Libertyland

Libertyland by Peter Sacks is a very scary political thriller, scary because of its plausibility. A professor has been talking up the benefits of extreme capitalism and railing against any sort of social benefits to the less fortunate, saying that providing welfare considerations to such people is only giving them money which was hard earned by others to the weak, helpless, and homeless. Most people seem to find his diatribes as absurd, but some don’t. Those who do buy into the liberyland concept are ultimately very wealthy and powerful. Professor Garrick Cripps was successful in finding a group of people who would fund him and his efforts which are eventually aimed at collapsing the Democracy of the U.S., and overthrowing the U.S. government.

 

Then at the age of 40, Cripps girlfriend Suzanne, a computer science professor, wrote a satirical manifesto which championed Cripps’ ideas and plans. However, she had never really bought into his ideas while still loving him madly. She wrote this manifesto for his birthday thinking he would enjoy her sardonic humor. Instead, Cripps loved it, did not see the humor, and used the manifesto to further sell his ideas. His beliefs were like those of Ayn Rand, only quadrupled. Cripps broke off his relationship with Suzanne who could never get over the rejection, and before he reconnected with her again 20 years later, she waited for the hoped for call from him, and he built up his support system.

 

Meanwhile, there was another breakup, this one between Navy SEAL Carson McReady and Laura Cavendish. It was McReady’s longterm plan to become a SEAL, and it was Cavendish’s plan to become a computer expert which led to her early involvement with Cripps and her becoming a cyber expert who went to work for the Pentagon.

 

As the story unfolds and moves through the eventual confrontation between Cripps and McReady, the author filled out a gripping story filled with associated characters who helped bring to life the main characters. The plot kept me interested. One should expect that an ex-Seal squad leader would be capable of doing some physical damage to his enemies, although that only happened after Cripps, et al., had done so to him. McReady was dedicated to the preservation of liberty as he understood it, not in the selfish and twisted logic of Cripps and his team.

 

I recommend this story highly, a 5/5. It is certainly a timely read given the current state of U.S. politics in 2024.