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Post by midcan5 on Aug 4, 2022 7:10:05 GMT -5
Just started this book and it is fascinating as it deals with the rise of authoritarianism in the world. "Twilight of Democracy tries to deconstruct the psychology and motivation of such people. For some it is the chance to be noticed; for others, it is revenge for slights. Applebaum moves on to Laura Ingraham, another former acquaintance, who has become host of a certain type of US political chat show. "She has, like so many others in the Fox universe, depicted illegal immigrants as thieves and murderers, despite overwhelming evidence that immigrants commit fewer crimes overall than native-born Americans." 'Twilight of Democracy' by Anne Applebaum www.anneapplebaum.com/book/twilight-of-democracy/ |
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Post by midcan5 on Sept 7, 2022 7:08:30 GMT -5
"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." Ray Bradbury I may have posted this before but just finishing it and it is worth your time and very detailed. "Democracy is in decline. Over half of the world's population now lives under some form of authoritarian rule. Wherever democracy deteriorates, so does support for transparency and accountability. Disinformation about current events thrives, as do versions of history that cover up authoritarian crimes." lucid.substack.com/p/welcome-to-lucid' Strongmen Mussolini to the Present' 'What modern authoritarian leaders have in common (and how they can be stopped).'wwnorton.com/books/9781324001546Ruth Ben-Ghiat: 'Any society can be susceptible to strongman figures if it's the right time.' stockholmcf.org/ruth-ben-ghiat-any-society-can-be-susceptible-to-strongman-figures-if-its-the-right-time/ |
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Post by midcan5 on Sept 13, 2022 12:37:40 GMT -5
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Post by midcan5 on Oct 16, 2022 16:53:25 GMT -5
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Post by midcan5 on Oct 22, 2022 18:13:25 GMT -5
"The violent insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021 was a terrible day for American democracy, but at least, many people dared hope that, after it was over, the fever would now be broken, Trump's absurd and relentless set of lies about the stealing of the 2020 election made unspeakable. That is not what happened. Instead, shockingly, "the big steal" has increasingly become dogma among an ever-higher percentage of American Republicans. What happened to the Republican Party, and America, during the Trump presidency is a story we more or less think we know. What has happened to the party since, it turns out, is even more disturbing. That is the story Robert Draper tells here." 'Weapons of Mass Delusion: How the Republican Party Became an Apocalyptic Cult and Brought America to the Brink' www.goodreads.com/book/show/60279799-weapons-of-mass-delusion |
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Post by midcan5 on Apr 15, 2023 7:29:40 GMT -5
When we were young mom would try to manage / control / censor our books, especially porn. Today, as it has been forever it seems, diversity and sexual issues confuse the so called religious right and the republicans use the topic to manage them and get their vote. Sexuality sure confuses the religious right, one wonders if their God has made a mistake. God once destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, don't you wonder why he doesn't destroy blue states where sin runs rampant according to the conservative religion right republicans. Seems odd that all these storms hit random states. 'Censorship is surging thanks to an organised rightwing minority targeting books on LGBTQ and Black characters and issues' www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/13/the-guardian-view-on-us-book-bans-time-to-fight-back |
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Post by midcan5 on May 5, 2023 9:14:44 GMT -5
Religion in America today is not Christlike, it seems too concerned with politics and control of the other. Think only of how they cry over the unborn but care nada for the born. Interesting read below. 'Testimony: Inside the evangelical movement that failed a generation''Jon Ward’s life is divided in half: two decades inside the evangelical Christian bubble and two decades outside of it. “A work of raw honesty and deep insight.” Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times best-selling author of Jesus and John Wayne www.jonwardwrites.org/book/testimony"Jon Ward’s honest, meditative, and beautifully written memoir shines a bright light on the often-obscured links between religion and politics in America." Yuval Levin |
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Post by midcan5 on Jun 29, 2023 7:24:43 GMT -5
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Post by midcan5 on Aug 29, 2023 15:36:52 GMT -5
Interesting and see book mentioned earlier. "...Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to say that democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less ambitious, or less avaricious than aristocracy or monarchy. It is not true, in fact, and nowhere appears in history. Those passions are the same in all men, under all forms of simple government, and when unchecked, produce the same effects of fraud, violence, and cruelty. When clear prospects are opened before vanity, pride, avarice, or ambition, for their easy gratification, it is hard for the most considerate philosophers and the most conscientious moralists to resist the temptation." John Adams www.theclassroom.com/did-john-adams-say-democracy-never-lasts-long-7843.htmlQuoted in 'The Trouble With Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time' by Brooke Gladstonewww.goodreads.com/work/quotes/55659690-the-trouble-with-reality-a-rumination-on-moral-panic-in-our-time |
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Post by midcan5 on Nov 6, 2023 7:19:47 GMT -5
I recently re-read 'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance' By Robert Pirsig and found it interesting the second time around. So I had to check out 'Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals' also by Pirsig. A deep read so far and just as Zen opened your mind, Lila is all over the place, but fascinating and worth your time in these crazy times. www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/31093"The world comes to us in an endless stream of puzzle pieces that we would like to think all fit together somehow, but that in fact never do." Robert Pirsig, Lila: An Enquiry into Morals |
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