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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 timely provocative new thoughts on crime Oct 08, 2008
By Ginna Marston
This is a timely book on crime and terrorism with independent thinking on both. Overall I think it is well written and makes thoughtful arguments. It seems a bit simplistic to equate terror to all crime when the conventional use of these terms identifies terrorism as a subset of crime which has a political agenda or at least exploits the appearance of one. I do agree that all violence should be looked at as intolerable and unacceptable and that applying that to small as well as larger crimes could transform the quality of daily life to make a safer, more relaxed world. This book suffers from being one book and not three pamphlet. There is a lot there to digest.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Common Sense II Jun 02, 2011
By Troy Parfitt
"Why China Will Never Rule the World"
In Common Sense II, author and social activist Tom W Sulcer takes on the topic of terrorism, believing the manner in which the government handles that phenomenon to be inadequate. The volume is a handbook, a blue-print, an information guide alerting readers to the different types of terrorism and how, as citizens, they ought to respond to terrorist threats. Mr. Sulcer reasons that Americans must become more politically aware and involved, and that they must begin to discuss politics more often in their daily lives. They should also think about strategies for coping with those who wish to harm them, as the plans presently in place are poorly thought out and ineffective.
After providing a non-traditional definition of terrorism, Common Sense II outlines how the modern form of the violent trend ought to be dealt with by the public and what measures the government ought to take in combating it. A series of proposals is offered up accompanied by explanations and examples. Sulcer espouses the need for more effective surveillance, better laws, more monitoring of weapons, and so on.
I certainly agree with some of what the author is saying, but not all. I agree that people are or can be rather politically apathetic and ought to discuss their ideas about politics - at least sometimes. However, I also see the impracticality of talking about such things (Aesop's fable of belling the cat comes to mind). I also agree, at least in part, that many security measures, mainly in response to 9/11, are unproductive - more the result of fear and paranoia than a considered approach to a potentially lethal problem. A thickening of borders is almost certainly not the solution.
Sulcer argues that frisking people at airports is "stupid." I would say that screening people at borders is necessary, though the type of screening done is often very stupid. I don't mind subjecting myself to a polite search and frisk, but what I think is unacceptable is the fear mongering undertaken by certain officials. I don't doubt that being a customs agent is difficult, but when you target septuagenarians from, say, Canada, having them take off their shoes and answer a bunch of irate questions in some back room when, plainly, all they are doing is going to their condo in Florida, something is seriously wrong. But then, something is seriously wrong at borders in general, and many North Americans know it. People are routinely harassed all because they're in transit. It isn't like that in other parts of the world. When it comes to land borders, Europe has effectively erased them, and I don't think (although I don't have any stats in front of me) that the Continent has a higher or much higher incidence of terrorist attacks than North America.
I thought that Common Sense II would have been better served had it stuck to the traditional definition of terrorism. We all know what terrorism is; it doesn't require an expanded definition. There were other areas that needed some more thought, too. I spotted a few leaps of logic, and it would have been nice had there been more concrete examples and statistics. The book is also written in a very simple style, done so because it's supposed to be a handbook for the masses, but, personally, I'm not a fan of such a style.
Still, I think Mr. Sulcer was certainly very brave to pen this little tome. It takes some chutzpah to write down your political ideas, disseminate them, and challenge people to come up with a better solution. Whenever you lay out a proposal, people are invariably going to disagree and call you down - so hats off to the author for speaking his mind.
Terrorism is an especially sensitive topic in the United States, and is likely to remain one for some time. What the answers to terrorism are, I'm not sure. I'm not sure the author has all the answers either, but he might have some, and in any event the book is effective at getting you to ruminate on a subject that can affect us all, but which we choose to ignore. Common Sense II represents a polemic meant to spark debate, and debate is almost always a healthy thing.
Troy Parfitt, author of Why China Will Never Rule the World
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Realizes the fight against terrorism is necessary, but argues that it is being done the wrong way Mar 17, 2009
By Midwest Book Review
Common sense, sadly, is not all that common. "Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism" is author Thomas W. Sulcer's recommendations in the style of Paine's historic pamphlet from more than two hundred years ago, applying Paine's values to today's uncommon sense inspired war on terrorism. Discussing what is wrong with today's methods and how they should be replaced or reemphasized, "Common Sense II" is an intellectual account that realizes the fight against terrorism is necessary, but argues that it is being done the wrong way.
8 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Cobbled work... Dec 26, 2008
By a liberal feminist
Regarding: Common Sense II: How to Prevent the Three Types of Terrorism, one asks... why not prevent two, or four, or more types of Terrorism, why these three?
Kind'a wacky ... not common sense, more someone's personal after cocktail musings put to print.
The author does offer a definition for terrorism.
A juvenile: "violence against individual rights"
JR. college level, but well written... 2 stars
2 of 5 found the following review helpful:
A call for reason Nov 12, 2008
By James M. Bennett
"Jim Bennett"
This book is a pleasant surprise. If the reader begins with the bias that the book is idealistic, the bias is soon dispelled. Full of references to real life events, the book is provocative and worthwhile. A must read.
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