Cross Fire By Ezra Taft Benson
Cross Fire, by Ezra Taft Benson (1962) The Eight Years With Eisenhower. “Why was this book written? One reason is that I believe the more the people know about what goes on in government the better. The people need to know more about what their leaders are like, what motivates them, how decisions are made, the kind of infighting that takes place as political forces and figures struggle to pass or defeat legislation programs and in so doing mold the future of this republic. Running through this book is of course, the ‘farm problem’ and an eight-year struggle to bring more common sense and less politics into the search for its solutions. The farm problem is much more than the two words indicate. It is a problem not of the farm alone but of the future of freedom in America. To those who contend that there is today little difference between most Republicans and Democrats, or between conservatives and liberals, I say that there is a world of difference in their respective approaches to the farm problem because there is also a world of difference in their approaches to freedom. As I think about it, I realize that there were many reasons why I wanted to write Cross Fire. But there was one reason why I had to write it. This book became inevitable because I am deeply persuaded that our precious, God-given freedom is dying and because, to paraphrase another, too many good men do nothing to preserve it.” (Foreword) 627
believe the more the people know about what goes on in government the better. The
people need to know more about what their leaders are like, what motivates them, how
decisions are made, the kind of infighting that takes place as political forces and figures
struggle to pass or defeat legislation programs and in so doing mold the future of this
republic. Running through this book is of course, the ‘farm problem’ and an eight-year
struggle to bring more common sense and less politics into the search for its solutions.
The farm problem is much more than the two words indicate. It is a problem not of the
farm alone but of the future of freedom in America. To those who contend that there is
today little difference between most Republicans and Democrats, or between
conservatives and liberals, I say that there is a world of difference in their respective
approaches to the farm problem because there is also a world of difference in their
approaches to freedom. As I think about it, I realize that there were many reasons why I
wanted to write Cross Fire. But there was one reason why I had to write it. This book
became inevitable because I am deeply persuaded that our precious, God-given freedom
is dying and because, to paraphrase another, too many good men do nothing to preserve
it.” (Foreword) 627 pages