Radio talk-show host Mark Levin has coined a new term — Ameritopia — to describe what he sees as a growing utopian movement in the United States, a movement that he believes holds the reins of power in this country and poses a threat to authentic human freedom everywhere.
Levin’s primary criticism of utopians is that they believe mankind is perfectible and that it is possible to create a “heaven on earth” through government. This idea is blatantly false because it denies the true nature of mankind. To the utopians, the unwashed masses are “one-dimensional … selfish … [possessing] little moral value” — fallen, to use the Judeo-Christian term — while they themselves are enlightened, secular messiahs. These saviors create a “perfect society” run by the “right people.”
By contrast, Christianity proposes the message of salvation, and each individual chooses whether to accept it. Evangelization respects the freedom and dignity of individuals to respond to the Gospel proclamation and change their lives and engage in social action in accordance with God’s grace.
Compulsory salvation at the hands of people “who know better” leads to tyranny by compelling individuals to conform to someone else’s impossible dream.
The foundation of Levin’s book is an in-depth description of four major works of political philosophy which “are indispensable in understanding the nature of utopianism,” namely Plato’s Republic, St. Thomas More’s Utopia, Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. Each of these works has, in some way, influenced every subsequent utopian movement, including the one Levin believes is on the rise today in America. He describes the particulars of this movement in the section of the book called “Post-Constitutional America.”
Levin, a constitutional lawyer and former member of the U.S. attorney general’s staff under President Ronald Reagan, posits that utopianism is the philosophical foundation for “big government” welfare states and top-heavy, hyper-regulatory bureaucracies, as well as out-and-out totalitarian regimes.
The inclusion of St. Thomas More in the same group as Karl Marx may be hard for Catholics to accept. Levin does not criticize More’s motives, character or intelligence, and he acknowledges More’s heroic virtue in defense of the Church’s teaching on marriage and papal authority. Nevertheless, he does plainly state that More’s fictional exploration of an ideal society is no better than the oppressive societies envisioned by Plato, Hobbes or Marx and that at least some people — despotic utopians and social engineers who came after More — took Utopia seriously and used it as a model for their social experiments.
A book featuring Plato, Hobbes, Locke, More and Montesquieu sounds like it would be tough-going, yet, despite the scholarly nature of the subject matter and sources, Levin’s prose is extremely readable, his tone urgent and passionate:
“It is neither prudential nor virtuous to downplay or dismiss … that America has already transformed into Ameritopia. The centralization and consolidation of power in a political class … whose authority is also self-perpetuating is apparent all around us and growing more formidable. The issue is whether the ongoing transformation can be restrained and then reversed, or whether it will continue with increasing zeal, passing from a soft tyranny to something more oppressive.”
Highly recommended reading, especially for an election year.
Register correspondent Clare Walker writes from Westmont, Illinois.
AMERITOPIA
The Unmaking of America
By Mark Levin
Threshold Editions, 2012
288 pages, $26.99
To order: Threshold Editions
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Mark Levin is an amazing radio host, who mixes philosophy, history, Constitutional law, and economics into a unique broadcast. I’ll bet you’ve never heard the writings of John Locke, Montesquieu, and Karl Marx all discussed in a single broadcast before, yet that his show from a couple of days ago.
Best of all, you can download his podcasts free at http://marklevinshow.com/audio ...
This article brings to mind something that Christ said: “My Father’s Kingdom is not of this earth.” I always worry when people begin to try to create a Kingdom of God or a utopia on earth. Let’s remember that St. Thomas More’s book, Utopia, means “no where” in Greek. And perhaps that should be our final conclusion…. no where on this earth can man find or make a utopia. It is good to want to improve society but perfection is a dream for mathematicians, dreamers, and humans with God in heaven.
More’s Utopia was a combination of parody, comment and satire on society and perhaps a warning from history. He wanted religious freedom in Utopia but was himself denied it in real life.
In Utopia all religions were acceptable and the there is an acceptance of the lowest common denominator of religion by the state.
Atheism is however banned in Utopia because they believed there no ultimate redress and so its followers are regarded with suspicion that they will break the law to satisfy their own ends against the common good. For that outlook they were to be reasoned with to change their minds or else expelled from Utopia.
Needless to say More’s parody of societies is not Christian teaching.
Christian theology regards fear of God because of fear of damnation as imperfect love because it is thinking of itself. Perfect love is when it loves God above all else.
Cf Catechism of the Catholic Church 1453
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P4D.HTM
I have purchased this book and will e reading it on vacation.
From what I have heard about this book, it is spot on.
A good read for Americans who care about their Country.
Ever heard of “Brave New World” or “Brave New World Re-visited”? The Ameritopians are using this as a script for what is going on. Aldous Huxley writes a book that is good for all times. According to my teacher in english at college, these books were written to depict “dystopias”. It is Huxley who has the right to tell us “I told you so!”. (-:
I have read most of Mark’s books. He is a true patriot, and his arguments cannot be broken. Furthermore, the progressives dare not debate him because they fear him. If you have not read his books, do yourself a favor. Unlike his other books, Ameritopia reads at more of a college level. His legal practice has defended out nation against the noted tyranny and abuse of an overreaching federal government. We need more like Levin. He is a patriot!
Excellent review! Thank you for addressing the use of St. Thomas More’s “Utopia”. It seems that many previous authors have tried to build on More’s utopian foundation, without taking into account that More was envisioning a society as repressive in its perfection as any other in their non-perfection. Mark Levin does justice to More’s book while, as you so eloquently put it, “without criticizing More’s motive, character, or intelligence”. Ameritopia is well worth a read if you are looking for a deeper, richer understanding of the political whirlwinds that will sweep us up this year…a whirlwind that also includes religious freedom, and specifically ours in this moment in time.
The relative success of any social sytem and its government is entirely dependent on the moral character of the individuals that comprise it.
Had St. Thomas More lived through the twentieth century he would certainly have seen that I believe. For certain he knows it now.
“Highly recommended reading, especially for an election year.”
Catholics are a significant factor in the rise of Ameritopia. And its acceleration coincides with the formation and consolidation of the U.S Catholic bishops into the United Stated Conference of Catholic Bishops speaking as one on political, prudential issues. The bishops supported the unions is Wisconsin instead of the taxpayers contributing to the uncivil behavior Wisconsin was subjected to last year and this until the recall election ended it. The bishops were critical of the Republican budget passed out of the House of Representatives but are silent on the Democrat Senate’s refusal to even vote on a budget the past three years. The USCCB and the California Catholic Conference are critical of any cuts in social welfare programs at the federal level and state level even though the federal and CA governments are going bankrupt. Such prodding for ever bigger governments by the bishops leads the flocks to vote for utopia building politicians. Thus we get people likes of community organizer Barack Obama, and lo and behold, who does he go after? - the bishops. Welcome to Ameritopia present to you by the Catholic Democrats of America.
If I’m not mistaken, St Thomas More’s work was not advocating utopia, but was a satire—which makes sense since things within the book contradict the very beliefs for which More gave his life!! (For example, in “Utopia” divorce is easy, whereas More died because he opposed Henry VIII’s decision to try to take over the Church…which Henry was doing because he wanted to get rid of his lawful wife and take up and “marry” another woman! This was the whole reason Henry started the Anglican Church and killed so many who would not go along with his wretched plan. Before that, Henry even wrote a defense of the Catholic faith.) (By the way, just shows how far lust can make a man fall.)
Anyway, I should hope Levin knows this and does not present More as a Utopian. Even if there is some controversy over whether the book is a satire, it seems most reasonable (to me obvious) that it is. At most, therefore, one can say that people misunderstood his book and misused it. If Levin suggests that More actually advocated the utopian view, I think that would be wrong.
The whole controversy does highlight the danger in writing satires and similar kinds of works. Some people won’t get it, and will actually take the arguments you are mocking and try to put them into practice!
Never again will I offer a “comment” to this “blog”. I have submitted several comments to other articles. I have read many other commments and they are no better than the one I just offered a couple of hours ago. This is Catholicism? What was there offensive in my comment? Or is it Saturday morning and no one is awake on your end? There is precedence to this article, and it is important that people have a historical understanding that Huxley’s book told us long ago to beware - and it was ignored.
I have listened to The Mark Levin Radio Show from 6 to 9 pm for years. Mark is a true American Patriot and Statesman (a Ronald Reagan staffer). Mark is one of the most talented attorneys in the USA, advising, researching, and arguing before the Supreme Court. Mark loves America, and although it is not openly apparant, he is deeply religious in the Jewish faith; and he is a great friend of the Church!
Utopia is a Greek word meaning “no where”.
I am indeed alarmed by the exploits of the Tea party!
opps
My last sentence should have read, ” Welcome to Ameritopia presented to you by the Catholic Democrats of America.”
NeoCon Mark Levin is a true Patriot Act supporter. I consider an American patriot someone who upholds the US Constitution. I won’t be buying his book.
Clare Walker has captured the thesis and cogency of Mark Levin’s clear, concise and readable treatise, describing how we got to the dangerous place we’re in and where we’ll be heading if our course is not substantially altered and the power of the state curbed. The choice is well articulated: Shall we be citizens who preserve our individual sovereignty or shall we be compliant subjects of a state who thinks for us? “Ameritopia” is indeed a warning, perhaps one of our last.
stillbelieve - I do not agree with you that the USCCB has led us to the emergence of ‘Ameritopia’, because:
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1. I don’t think that many Catholics follow the statements of the USCCB
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2. Those of us who are informed, orthodox Catholics know that the tension between the ‘social justice’ strain and the traditional Christian understanding is an academic argument being waged between the Magisterium and the renegade Catholics left over from the 1960’s, (for example, the sisters of the LCWR.)
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3. Many posters feel that the Church has taken a ‘hard right’ turn, which I also detect, (and commend as needed and warranted.)
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Tim, thank you for the reference to ‘Brave New World’. I will re-read.
The problem is that we conclude that to avoid big-government dystopia we should elect Republicans. So we do and we get more big-government dystopia. If we can only secure victory for Tweedle Dum it will be different this time, And We Really Really Mean It This Time For Sure, Part VIII.
More’s Utopia was pure satire.
“...the biggest joke of all being the book called Utopia. The nineteenth century Utopians imitated the book without seeing the joke.” - GK Chesterton
@Kevin
“If we can only secure victory for Tweedle Dum it will be different this time….”
No, “Tweedle Dum” is not the solution, but he is the answer to stopping the assault on our freedom, lives, money, property and pursuit of happiness, now. We need to catch our breath, and Tweedle Dum gives us that reprieve. But our work continues in finding and surrounding him with decent, level headed, conservative members of Congress who, step by step, can get us further away from the dangerous road the Democrat Party has taken us on. That political organization must be stopped, and stopped now. Catholics should be in the forefront of this effort.
However, my fear is the USCCB will screw it up, again. They are the reason we are in this mess with this administration. In 1958, Catholic teaching of the Catholic faith taught that “...joining an organization which PROMOTES (my emphasis) segregation OR ANY OTHER DENIAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS” (ditto) was a sin against the Fifth Commandment, saying “This is particularly true” by the mere act of “joining” such an organization. Then abortion was legalized and the “organization” called the Democrat Party supported and “promoted it,” and opposed a Right To Life Constitutional Amendment. If “any other denial of human rights” deserved the bishops condemnation, certainly, it was denying the right to life to the unborn. But instead, the bishop ignored their teaching that it is a sin against the 5th Commandment to join such an organization. And later, they omitted that phrase from their teaching on the 5th Commandment in their 1995 revised edition of Life In Christ -A Catholic Catechism for Adults.
Why did they not teach that “joining” such an organization is a “sin,” and why did they omit that phase from their 1995 revised edition? Could it be the same reason that Cardinal Bernardin got them to change the meaning of “prolife” in 1983/84 from being “anti-abortion” to “a consistent ethic of life?” The reason Bernardin did that was because “Not only would this move gain greater support from Catholics and others BUT (my emphasis) it would keep the pro-life movement from falling completely under control of the right wing conservatives who were becoming its dominant sponsors.” (from page 243/244 of the biography “Cardinal Bernardin – Easing conflicts – and battling for the soul of American Catholicism” by his personal friend Eugene Kennedy) So, to save the liberal Democrat Party, Cardinal Bernardin and the U.S. bishops redefined “pro-life” to assuage the minds Democrat Catholics enabling them to remain members in the “organization” that “promotes” the “denial of human rights” to the unborn. Could it also be that so many of the clergy are Democrats and sympathizers, even to today?
@Quo Vidas
This is the reason I believe that the USCCB has led us to the emergence of ‘Ameritopia,’ because they enabled the Democrat Party to survive the party’s support for abortion among Catholic Democrats.
@ stillbelieve
As an addendum to your comment, it is also indeed ironic that it was southern Democrats that stood fast to segregation, Lyndon Johnson who held up the Civil Rights Bill prior to becoming VP and later President, and then it was Republicans who got the bill through Congress over the opposition of the likes of Al Gore Sr.
There is something to be said for the age old oath taken in a courtroom;
“I swear to tell the truth, the WHOLE TRUTH, and nothing but the truth.” If the whole truth were common knowledge among Catholics regarding Catholic social teaching, the Democrats would have lost their hold on Catholics long ago. That is the smoke screen the political progressives have used over the years to blind the ignorant to their stated anti-life agenda.
@LD
“If the whole truth were common knowledge among Catholics regarding Catholic social teaching, the Democrats would have lost their hold on Catholics long ago.”
Your “addendum” is correct and appreciated. A little story about that. My wife was attending a bible study at our parish, last year, led by a parishioner whose title was “biblical scholar;” he was also a parish lector. He would go over the previous Sunday’s bible readings in the study. He was a nice enough guy, but you could tell he was a bit full of himself with his learned accomplishments, and wasn’t used to being challenged by questions. I started attending and would asked questions towards the end of his talk. Often this would lead to continuing a conversation after class. Once the post class discussion turned to the differences between the Democrat and the Republican Parties; and it was such that I used the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to make my point. I told him that a greater percentage of Republicans members in Congress voted for those two acts than Democrats. He didn’t believe me. In fact, he was quiet sure of himself and said that wasn’t true. A week later, after class, he apologized to me and said he did some studying and discovered he was wrong, that the Republican congress members of 1964 /65 did vote in a higher percentage than the Democrats for the passage of those two major Acts.
I find it disturbing that the Democrat AG, Holder, and a number of Democrat leaders in Congress are accusing the Republicans today of working for voter suppression because of the GOP support for showing a picture ID to vote in order to protect the sanctity of the vote. The Democrat Party is the party that is known to cheat when it comes to voting and counting the votes. I have first hand knowledge of that here in O.C. CA, as well as historical knowledge from my home town of Chicago. And a Constitutional lawyer, and radio talk show hoist, Hugh Hewitt, wrote a book several years ago about this entitled, “If It’s Not Close, They Can’t Cheat”.
@Kevin [“The problem is that we conclude that to avoid big-government dystopia we should elect Republicans.”] Kevin, you only need to listen to Mark Levin for 15 minutes to know your statement is false. Levin has equal disdain for spineless Country Club Republicans who also think you are incapable of managing your own life. Instead of you making your own decisions, the ruling class will make them for you. Massachusetts Catholics have done that by voting for anyone named Kennedy (D)for the last 60 years.
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