James Billington
4.0 out of 5 stars What is reason and logic? By what standard is paradise measured. March 4, 2008
By Henri Porter
By Henri Porter
Anyone who reads this and is still a bit unsure should read Yevgeny Zamyatin's book WE and Djilas' The New Class: An Analysis Of Communist System. If they are looking for the philosophical approach to the book, they should read Voegelin and any of his works that deal with the philosophical underpinning of what Billington is addressing in this fantastic work. Billington is a Rhodes Scholar. He is a visiting Professor to Harvard and Princeton. His works on Russia are definitive. This book being his best, is his dedication to Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground and Demons. It is scary and brilliant. It answers the question of the two opposing “secret” warring groups one the proponents of freewill the others proponents of the collective and or the secular super powerful state. All this and according to Billington's work, the most startling aspect, is that journalists are the very agents of this revolutionary activity. Puts a very scientism spin on things like global warming and afro-centrism.
Phi Beta Iota: If this book were written today, all but a handful of journalists and most think thanks being corrupt to the bone, the Librarian of Congress would probably identify bloggers and “truthers” as the sparks of revolutionary flame. Elevated to a Five for Phi Beta Iota readers.
