Book Review: Agenda 21 by Glen Beck and Harriet Parke

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This latest bestseller by Glen Beck and Harriet Parke is a quick read and may make you think.

by Leon Pantenburg

When it comes to distopia books, you might not think of Glen Beck. Beck is better known as the far right talk show host who formed his own television network called The Blaze and moved to Irving, Texas to get away from the east coast liberals. Harriet Parke is an established author and registered nurse.

According to the book, the Agenda 21 title refers to a United Nations report that came from the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Here is what is on the cover of the publication, according to Beck:

Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment.

At its core, Beck claims, Agenda 21 is all about control; control over land, natural resources, and ultimately entire populations. From education to transportation to food and water, he writes, there is literally no area of life that Agenda 21 does not attempt to control and regulate in some way.

The novel Agenda 21 takes place somewhere in the United States after Agenda 21 has been in effect for almost a generation. There is no president, congress, Supreme Court or freedom. There is only the anonymous mega government called “The Republic.” In that world, people live in high density population compounds, are fed energy cubes and allotted a daily ration of water. They are required to walk on treadmills, called energy boards, to generate power which is sent off to support some energy grid.

The state controls everything, from birth to death. The protagonist, Emmeline,  is a teenager who reached reproductive age. In that world, it means she is “paired” with a male with the goal of reproducing. When Emmeline’s child is born, it goes immediately to the state-run nursery, where the parents won’t ever see it again. An annual cycle of reproduction is supposed to continue indefinitely.

Food starts to get short and there are rumors of people who live outside the compound, who are rebelling against The Republic.

Emmeline begins to search for the truth of the situation, and comes up against much more than she can imagine. She comes up with a plan to save her family and escape the compound.

If you read George Orwell’s 1984 classic, which was written in 1948, or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, you will see some similarities in these works. These books are set in a world where individual freedom has been stifled for the greater good of society.

In 1984, we are introduced to the concept of the government being the all-seeing, omnipotent entity that oversees every aspect of life. That is where the term “Big Brother is watching you” comes from. Brave New World introduces us to the concept of individuality completely  subordinate to the government.

Agenda 21 builds on these concepts to present a chilling and disturbing prediction of what could happen in the future. It is well-written and has a lively style that contributes to its readability.

Regardless of your opinion of  Glen Beck, Agenda 21 is worth taking a look at.

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