Plunder and Deceit: Big Government's Exploitation of Young People and the Future

by Mark R. Levin

In each of his astounding #1 New York Times bestsellers, Mark R. Levin’s overlying patriotic mission has been to avert a devastating tragedy: The loss of the greatest republic known to mankind. But who stands to lose the most?

In modern America, the civil society is being steadily devoured by a ubiquitous federal government. But as the government grows into an increasingly authoritarian and centralized federal Leviathan, many parents continue to tolerate, if not enthusiastically champion, grievous public policies that threaten their children and successive generations with a grim future at the hands of a brazenly expanding and imploding entitlement state poised to burden them with massive debt, mediocre education, waves of immigration, and a deteriorating national defense.

Yet tyranny is not inevitable. In Federalist 51, James Madison explained with cautionary insight the essential balance between the civil society and governmental restraint: “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”

This essential new book is, against all odds, a likeminded appeal to reason and audacity—one intended for all Americans but particularly the rising generation. Younger people must find the personal strength and will to break through the cycle of statist manipulation, unrelenting emotional overtures, and the pressure of groupthink, which are humbling, dispiriting, and absorbing them; to stand up against the heavy hand of centralized government, which if left unabated will assuredly condemn them to economic and societal calamity.

Levin calls for a new civil rights movement, one that will foster liberty and prosperity and cease the exploitation of young people by statist masterminds. He challenges the rising generation of younger Americans to awaken to the cause of their own salvation, asking: will you acquiesce to a government that overwhelmingly acts without constitutional foundation—or will you stand in your own defense so that yours and future generations can live in freedom?

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Economics, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Mark Levin has become one of the hottest properties in Talk radio, his top-rated show on WABC New York is now syndicated nationally by Cumulus Media. He is also one of the top new authors in the conservative political arena. Mark's radio show on WABC in New York City skyrocketed to Number 1 on the AM dial in his first 18 months on the air in the competitive 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM time slot. Mark's book Men in Black was released February 7, 2005 and quickly climbed to Number 3 in the nation on the New York Times Best-Seller list. When your book is endorsed by Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, you know you have a winner on your hands. In a short period of time, Mark has become one of the most listened to local radio Talk show hosts in the nation.

Mark Levin took over the WABC 6:00 PM slot on September 2, 2003. Before that, he hosted a popular Sunday afternoon program. "He's smart, witty, and fast on the draw," according to WABC Program Director Phil Boyce. "He has this sharp sarcastic wit that can easily stun his opponents. I know I would not want to debate him." Mark's show follows the ever popular Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on WABC, but everyday he manages to come up with a new twist on the day's top news events, as well as his own unique information. His passion and intellect have made him a favorite of tens of thousands of radio listeners in the New York City area.

Mark has been a frequent guest and substitute host on The Sean Hannity Show, and has also been an advisor to Limbaugh, who frequently refers to him on the air with the nickname "F. Lee Levin." He is perhaps more well-known for his nickname, "The Great One," coined by his friend Hannity.

Mark Levin is one of America's preeminent conservative commentators and constitutional lawyers. He's in great demand as a political and legal commentator, and has appeared on hundreds of television and radio programs. Levin is also a contributing editor for National Review Online, and writes frequently for other publications. Levin has served as a top advisor to several members of President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet - including as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of the United States. In 2001, the American Conservative Union named Levin the recipient of the prestigious Ronald Reagan Award. He currently practices law in the private sector, heading up the prestigious Landmark Legal Foundation in Washington DC.

Source: http://marklevinshow.com/article.asp?...

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Mark Levin's radio show and have enjoyed his previous books. Not that I did not enjoy Plunder & Deceit, but when Levin started pumping up this book he stated he wrote this for the younger generations, high schoolers, college kids, and parents of younger children. Hearing that, I had assumed he would make his writing more accessible. Instead, this book is another dry, scholarly tome filled with passages from Bastiat and Tocqeville, along with Levin's own scholarly style that will have many people in the target audience giving up at Chapter 1.

There are also statistics. Loads of statistics. Someone should advise Mr. Levin that it is possible to create a chart these days, which could replace a page full of boring statistics, but that would probably cut the book down to about 100 pages.

If the purpose of this book is to show younger Americans how the progressive agenda is stealing from the rising and future generations, it is missing the mark. It should be written more to the level of the target audience, those who have been fully indoctrinated in the progressive agenda, students coming out of our public high schools and the parents of those students, who may not have had the benefit of a college education.

[Douglas Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark's case and prescription for untangling the tyranny that Obama has unleashed on each and every one of We The People!

Mark has written a scholarly warning to the young people, current ruling generation and those not yet born. He breaks down each way the government has been stealing the wealth from our progeny for years. He does this in a clearly easy to digest way in which every American citizen should read and heed his warning. Then he prescribes the way in which all of us needs to talk to our friends and family and make them aware of the plunder and what we need to do to bring us back to a constitutional republic.
This book is a wonderful follow up to his ,"Liberty Amendments" and how Mark describes how the States can use Article5 in the constitution to call a constitutional convention of the States to amend our constitution in order to take control of this leviathan we call government.

[Tommy Grooms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plunder and Deceit is lean and mean, gifting us yet again with Mark Levin's usual prescription of sober analysis and tight prose. Levin appeals to the "rising generation" (and those who purport to care for them) to reverse unsustainable growth of both the size of government and its scope of operation. He lays out how we've lost touch with the civil society and its concern for posterity, convincing ourselves that we're among the most passionate and progressive as we inadvertently cheer on the nation's demise.

Levin targets young people without blaming them, highlighting their inculcation by progressive pandering that preys on their inexperience and idealism. He calls for a New Civil Rights movement, predicated on the constitutional principles of liberty, led by the rising generation who need to rally for their own self-preservation. Yet another must-read.

[Shane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thoughts.

1. Simply, a whiny millionaire complains about the U.S. political setup.
2. Virtually no solutions to the issues he brings up.
3. Intersperses fact with opinion to give the impression that he knows what he's talking about.
4. Author has found an easy way to make money by shoveling this shit to his audience.
5. Good addition to the recycling bin.

Thank you for your time.

[Jack Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Levin does not write for Eighth-graders; he explains with expert logic the politics and history of our great nation in cogent, concise sentences filled with a vocabulary that explains so much in a word. The reader must pay attention to pick up his astute comprehension of the subject matter in Plunder and Deceit.

This book targets the arising generation but directs all who enjoy this number one best-seller to appreciate the huge tasks and hurdles already in place for this generation as a result of greed and intentional misguidance in leadership and teaching by many Progressive professors in colleges and Universities. For example, a study of college students who begin their studies in 1980 have a worldview that Americans are responsible for so much of the strife in the world today. This present administration reflects this in its domestic and foreign policies.

This book turns to Conservative solutions and backs up its claims citing the success of administrations such as Ronald Reagan's. It also points to Ayn Rand's Return of the Primitive: The Anti-industrial Revolution which says Collectivism, which restricts an individual's mind, promises universal abundance while denouncing Capitalism, which, they say, leads to poverty. Now, when Capitalism causes abundance and people feel comfortable and secure, Collectivism denounces people for being comfortable and secure.

Part of the problem is an indifferent population that prefers to leave politics to the poly-sci majors. Such people reap the rewards of the politician they complain about but feel powerless to evoke change. They discover Progressives plunder their hard earned money to redistribute it in the name of equality, even though such a system has only led to massive poverty, inequality, despair, and oppression.

Levin accuses the Obama administration of promoting the "Degrowth" movement which deceives. This movement uses alarmist claims to scare the population into believing the government must come to their rescue to save the world. For example, Man-made global cooling, man-made global warming, and now, man-made climate change all have the same solution; which is, control peoples lives with regulations, increase taxation, and more restrictions for industries including control of new technology. The result is less freedom and liberty and more tyrannical power for a centralized government. This describes the very situation our forefathers revolted against in the first place. Mark Levin also suggests that with such a stranglehold on America's freedom and liberty, the unemployment rate and the number of dependents on social welfare programs explode.

This book also reveals the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) deceives consistent with the "Degrowth" movement. Each one of the EPA's major regulations cause increase taxation of growth and production. This has an annual effect costing greater than $100 million, a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, and a significant adverse effect on competition, employment, and investment. This self-imposed adversity on America's economy and growth is the result of just one major regulation. There are 65 major regulations written for many industries; such as, Energy, Automotive, and Farming. The EPA also cripples use of affordable carbon based sources of energy making us dependent on foreign sources for energy.

Mark Levin concludes Plunder and Deceit with hope; a biblical worldview to infiltrate society's politics, entertainment, and culture to change and save the Republic. He believes a peaceful rebellion can displace the tyranny that accuses Americans as being terrorists for disagreeing with the powers that be. The people are the sovereign power in a Republic, the greatest form of government demonstrated by America when it operates with a Judeo-Christian compass.

The rising generation must become the strongest leading activists America has seen since its inception to restore its heritage. They must be ready to meet adversity, frustration, and the threat of jail and even death; but before an all-out physical revolution, there is a Convention of States, a peaceful way to approach the fight.

This reader loves the quote Mark uses in his epilogue of Plunder and Deceit from Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) in his book, The Law, "Liberty is an acknowledgement of faith in God and his works."

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

My conservative friend and I agreed to read a book from the other person's political viewpoint and this is what he chose for me. Here is my response to him about it:

It’s bad and here are 9 reasons why:
1. Way too many stats, Some chapters seemed to be entirely stats interspersed with a few quotes. Use a chart, save some trees. Oh wait, he hates the environment. Surprised the book is not 500 pages to waste more trees.

2. No solutions to these issues are offered. It literally feels like Talking Points: The Book.

3. There is no argument showing that his view is better, it’s just if you don’t agree with him you are wrong.

4. I don’t think there was a chapter in the book where he did not reference one of his other books, it feels scummy like “Go buy this book to get the full story and put more money in my pocket.” There are ways to do this that come across better than he does.

5. Comparing US to less developed countries for healthcare. Don’t use Bangladesh and Laos as examples, pick other advanced industrial countries such as Japan, UK, Germany, France, etc. Of course then his argument goes out the window. Noriko and I even joke that it may be cheaper for me to take a semester off of teaching face to face and we go to Japan for her to have our baby.

6. Stop with the page long quotes. The Constitution chapter was the worst. 1/2 the chapter was page long quotes, 1/4 was paragraph long quotes, leaving just 1/4 for him to actually say anything.

7. The climate change chapter was entirely bemoaning the loss of 160k coal worker jobs. How about we take them and train them in sustainable energy industries. All of the sudden we have the manpower to change the way we produce energy.

8. In the climate change chapter again, there was no discussion of what happens when the sea level rises 20 feet and South Florida, most of the East coast, New Orleans, Boston and parts of Los Angeles are flooded and people are displaced and economic activities are disrupted(I have the maps showing what will happen in the next 85 years, want to see them?)

9. In the national security chapter he talks about the threats to the US but never mentions that the US military costs more than the next 8 countries combined. Clearly, there is some bloat there we can remove without threatening national security? Maybe we can start with one of our 11 aircraft carriers as well as the 2 new ones we are building (outside of the US, there are only 11 others in existence. Our “threats” own 2 total carriers, our allies own 4)

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I may not necessarily agree with everything Mark Levin writes in this book, it is quite eye opening as a younger person, in which I am the intended audience, to read the facts about how the government is taking advantage of us. Levin backs up his opinions with credited facts and the numbers are startling. Each chapter takes on a issue - minimum wage, education, immigration, national security, etc and then talks about how corrupt the future is going to be, especially for the millennial generation. I think it's an important book for 16-25 year olds to read. After finishing this book, I want to move out of the country.

[Dean Peake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Levin has written a very clear, yet eloquently worded state of the union and how it will and already has affected the nations young. This country is in dire straights, as pointed out by Mark in worrisome, even shocking descriptions that are hard to argue against. From Social security, immigration and even terrorism to the absolute and deliberate flouting of the U.S. Constitution.

[Daniel Duval · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can be said. It's Mark Levin, the only man who really truly gets it.

[Lori · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dad made me read it...not a fan of Mark Levin. Lots of doomsday talk and explaining how everything is awful and must change, but no offerings how how to actually get there.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a lot of books out there that attempt to dissect the political and social problems America currently faces and offer solutions to those problems. Some are articulate, balanced, and reasonable while others are nothing but partisan drivel masquerading as more politically and/or intellectually honest than the authors opponents, who are often described in derogatory "Us vs. Them" terms. This book is the latter with just enough of the former to keep it from being completely worthless. It's not that the writing is bad or that some of the problems Mr. Levin points out aren't issues. Indeed, Mr. Levin is quite articulate and has a good command of facts and figures. It's that his premise is totally flawed and completely disingenuous to the people he supposedly wants to help so much.

The main thrust of Mr. Levin's book is that Big Government, the ever present boogeyman of Conservative politics, controlled by Statists (code for Progressives and Liberals) has systematically deceived the younger generations while robbing them of future benefits and freedoms. While this is standard fare for Conservative talking heads, Mr. Levin takes this argument to an all new low when he says, "As a general and logical matter, younger people's dearth of life experiences and their quixotic idealism make them especially vulnerable to simplistic appeals and emotional manipulation for utopia's grandiosity and social causes..." (p. 13). Now, being a young man myself and having an above average amount of education and life experiences for someone my age, the only thing that could have been more insulting to me is if he had broken into my house, slapped me in the face, and left a flaming bag of his own feces on my front porch. Do you really think, Mr. Levin, that young people of voting age are incapable of coming to their own conclusions about the proper role of government in our lives or are you just upset that most of us don't agree with your far-right views? Either way, Mr. Levin, I have only one thing to say to you : "GO F%^K YOURSELF!!!"

Assuming you can get past that unbearable bit of derogatory ad hominem attack, one will find that Mr. Levin does have a decent command of a lot of facts and figures. Some of his figures are even a little disconcerting. His chapter on the federal debt is troubling and will have to be addressed eventually. And his suggestion about tying teacher tenure to classroom achievement have been gaining traction in public debates. However, he never engages with the other side's arguments except to deride them and dismiss them out of hand entirely. His chapter on education is a good example. He correctly points to troubling indicators of America's failing public schools, but his suggestion of tying teacher tenure to classroom performance would cause way more problems than it would solve and is, ultimately unworkable. In his chapter on Social Security, he does point to some long term problems in the program that have been bothering budget hawks since the second season of The West Wing at least, but his suggestion of allowing young people to opt out of Social Security in favor of private investment accounts is not modest or meaningful, as he describes it. Instead, it would destroy the program completely and leave younger generations' benefits at the mercy of an unforgiving market where just one bad day, like the 2008 Financial Crisis, can wipe out everything.

More of his chapters though, are just dead wrong. His chapter on the environment is a good example of this. In here, he points to a fringe left-wing group of environmentalists that wants to dramatically alter the economy towards massive, draconian redistributions away from the rich and traditional sources of energy and lumps them together with more reasonable and responsible conservationists as though we want the same things. Furthermore, he backs up this bizarre identification problem with junk science about how greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are not harmful at all. Well, Mr. Levin, considering that you only have a juris doctorate and that over 98% of the scientific community is in agreement that Global Warming is real, has terrible future consequences for the planet, and is caused by excess greenhouse gases caused by human activities, particularly since the advent of the Industrial Revolution, I'm going to have to side with the guys who actually study this thing for a living.

In short, while Mr. Levin has clearly done some research and a few issues he brings up do need to be addressed, most of this book is far-right drivel that is dishonest and hostile to the very young people he claims to want to protect. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

[Matthew Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Statists Try Dominating every Facet Of American Life depending On The Young Generation Deciding What Medication We should Take Force feeding Us Unrestrained Pessimistic Obnoxious Liberal Doctrine Teaching Us we are The Bad Guys who need reform And Making It only Vital That They achieve This Goal and use every tactic Under the sun as a means to reinforce that idea and at the same moment denying us our constitutional freedoms the framers had originally set forth for us As Well as Our God Given Birthright To Spread The gospel message While "Good Intentionally" Being Our Most Active Supporters and defenders. I know This as a 37 year old Young Man Of faith who has Learned to advocate Self Willingly For His faith And freedom concerning Special Needs and challenges I have always lived with and proud to give an earful to any ignorant citizen who will deny me that privelige whether he works for the Green Anti - Opportunity Movement Or Medicare and Its fraudulent Attempts To Dictate Where I live placing every rule and restriction focus and behaviorwise on my performance and role as a free Citizen Of The United states!!! at 37 years Of age This Is My First experience at true Freedom outside of the Statist Movement Which Includes My Mom and Dad Both Mental Health Care Option Advocates Who Dont read Backgrounds very well and have risked My future Dreams Unknowingly and Blindly As willingly. Most Parents and Government Entertainment Media etc need to read into our Needs instead Of forcing Their Needs For Us and use caution As To Who gets elected int leadership position. Gods Greatest Lesson To our Parents Age Peer Group since Placing Obama and his tyrannical Markist regime Of Fundamental Transformation Of classical American values principals and concerns written in our constitution and founding models for self governing ourselves and our freedoms as rigts of american brotherhood was To Watch Before You Speak And Know What To Say and Know When And How to say It First and foremost as responsible adults raising Kids All throughout The Reagan Clinton and Bush Administrations If Theres One failing Bush Had was on signing the medicare Bill. Leave It at That another Law that we need to implent On Immigration and road Laws Are No Immigrant Who cant spell or read English should own a drivers Licsence or own a car. And Heavy curfew For Our Seniors And whatever Irresponsible age late at night and during the Day Also Downsising The Noise pollution in our subdivisions and inner cities Heavy emphasis On Core second Amendment values Housing For All And A stronger millitary and defense Structure!!! Lets Get America Back To Greatness Cut Out The disease of Endless Debt Fraud waste and abuse and Send The Power and The Glory to send the purveyors of plunder and deceit back to hell as We run For Our Lives to Freedom And economic And Financial Growth and Free markets In Healthcare Planning And strategising Where We The People Decide Healthcare NOT Statist Moms and Dads and Criminal Tyrannical Imposing Governments Hating Liberty And Supporting Tyranny!!! Enough Is Enough!!!!

[Bryn D · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Men in Black" Mark Levin explored the history of the Supreme Court and judicial activism, in "Liberty and Tyranny" he wrote THE definitive book on Conservatism, in "Ameritopia" he explored the historical yet ruinous appeal of Utopian ideology, and in "The Liberty Amendments" he made the argument to advance liberty through the Constitutional process by providing clear and articulate suggestions of Constitutional amendments that would reverse the dangerous direction our nation is heading. Now in "Plunder and Deceit" Mark Levin addresses our generation and the rising generation with example after example regarding the major issues of the day, of the dangers ahead and the consequences of inaction and passivity.

First the Good: Mark Levin, as in his other books, makes an articulate and readable case that exposes the forces against liberty citing historical figures and precedents. This book revolves around the most pressing issues of today, exposing historical trends and long term outlooks if left unaddressed with the aide of citations and official statistics. Unlike the informal approach of other authors, this feels like a legal brief against the powers that be and the many self appointed masterminds and bureaucrats.

Now the Bad: This is probably the weakest and least unique book written by Levin. In the end, in my opinion, it felt like and resembles a lot of other political commentary books in the market today, albeit more articulate and professional. This book's relevance should last beyond the next election cycle, but when it comes down to it, it is like any other book written by contemporary personalities of today attacking the Left and the issues they advance.

In conclusion, I've read all of Mark Levin's books, listen to the previous night's show via audio rewind at work every morning and he is still the best voice of Conservatism today. "Liberty and Tyranny" is excellent and will be THE book about what it means to be a Conservative. Unfortunately, despite the articulate arguments and the "call to arms" of the rising generation, to "the member of choir" like me it was a let down. If you can get this book into the hands of younger people, who take the time to actually read a book, and are motivated to educate themselves then I would strongly encourage you to do so.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! Mark Levine's latest work is a masterpiece. It is excellently organized and beautifully produced. His writing style is thoughtful. The various subjects he addresses are thoroughly researched and his statements well thought out. It would be great to see each American read this book and honestly consider the truths contained in it. Young people especially should thoughtfully read and consider the things stated in each chapter. Every voter no matter their age, ethnicity, educational background, or economic status should read this book and then discuss it with friends, family, and fellow Americans.

[Jaime Menegus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh this book is so frustrating. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as I read the first 4 chapters of him shitting on everything. I was like "damn, he better have a hell of a social reform plan at the end to deal with all the smack he's talking!" But after the 4th chapter, I couldn't give him the benefit of the doubt any more. I skipped to the last chapter, and lo and behold, some broad platitudes about rising up and throwing off tyranny but nothing specific to address any of his complaints, or talk about how we as a society deal with the elderly, the poor, the disabled, without these "entitlement" systems.

[Dave Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

READ THIS BOOK! READ THIS BOOK! READ THIS BOOK! Levin at his best. All Americans read this book before it is to late. Once again Levin "The Great One" is here to educate us. To sound the alarm like Paul Revere. Read this for yourself, for your kids, for your grandkids!

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Levin is a genius! This book is very factual. I encourage everyone to read it, whether you like Mark Levin or not.

[Keith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of this book is fairly factual and the author points out many problems. Every chapter except the foreign policy chapter do a good job of at least presenting numbers to make a point along a few standard statements on each subject. The author doesn't really dive into any philosophy or logical reasoning to help make his points though. This makes the book pretty worthless in the hands of a standard socialist or democrat. I just don't see any of them reading statistical facts and coming to an understanding that they've been wrong. They need to be shown a way to walk through the logic and work through philosophical discussion which takes a lot more time.
The author raves against statists for most of the book and I agree with his accusations against them. He shows the boondoggle big government has created by meddling in so many things. But then something odd happens when you reach the foreign policy chapter and he no longer uses the word 'statist'. Strange. But then you realize this is because he is now an extreme statist. In this chapter Levin is now worshipping at the alter of government, and he now resorts to false stories, putting the cart before the horse, and standard lies told by military contractors and politicians. So don't trust government to hand out subsidies or push people into college, but do trust them with weapons, and lots of them! Trust them to police the world and tell other countries how to live their lives and while robbing Americans isn't so good, robbing foreigners is great. This is what makes this entire book worthless. If the author can't be consistent and can't remain factual then why waste your time? He's convinced of the same fallacies that have been repeated for years, such as Iran getting a Nuclear weapon. And he chooses to ignore reality such as Iran not actually having a nuclear weapon, having more inspectors than any other country in the world, having never purified Uranium to weapons grade, etc. But to point out these facts I've just said will send some people into a tailspin, because many choose to believe a fairy tale based on fear rather than to actually check on the real world they live in. He also calls Russia fascist, which is hilarious seeing how Russia prides itself with defeating fascism. But just ignore the facts, that's what the author wants. Ignore history. Ignore human behavior. Ignore property rights.
This goes to show the author had a narrative he wanted to tell before he wrote the book. No one can be so foolish as to independently believe supporting a dictatorship like Saudi Arabia, and apartheid like Israel can be a good idea unless they've first been brainwashed to represent a false narrative. His bloodlust is so strong that even though he spent most of the book pointing out the debt problem, which is enormous, he's willing to tell us to rack up even more debt as long as we do so killing people all around the globe. This foolish thinking that ignores cause and effect puts our country at greater risk by giving terrorist groups even more fuel for recruitment.
I can't recommend this book because most of it will just preaching to the choir for the standard Republican and won't change a Democrat's point of view, along with the foreign policy chapter being the standard military contractor's PR release. I see this author as a coward that clearly should realize he's being a hypocrite but has too much skin in the narrative he's being paid to tell.

[Mama K · Rating 3 out of 5]

important information contained within, but the writing itself will not be accessible to the general public, which is who really needs to hear it! EVen I, college educated with three degrees, had some problems wading through the verbosity. information this important needs to be accessible to as many people as possible.

[Captain Curmudgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Anomalies can be difficult to unravel; however, a few observations are merited. As a general and logical matter, younger people's dearth of life experiences and their quixotic idealism make them especially vulnerable to simplistic appeals and emotional manipulation for utopia's grandiosity and social causes, which are proclaimed achievable only through top-down governmental designs and social engineering and, concurrently, the detachment from and deconstruction of societal traditions, customs, and values, for which they have little or modest conception and investment. Consequently, while in the main and abstractly the rising generation may be distrustful of authority and people, younger people are also especially susceptible to seduction by demagogic politicians, propagandizing academics, charismatic cultural idols, and other authority and popular figures propounding splendid notions of aggressive government activism for and through such corresponding militant causes as "social justice," "environmental justice," "income equality," and other corollaries of radical egalitarianism."

"On February 25, 2015, Boston University professor of economics Dr. Laurence J. Kotlikoff testified before the Senate Budget Committee about "America's fiscal insolvency and its generational consequences," He flatly stated that "Our country is broke. It's not broke in 75 years or 50 years or 25 years or 10 years. It's broke today. Indeed, it may well be in worse fiscal shape than any developed country, including Greece."

"When confronted with this debt debacle, the statists' usual and deceitful bromide is a demagoggic appeal to income redistribution- that is, to demand higher taxes on "the rich" or a "more progressive" income tax where "everyone pays their fair share. The fact is that if the federal government confiscated every penny produced by the private economy for the next decade, assuming a yearly average GDP of $20 trillion (today, it is $17.4 trillion annually), in the eleventh year the aggregate national debt would still amount to trillions of dollars. In addition, the federal government's own statistics, as analyzed by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, belie the class warfare, redistributionist agitprop. In the 2014 tax year, the top 20 percent of earners paid 84 percent of individual federal income taxes. Indeed, the top 1 percent of earners paid nearly half of the federal income tax. The bottom 40 percent of earners paid no federal income taxes. Even more, they receive federal government subsidies, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, amounting to tens of billions of dollars."

"George Washington urged his fellow citizens to "avoid...the accumulation of debt not only by shunning occasions of expense but by vigorous exertions to discharge the debts, not throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear."

"Imagine the disorder and dislocation, including cost increases, supply shortages, and instability, if the federal government were in charge of supervising the production and delivery of a load of bread. It has been tried by many totalitarian regimes with terrible consequences. Yet the health-care system, which the federal government increasingly monopolizes, is far more complicated and intricate than the numerous processes involved in putting bread on the family table."

"Over forty-years ago, philosopher and author Ayn Rand, in her book Return of the Primitive--The Anti-Industrial Revolution, wrote presciently that the statists had changed their line of attack. "Instead of their old promises that collectivism would create universal abundance and their denunciations of capitalism for creating poverty, they are now denouncing capitalism for creating abundance. Instead of promising comfort and security for everyone, they are now denouncing people for being comfortable and secure.' She continued: 'The demand to 'restrict' technology is the demand to restrict man's mind. It is nature- reality- that makes both these goals impossible to achieve. Technology can be destroyed and the mind can be paralyzed, but neither can be restricted. Whether and wherever such restrictions are attempted, it is the mind-not the state-that withers away.' To restrict technology would require omniscience- a total knowledge of all the possible effects and consequences of a given development for all the potential innovators of the future."

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plunder and Deceit: Big Government's Exploitation of Young People and the Future
Mark Levin
Read it in fresh pressed Hardcover at 244 pages including sources.

Mark Levin is a political commentator who's been at this for a long time and is the host of a nationally syndicated radio show 'The Mark Levin Show'. The show itself is on Westwood One and is considered a cornerstone of the conservative voice as his show is the fourth most listened to talk show in the country, Levin also worked for Regan within the administration so you have some idea of where his policy truths come from. I try to read a cultural/political/whatever piece each year and after some fun heated conversation with my father he suggested this to me. Sure why not.

Like most political musings I agree and disagree. It's that simple and will leave my opinions about his conjectures on various topics out of this. The book is split up into eleven sections covering everything from Debt, Social Security, Immigration, Environment, etc.

My primary issue(s) with the delivery:
Levin is venomous in his writing. He repulses varying consensus with vigor and doesn't pause to even consider the validity of any other position. I think this hurts his message and does a disservice to the reader. He doesn't prove his ideas are better, just that you are wrong for disagreeing with his assessments of the situations.

He doesn't offer solutions. Many of the chapters seem to be a listing of issues but doesn't offer a fix. He lays out the issues as he sees them, shows you a bunch of numbers (won't go into source issues) and basically says 'see I'm right they are wrong' but offers the reader no insight on what he thinks the right direction should be.

He sources his own work. Now this always bad and I can accept this but when the point of your argument is located in another one of your works and you use that to prove you are right about a point in this work we have issues. I'm not going to buy all of your works just to find out why you think you're right when you could have given me at least a synopsis in the purchased volume. Seems kind of lazy and greedy.

Plunder and Deceit is supposed to target the millennial generation but the book is $27.99 (at least on the dust cover) which intrinsically prices out most people in that demographic that might have picked this up at a glance. Most of my hard to find history books in hardcover are significantly cheaper than this. For someone trying to capture the millennial mind in this I think you've simply priced them out.

So I don't know. I think different political commentary is good to ingest but this reads more like talking points for a convinced audience than actually trying to make a relevant effort to win people over to your side of thinking. I'm certainly happy to have read it though.

[Jake Danishevsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Levin is an amazing historian and constitutional scholar. His view is always consistant, ripping into anyone who destroys America, no matter what party they are with. I like that and I enjoy his critic on anyone who destroys our unique and free nation. I like Mark Levin show and the great one does deliver a great read, but with some exceptions.

This one specifically is supposed to be for the “next generation”. The overwhelming statistics and numbers would bore a high school or even college student, since even I had a hard time following all the numbers. This book is for next generation. As many of us would agree on, conservative message is harder to sell than non-factual Utopian liberal views, but if one wants to sell an already hard sale, one should deliver an ease or listening, reading or understanding. I like his facts, but way too much on the statistics and numbers to be able to follow important points that he does make.

I read several of Mark's books and he is truly an amazing author with all the information always based on facts, but his books are always for those who are scholastically at the top of the game and I have to admit with honesty, I am not one of those people. If I am not, doesn't mean that others would not enjoy those fact based books, but none are an easy read, including this one and I got, and read it via audio version.

[Thurston · Rating 2 out of 5]

1) i like Levin's radio show
2) the book is mostly spot on

Reading stats is boring and the point will never get across to a nation that doesn't understand inflation or anything more than a tweet. People that need to read will won't get past the first paragraph. Therefore the large reason for the lower rating....I miss Ross Perot

It's sob sob, all about the children.... BS.....all generations are being fleeced daily by current policies.
STEALTH inflation. Health Care premiums tripling. TAXES and more and more taxes. (for the 47 percent of people that pay them)

it is NOT just about the children.

Right now retirees that were responsible saving their whole life are earning ZERO percent. Decimating their savings and years of frugality.
Working 60 hours a week to keep salary positions

While the content is true, it is misfocused and won't be understood by our dumbed down nation

I cringe every time i hear a talking head say 'the american people are smart enough to know...'

Save the 30 dollar cost of the book and put in the bank...oh wait ....saving is for suckers....gamble it at the casino stock market.....buy a couple loaves of bread and eggs with it....

[Scott Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark Levin's basic point is that government in the US is steadily encroaching and becoming more authoritarian, and this is to the detriment of the future generations. I'm not an American, but I recognise the same trends in my own country. What is ironic is that so many young people are often supportive of more government intervention, and more spending, which ultimately is going to have more negative impact on them.

Levin looks at the issue of government debt, and what this means for the future. He investigate social security, healthcare, education, immigration, the environment, the minimum wage , national security and the constitution. Plenty of research, statistics and food for thought. There are those who hysterically attack guys like this but do not respond to his solid research.

My only negative comment is that some of his sentences (I noticed this in the early chapters) are exceedingly long! Sometimes I had to read them a few times to get what was being said.

[Todd Wilhelm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Levin convincingly made his case, but it was not an enjoyable read. Reading it was a chore, slogging through fact after fact. I came away from the book with great despair for the future of our once great republic.

[Donald Fermaint · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of statistics, analysis, past surveys. Sheds light on the future of our country and generations to come based upon facts of the past but overall not a deep thinking book.

[Peter J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by stating that Levin is brilliant, and has a vocabulary that makes me feel like a middle schooler. This book is so saturated with statistical economic minutia that only a madman (or brainwashed leftist) would dispute. The man is clearly right about the grim economic situation that our political/economic leaders have shortsightedly plunged the US into, in order to gain/retain power. A few of the other, more philosophical points that he makes, such as that capitalism is an inherent good, and that virtually all government sponsored social support systems are foolish, are flawed. I will refer the reader to some of the writings of Emerson on this latter topic, as: a. The man was orders of magnitude more brilliant, insightful, and eloquent than both Levin and I could ever hope to be. b. He lived in an early America bereft of such systems and therefore was familiar with the often tragic results.

[Carter Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening to the irresponsible handling of taxpayer dollars, and the burden of debt incurred from failing entitlement programs.

[Michael Stumborg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plunder and Deceit is a call for a New Civil Rights movement. The “Rising Generation,” as Mr. Levin calls them, should demand that the federal government stop borrowing money that they will have to pay back. Mr. Levin explains in pretty convincing fashion that the liberal policies financed by all of this borrowed money are actually hurting young Americans the most. He notes with bitter irony that these same young Americans are among the most ardent supporters of the policies leading to their generation’s own demise.

Mr. Levin introduces the peril of Big Government policy to the Rising Generation in the first chapter. The next eight data-rich chapters each explore one issue. These chapters provide the details that Big Government advocates need the Rising Generation to remain blissfully ignorant of, because they expose the detrimental effects that these policies disproportionately have on young Americans.

The last chapter, On the Constitution, explains how a constitution designed to protect their freedom, their liberty, and by extension, their prosperity, has been manipulated and turned against them by statists to achieve precisely the opposite objective. This chapter sets up the call for a New Civil Rights movement in the epilogue, to be initiated by the Rising Generation, and those of us in the older generations who love them.

Mr. Levin’s call for a New Civil Rights movement is limited to what is to be done, and does not address how it is to be accomplished, other than to say it should be accomplished without violence, leveraging the power of the Constitution as originally conceived. He leaves the implementation of this objective to the reader, correctly noting that the detail required to describe it would fill an entire book itself.

Unfortunately, the target audience for Plunder and Deceit may not be reading this book, despite its status as a best seller. I attended Mr. Levin’s recent book signing in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Of the hundreds of people who showed up to that event, very few of them were without at least a few gray hairs (myself included). Therefore, I’m going to take my copy of Plunder and Deceit and give it to someone in the Rising Generation, advise them to read it, and then to give it away to a friend to do the same.

[Mark Geise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book by Mark Levin that I've ever read, and it was better than I'd expected. Evidenced by the title, Levin's basic thesis is that big government policies have saddled young people with a tough future. Unsustainable programs will inevitably need to be paid in the future, so the current ruling generations are stealing from the young and unborn generations. Each chapter is 10-20 pages on a particular topic that he believes disproportionately harms young people, from Social Security to the minimum wage to immigration.

I really liked the first half of "Plunder and Deceit", but I think the second half tails off. Levin supports his economic positions very well, but I found his positions on the military and foreign policy to be far worse supported than his positions on Social Security, health care, and the minimum wage, for example. Levin talks continually about how big government policies are bankrupting the country and harming young people, yet has a chapter in this book on how he wants the country to spend more on the military so that we can beef up presence all around the world. If you think big government has disproportionately hurt young people, how could you possibly support consolidating even more power and money in the federal government for military purposes? That chapter was just out of place. I also do not agree with most of his views on immigration, though I do agree that unrestrained immigration is incompatible with a large welfare state like the United States now has.

Levin's work is short (~200 pages), but has a lot of information contained in those pages. I would recommend this book for any young person, especially those that have woken up to the deceitful propaganda fed to young people by proponents of centralized solutions to every issue. If we want this country to get on a sustainable financial path, young people are going to need to wake up and say that enough is enough. We will have to be willing to stop stealing from future generations to boost our present standards of living. Though I do not agree with everything Levin writes, I think "Plunder and Deceit" is a decent call to metaphorical arms to enact restraint on a federal government run rampant.