I'm in the process of comparing the contents & policies contained within two books. The one is the "Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama & the other is Mein Kanpf by Adolf Hitler. The similarities are uncanny but I will be posting these comparisons in about a week as I'm still finalizing the posts.
But for a stater Mein Kampf is translated as My Struggle, & combines elements of his autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. In Mein Kampf, Hitler uses the main thesis of "the Jewish peril," which speaks of an alleged Jewish conspiracy to gain world leadership. Mein Kampf has also been studied as a work on political theory. Hitler announces his hatred of what he believed to be the world's twin evils: Communism and Judaism. The new territory that Germany needed to obtain would properly nurture the "historic destiny" of the German people. Mein Kampf has additionally been examined as a book on foreign policy.
The title of The Audacity of Hope was derived from a sermon delivered by Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. The Audacity of Hope propelled Obama to national prominence. In the less than twenty minutes it took to deliver the speech, Obama was catapulted to sudden fame, with many analysts predicting that he might be well positioned to enter a future presidential race. In 2006, Obama released The Audacity of Hope, a book-length account that expanded upon many of the same themes he originally addressed in the convention speech.
The audacity of Hope is a "political biography that concentrates on the senator's core values," according to the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times noted that "Mr. Obama’s new book, ‘The Audacity of Hope’ is much more of a political document. Portions of the volume read like outtakes from a stump speech, and the bulk of it is devoted to laying out Mr. Obama’s policy positions on a host of issues, from education to health care to the war in Iraq."
"It presents a man of relative youth yet maturity, a wise observer of the human condition, a figure who possesses perseverance and writing skills that have flashes of grandeur."] Reviewer Michael Tomasky writes that it does not contain "boldly innovative policy prescriptions that will lead the Democrats out of their wilderness," but does show Obama's potential to "construct a new politics that is PROGRESSIVE but grounded in civic traditions that speak to a wider range of Americans."
This may brief synopsis should peak your interest between the authors of these books. Now the word audacity means the quality or state of being audacious: an intrepid boldness or arrogant disregard of normal restraints (had the audacity to defy his boss), bold or insolent heedlessness of restraints, as of those imposed by prudence, propriety, or convention. The title is quite revealing & we have seen much of this audacity come to pass within the last 18 months. It pays to know your opponent. I hope in the weeks to come to point out specific areas which will reveal how similar the philosophies of these two books & authors are.
Editor's Note: Ed, We are looking forward to seeing the results of your hard labor in this comparison.
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