Crises of the Republic: Lying in Politics; Civil Disobedience; On Violence; Thoughts on Politics and Revolution

i never heard of hannah arendt in college. however, as i read more and more, i found that her work was often cited. although she passed away some decades ago now, she made an indelible impression upon the moral and political philosophy of the world in the mid-twentieth century and it endures today. she is a brilliant person whom i would have loved to know. with this kind of perception of the author by this reviewer, i must admit that the rest of my review, that is, of her work, "crises of the republic" may be biased. in crises of the republic, arendt identifies the underlying foundation and need for political stability while introducing measured change. she discusses the political upheaval seen in the USA in the late 60s + . a time of great turmoil, she was able to see the need for political stability clashing with the need for systemic change for the people. if you have any interest in political and moral philosophy, crises of the republic is a must read. her writing can be dry at times. she doesn't seek to entertain the reader. she informs us and, most of all, makes us think. i read this slowly, pausing to think and take notes.

This reviewer considers Hannah Arendt as a "Renaissance Woman." She was learned individual who wrote profoundly on philosophy, history, political thought, etc. Her book CRISES OF THE REPUBLIC again demonstrates her knowledge, profound thought, and ability to write. THE CRISES OF THE REPUBLIC is a book that clearly diagnoses political problems in the United States which she states undermine both civil liberties and government honesty. This book was first published in 1969 in the midst of the controversy over the Vietnam War. An import section of this book deals with the China Series documents and correspondence between Mao tse Tung who approached American diplomats to extend diplomat overtures because of Chinese leaders fears of Soviet power and influence. These efforts were ignored and only came to light in 1969 which was 16 years after the conclusion of the Korean War which involved the Chinese Communists vs. the Americans. Miss Arendt also reveals documents that showed that that Ho Chi Minh appealed American policy makers to extend U.S. control over Vietnam to avoid re-occupation by the French who had Vietnam as a colony prior to World War II. These efforts were refused and kept secret from Americans so that a Cold War mentality could be maintained at the expense of truth and then the lives of American kids who suffered and died in the Korean and Vietnam wars. In other words, Miss Arendt reveals that documents demonstrate that neither of these wars were necessary. What happened and is happening is that political and bureaucratic blundering have been substituted for truth and honesty. Part of American political history in the late 1960s included dissent and civil disobedience. Those in power claimed that public demonstrations against the Vietnam War and the draft were part of a secret conspiracy. Miss Arendt demolishes this conclusion by writing that a public demonstraion by its very nature is not a secret conspiracy. Otherwise it is not public. She also warns that radicalism on campuses had a dangerous tendency to impose ideology rather than achieve goals and inform "public opinion." The latter sections of the book are informative regarding the status of those in power on the other side of the Iron curtain. An interesting point that Miss Arendt makes is that for all the communist propaganda about the Capitialisic West, the gulf between rich and poor behind the iron curtain was much greater. She comments that the communist authorities had devolved from socialist ideals to entrenched bureaucrats who tried to protect their "turf" from economic and political realities. Events since the late 1980s have vindicated Miss Arendt with the collapse of Big Communism. Hannah Arendt shows her vast knowledge and profound thought in one of her last books. CRISES OF THE REPUBLIC is timely and well written. She makes remarks that should alert Americans about blundering into quagmire wars and creating enemies to insure that useless bureaucra