutions that might bring us back to common sense and fundamental fairness?"
Through vivid personal narratives of the struggles members of his family faced, and citing the courageous actions of presidents ranging from Andrew Jackson to Teddy Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower, A Time to Fight provides specific, viable ideas for restoring fairness to our economic system, correcting the direction of national security efforts, ending America's military occupation of Iraq, and developing greater government accountability. Webb brings a fresh perspective to political dynamics that have shaped our country. His stirring, populist manifesto calls upon voters to make the choices that will change America for the better in this election season.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 Thanks: Proves That the Obamas Are Not One Of Us or Like Us August 26, 2008
Smile of Reason (Covington, LA USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The author, a former Republican, has unwittingly proved that Barack and Michelle Obama are neither like us nor one of us. The author's intent was to write a guidebook for the Democratic Party, and, perhaps, garner from the Democratic nominee an appointment as Vice President or cabinet secretary. But the Obamas have rejected his advice. Instead, the unintended consequence of his book is to prove that Barack Obama is not qualified to be president.
Are you like Barack Obama? Were your parents unmarried? Was your father a Muslim from Africa and your mother from America? Did your father abandon you when you were two years old? Did you grow up in Hawaii and Indonesia? Did your mother abandon you and send you to live with your white grandparents in Hawaii? Did your grandparents use their savings to send you to the best prep school in your state? Did you use had and soft drugs? Did an Ivy League college like Columbia admit you based on a racial quota? After graduation, did you choose to organize black voters on the south side of Chicago? Did an Ivy League law school like Harvard admit you on the basis of a racial quota? As a lawyer, did your work on cases that only benefited blacks? With Ivy League undergraduate and law degrees, did you listen to and financially support for 20 years the anti-white policies and rhetoric of a black minister? Did you associate with an urban terrorist? Did you travel to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan with Muslim friends?
Are you like Michelle Obama? Did you grow up on the south side of Chicago? Did an Ivy League college like Princeton admit you on the basis of a racial quota? Did an Ivy League law school like Harvard admit you on the basis of a racial quota? Did predominately white law firms hire and promote you on the basis of race? Having received these educational and employment privileges, did you express your hatred, disdain, and anger at American culture and values?
Barack Obama's not being one of us is further aggravated by his lack of experience to be prsident and commander-in-chief? His only experiences is as a neighborhood organizer on Chicago's south side and as a part time law lecturer, He deserves little credit for his service in the Illinois legislature and the U.S. Senate because he usually voted "present", not yea or nay of pending bills.
Michelle is also a product of the south side. Her character is tainted by an intense hatred of American values and culture.
Applying the author's theories to the Obamas, Barack is not qualified to be president and commander-in-chief, and Michelle is not qualified to be First Lady. The reason, according to the theory, is that they are not one of us or like us. They don't share our values and goals. Barack's jive talk on public policy proves that he is out of touch with America and Americans. And anyone who listened to Michelle's speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention heard her reaffirm her alien values. Even Democratic leader James Carville noted that the first night speakers did not communicate a single message to the voters. Their theme was the cult of personality surrounding Barack's candidacy. Carville should have realized that there is no message, only jive talk. I assume that that was a painful night for Senator Webb. But maybe he is a Trojan Horse in the Democratic Party. In any event, it is time to fight for America and against the Obama cult of personality.
All Americans need to read this book August 25, 2008
David Tapscott (Yuma, AZ USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Being a former Marine also and the fact that my family roots started in Virginia. Sen. Web gives a stunning account of both his personal life and a look inside the halls of Congress. His book is on target as to where we as Americans are today. And what we as a nation need to do to bring our nation back together. I salute you LT. Semper Fi
Senator Jim Webb's plan to restore America's greatness August 5, 2008
Karen Maclellan (Valrico, FL USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Senator Webb successfully makes the case for civic action to change American society from one in which there are only two classes: wealthy and poor; to one in which there is, again, a middle class that dominates and brings back ethics and hope for America to remain a nation of moral people that make achievement possible for everyone. He's hard on the GOP,the ruling party of the past ten years. He makes the case for replacing their values of greed and "trickle-down" economics with a much more socially responsible leadership.
 "A Time to Fight...Republicans" July 30, 2008
Captain Bob (Norman, OK)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
After a very compelling first chapter "Scorpions in a Jar," I thought (hoped) Mr. Webb would spend the rest of the book detailing the intricacies of influencing the "scorpions" (meaning US Senators) to get legislation passed. Unfortunately, the first chapter was a tease. The rest of the book, while interesting and informative, appeared to be Webb's detailed resume for the Secretary of Defense or Vice President position in the next Democrat administration.
After explaining his decision to run for office, his horror that his own written words would be used against him, and his general distain for the nasty politics used agianst him, he failed to mention the efforts of 527's and others who besmerched his opponent at least as badly as he. To read Senator Webb's acccount, he was the only person in Virginia's Senatorial race who had mud slung at him, which was not the case at all. But his reprise of the election process did enhance his image as a fighter, for those not familiar with his military and government service, achievements, and recognition.
As a retired military bubba (Vietnam 'era' but never served in combat there) I found a few of his chapters and ideas very interesting:
"So Who Doesn't Like Soldiers Now?" contained an excellent and first ever analysis (that I have seen written by a Democrat) explaining why the Vietnam and post Vietnam era military generally do not like Democrats or the Democrat party. Webb says polls show active military are more likely to identify themselves as Republicans 8:1 over Democrats. He clearly explains how it was that a Democrat administrations got us into Vietnam (Kennedy's), micromanaged the military and prevented victory (Johnson's), and subsequently a Democrat controlled Congress abandoned the military efforts in that war by "defunding" the conflict, all the while Democrat Anti-war activities were on-going and subsequently assigned the follow-on Republican administration and the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served in Vietnam "responsibility" for the whole Vietnam "problem."
I think he does a pretty good job of identifying the disconnect between the lack of a defined, consistent US national strategy and congruent civil political and military activity. What he does not do is investigate why that is the case. Perhaps that has something to do with what gets politicians elected (remember the phrase: "...it's the economy stupid?") Few presidents are willing to bet their Presidency on funding and executing a coherent national strategy when lack of attention to entitlement programs, the housing market, and the economy at home are the issues that will guarantee reelection. (This goes for Senators too by the way. Please note only 13 Republican Senators voted against the Fannie May & Freddie Mac "bail out." All Democrat Senators that voted (including Webb) voted for that multi-billion dollar government largess that tax paying, seniors/baby boomers/Gen X &Y'ers, our children, and our children's children will be paying for a long, long, long time. Webb voted for this abomination of a bill despite decrying the influence of the Chinese as major owners of US debt. Apparently, staying in line with his Democrat cohorts for a "party line vote" was more important to Mr. Webb than the implications of extending our line of credit with the Chinese.)
He also provides a very logical and believable historical overview of US involvement in the Middle East (at least since the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut) that outlines valid concerns for US forces that should have been more heavily weighted by "Dubya's" advisers before initiating the war to remove Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
In "MacArthur Go Home" his analysis of the politics of Civilian Executive Leadership removing responsibility for making battle space strategic and tactical decisions from the battle field commanders starting with Truman firing MacArthur is a perceptive if not new observation. He alleges that Bush 43's and Rumsfeld's continued and refined the mismanagement of military leaders by ignoring of recommendations by both experienced active duty and retired (Shinseki and Zinny) general officers further emasculating military leadership as simply "tools" of elected and appointed politicians - not makers of policy or even controllers of national/battle space campaign strategy. Fortunately he also described Truman administration State Department's blunders that may and probably were key factors in North Korea's decision to invade South Korea which thus required military intervention. In other words what happened under the Bush 41 and 43 administrations in the Middle East is not new to this country.
He could have cited similar instances of politically motivated Executive Branch management/manipulation/mismanagement of the use of military force in the Clinton Administration. US involvement in Bosnia and Somalia are two excellent examples, but Webb chose to take aim at only George W. Bush who many readers will know and Truman who many readers will not be as familiar with. There are also legion examples of the contempt and disrespect shown to active duty military by the Clinton White House. However, those are not mentioned in this book, but as a fomer Marine, Congressional Staffer, Republican adminstration official, and Washington insider/correspondent I am sure Webb is very aware of them.
If Senator Webb truly desires to 'Reclaim a Fair and Just America,' I suggest he provide some pro bono legal services on behalf of Airman Apprentice Steven Nary.
Despite numerous oversights, selective examples of what some have called the "politics of personal destruction," and some whining, I enjoyed Senator Webb's book, but perhaps he should have titled his book: "A Time To Fight...Republicans."
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