The Disaster Bubble
The Disaster Bubble
Excuse me my 4 faithful readers, but I sometimes use my blog as a file cabinet for really great articles. I used to use del.icio.us but I forgot my password so I just stuck this on-line section of Naomi Klein's book here.
I sometimes think the surveillance business is not about ferreting out terrorists in the least. Remember how J Edgar Hoover did not pursue the Mafia because they had information about his peccideillos. Good way to shut up dissenters. A paranoid might think that is why so many left leaning bloggers have quit.
Excuse me my 4 faithful readers, but I sometimes use my blog as a file cabinet for really great articles. I used to use del.icio.us but I forgot my password so I just stuck this on-line section of Naomi Klein's book here.
I sometimes think the surveillance business is not about ferreting out terrorists in the least. Remember how J Edgar Hoover did not pursue the Mafia because they had information about his peccideillos. Good way to shut up dissenters. A paranoid might think that is why so many left leaning bloggers have quit.
posted by Flimsy Sanity @ 7:10 AM
2 Comments:
At 7:12 PM,
Anonymous said…
I have nothing against Naomi Klein, but I find she has a tendency to rehash the same old worn out arguments over and over. And, to what purpose? How many McCain supporters will read her book, or attend one of her lectures? Very few, I would guess.
America today is reminiscent of the trench warfare of WW1. Both sides dug in, skirmishing with each other but never making any real progress towards defeating (or, in the case of Americans, persuading) the other side.
Klein will sell plenty of books. In a nation of 300 million, it's not difficult to sell a million copies to the already converted. The really difficult task is to write a book that will first sell to, and then persuade, staunch Republicans of the fact their party and that of their rival's, stink to high heaven, and there is a need to look elsewhere for a vision. I believe one man may have written such a book. His name is Andrew J Bacevich. He's describes himself as a 'conservative' and his book is entitled: "The Limits of Power". He argues that it's not so much government that is to blame for the way matters have deteriorated in America, but the people. He makes the case that Americans refuse to look in the mirror and see themselves as they truly are - what they have become. I believe he's right. In a democratic society the government can only take so much blame, the people must shoulder most of the burden. If you wish to know more, Bacevich was on Bill Moyer's Journal last week and the video is on pbs.org.
I admire your stance as a Nader supporter. You are one of few who have looked in the mirror. Unfortunately, until other Americans are prepared to view themselves in the looking glass of reality and realize they have created a one party-with-two-names state, you and Nader will remain very much in the minority.
At 10:21 AM,
Flimsy Sanity said…
RJ: Read the transcript to the Moyers interview. So you think his common sense arguments might convince some Republicans to dump both parties - which is the essence of his argument. Go Ralph go.
Re: Balance of trade. In No Logo Klein blames the corporate world and Bacevich blames us. Sure I would buy American if it were available. I am always amazed how many people think that Americans would rise up and rebel if they just knew what was going on. For one small example there are articles about how drug companies inflate prices and manipulate uses to keep their drugs from going generic, etc. and they urge public pressure. Press who - Congress, the drug companies, your doctor. That is why we needed regulatory agencies and consumerist groups - because they had some clout. All we can do as individuals is passively resist or boycott the few bad things we have any power over.
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