[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Line of Fire Productions
Formats: Trade Paperback, eBook
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | iBooks[/alert]
This is a delightful little book: If you’re a Libertarian or a masochist. It features a mash-up of styles including, but not limited to: satire, ridicule, polemics, action and romantic comedy. Does it work?
First of all, there is not one sympathetic character in the whole story. They’re impossible to even like, let alone cheer on. There’s the hero, Samson, the femme fatale, Delilah (yes, the pairing is deliberate) the minor villain, Phil S. Stein, the arch villain, Darth Nader and various incidental personas.
The story starts by establishing Samson as an unscrupulous used car dealer and tax cheat. After infiltration by the IRS in the person of Delilah, He is confronted by agent Elliot Mess who extorts a bribe, excepts same and then reneges and thus wins the first round, 400 thousand dollars richer. After His arrest, Samson escapes, is pursued across the country winding up on a tropical island He has purchased with seventeen billion dollars hacked from the IRS computers. He claims sovereignty and uses the leverage to thwart a grand plan for the IRS commissioner, Darth Nader, to gain word domination. So He’s a hero, kind of.
The fictional portion on the book is handled in an offhand, tongue-in-cheek manner and, in a way is subordinate to the real aim of the book: Demonizing the IRS and the whole idea of the income tax. Interspersed with the story are historically and factually based “musings” which extol the virtues from a libertarian viewpoint. It’s true the income tax was authorized by the sixteenth amendment passed in 1913. All after is opinion.
It seems like Mr. Greenfield had a bit of fun writing this. As I’m of the opposite polarity, I didn’t have quite as much fun reading it, but if You lean that way, You might like it fine.
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Norman West, thanks for reviewing my book. Although you clearly don’t agree with my philosophy, as you explicitly state, your review was pretty fair, all things considered (probably your favorite radio show) and much of what you said about the book is accurate. One point I don’t agree with, however, is your statement that there are no sympathetic characters. I think Sam Samson is very sympathetic as he finds the strength to fight back against his oppressors, and ultimately does what’s best for the country at great personal risk. When Delilah is properly understood as the story unfolds, she also becomes a sympathetic character. The other point you make that I take issue with is that the only fact in the book is about the 13th amendment. The book, although a work of fiction, is laced full with real world events and current and historical facts, either woven into the story or referred to in the commentary. You sound like a pretty smart guy and if you’re interested I’d love to talk to you some time. BTW, I’m not a libertarian although admittedly, like libertarians, I believe freedom is the most important value in all public policy discourse. . If you’d like to talk some time you can email me at [email protected]. Again, thanks for the review. Jim Greenfield. http://www.taxmancometh.net