Reader Beware

[midcan5]

Any Charles Bowden readers out there? If you get a chance read 'At the Peripheries of Violence and Desire'. Warning, Bowden is not for the faint of heart, you may find yourself changed. It appeared in Harper's Magazine 8/1998, one of the best magazines ever published. It is also in 'The Charles Bowden Reader'. Sexual violence - rape - is its topic and its complication. Read it, link below.

If you are a libertarian or other free market fantastic check out his wring on Mexico and the workers. Their pay, their hours, their deaths, again stay away if you want to remain a naive free marketer.

I loved his pieces on his pet rattlesnake Beulah or all the bats.

http://harpers.org/archive/1998/08/torch-song-2/


https://aeon.co/essays/in-memory-of-...d-a-sensualist

"He had the most interesting and original mind that I ever got to know well. It cut right through the conventional wisdom and surface veneer to the stark uncomfortable truth. His intellectual honesty compelled him to fully acknowledge the horrors and pointlessness of the human experiment in this world, but he never lost his sense of wonder or curiosity. Even as he catalogued the monstrous dystopias emerging from social and political collapse in Mexico, even as he prophesied the bleakest of futures for our ransacked planet, his love of life was undiminished – mainly because he could take such pleasure from the colour of a bird’s throat, the feel of a woman’s thigh under his fingertips, the rain falling like arrows on the desert as the sky convulsed in thunder." from essay above

Books

https://www.amazon.com/Charles-Bowde...=books&ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-City-C...=books&ie=UTF8


"Legalized drugs would cause dislocations in the US economy - the prison industry for example and tens of billions spent annually on drug enforcement. But because the US economy is so large, this would be a minor blow, hardly as severe as the ultimate nightmare for the US economy, global peace, which would shutter its death industry commonly called the military/industrial complex." Charles Bowden

[Oboe]

Sounds like another liberal "expert".

[OGIS]

If you are a libertarian or other free market fantastic check out his wring on Mexico and the workers. Their pay, their hours, their deaths, again stay away if you want to remain a naive free marketer.

The last thing Mexico is, is a free market economy. There are, I think, seven families that control virtually all of the land and infrastructure in Mexico. And, of course, the government, which is a typical 3rd world kleptocracy. It's essentially a feudal nation.

[Admiral Ackbar]

The last thing Mexico is, is a free market economy. There are, I think, seven families that control virtually all of the land and infrastructure in Mexico. And, of course, the government, which is a typical 3rd world kleptocracy. It's essentially a feudal nation.

So you now understand why Trump is so protective of the US economy from places like Mexico and China. The US is unique in the world in terms of culture and its ecomomy.

So lets agree we should be careful who we let in to the country as not to build the underclass they have in China and Mexico. He wants to deregulate and lower taxes to keep the economy functioning free.


Congratulations @midcan5 You are officially on the MAGA team. The President appreciates your vote in 2020

[patrickt]

The last thing Mexico is, is a free market economy. There are, I think, seven families that control virtually all of the land and infrastructure in Mexico. And, of course, the government, which is a typical 3rd world kleptocracy. It's essentially a feudal nation.

They ruined the country by trying to be socialists and are backing away trying to salvage what they have. Of course, I realize that people on the left and the right who condemn Mexico know nothing about it.

Of course, the U.S. isn't a representative democracy. There are, I think, seven families that control the Democrat Party.

[midcan5]

Some suggestions for reading in the new year, please be aware should you accept the challenge of reading a few of the books listed below you will be changed. Proceed with caution. Great Holiday gifts too for the thoughtful reader.

“One must be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” Cassandra Clare

Alpha order. Various topics.

'Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle' by Daniel L. Everett
'Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis' by J. D. Vance
'Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain' David Eagleman
'Merchants of Doubt' by Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. M. Conway
'On Human Nature' by Edward O. Wilson
'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century' by Timothy Snyder
'One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway - and Its Aftermath' by Seierstad, Åsne and Sarah Death
'Paul Farmer: Servant to the Poor' by Jennie Weiss Block
'Prehistory: The Making Of The Human Mind' by Colin Renfrew
'The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark' Carl Sagan
'The Modern Mind: An Intellectual History of the 20th Century' by Peter Watson
'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman
'The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science' by Will Storr
'Voltaire's Bas-tards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West' John Ralston Saul
'World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech' by Franklin Foer
'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance' By Robert Pirsig

Check Goodreads for reviews, many of the books are challenging and they will change you and change the way you see. Best of luck.

"The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading." David Bailey

[Sergeant Gleed]

Some suggestions for reading in the new year, please be aware should you accept the challenge of reading a few of the books listed below you will be changed. Proceed with caution. Great Holiday gifts too for the thoughtful reader.

“One must be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” Cassandra Clare

Alpha order. Various topics.

'Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle' by Daniel L. Everett
'Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis' by J. D. Vance
'Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain' David Eagleman
'Merchants of Doubt' by Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. M. Conway
'On Human Nature' by Edward O. Wilson
'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century' by Timothy Snyder
'One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway - and Its Aftermath' by Seierstad, Åsne and Sarah Death
'Paul Farmer: Servant to the Poor' by Jennie Weiss Block
'Prehistory: The Making Of The Human Mind' by Colin Renfrew
'The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark' Carl Sagan
'The Modern Mind: An Intellectual History of the 20th Century' by Peter Watson
'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman
'The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science' by Will Storr
'Voltaire's Bas-tards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West' John Ralston Saul
'World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech' by Franklin Foer
'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance' By Robert Pirsig

Check Goodreads for reviews, many of the books are challenging and they will change you and change the way you see. Best of luck.

"The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading." David Bailey

So...

...is they principle villain in the "Unpersuadables" book those lying jerks who keep telling us that we are all going to die, in the next decade, because cows fart?

[midcan5]

"We are here on Earth to fart around." Kurt Vonnegut

So... ...is they principle villain in the "Unpersuadables" book those lying jerks who keep telling us that we are all going to die, in the next decade, because cows fart?

Not at all, it is a fascinating read, one of those books that can change the way you see the world or at least on a smaller scale lots of it. Read it, you will be glad you did, and wiser too. It goes both ways in direction, read it and you'll see why.


Change of pace, I am reading four books at the moment, bad habit but good too. I am re-reading two of Kurt Vonnegut's non fiction books. Vonnegut has a magical and often profound way of saying hard things in a comical manner. I may quote a bit of it in another post, but again excellent writing and deep thoughts on all subjects.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...rse_Than_Death


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...hout_a_Country


"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center." Kurt Vonnegut

"Evolution can go to hell as far as I am concerned. What a mistake we are. We have mortally wounded this sweet life-supporting planet - the only one in the whole Milky Way - with a century of transportation whoopee." Kurt Vonnegut

"Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything." Kurt Vonnegut

"If people think nature is their friend, then they sure don't need an enemy." Kurt Vonnegut

[Hoosier8]

Some suggestions for reading in the new year, please be aware should you accept the challenge of reading a few of the books listed below you will be changed. Proceed with caution. Great Holiday gifts too for the thoughtful reader.

“One must be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” Cassandra Clare

Alpha order. Various topics.

'Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle' by Daniel L. Everett
'Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis' by J. D. Vance
'Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain' David Eagleman
'Merchants of Doubt' by Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. M. Conway
'On Human Nature' by Edward O. Wilson
'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century' by Timothy Snyder
'One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway - and Its Aftermath' by Seierstad, Åsne and Sarah Death
'Paul Farmer: Servant to the Poor' by Jennie Weiss Block
'Prehistory: The Making Of The Human Mind' by Colin Renfrew
'The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark' Carl Sagan
'The Modern Mind: An Intellectual History of the 20th Century' by Peter Watson
'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman
'The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science' by Will Storr
'Voltaire's Bas-tards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West' John Ralston Saul
'World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech' by Franklin Foer
'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance' By Robert Pirsig

Check Goodreads for reviews, many of the books are challenging and they will change you and change the way you see. Best of luck.

"The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading." David Bailey

I highly recommend Hillbilly Ellegy. We read this one as a club and I have experience with the same kind of folks as I married into a family and also had neighbors from the same areas. He outlines the culture very very well. If I were to deal with anyone on a person to person basis, I would choose people from this culture because their word is highly important and they take care of issues themselves which is refreshing in today's complain first, sue next culture.

Murder City by Bowden looks like a good pick for reading.

[montana]

Some suggestions for reading in the new year, please be aware should you accept the challenge of reading a few of the books listed below you will be changed. Proceed with caution. Great Holiday gifts too for the thoughtful reader.

“One must be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” Cassandra Clare

Alpha order. Various topics.

'Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle' by Daniel L. Everett
'Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis' by J. D. Vance
'Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain' David Eagleman
'Merchants of Doubt' by Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. M. Conway
'On Human Nature' by Edward O. Wilson
'On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century' by Timothy Snyder
'One of Us: The Story of a Massacre in Norway - and Its Aftermath' by Seierstad, Åsne and Sarah Death
'Paul Farmer: Servant to the Poor' by Jennie Weiss Block
'Prehistory: The Making Of The Human Mind' by Colin Renfrew
'The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark' Carl Sagan
'The Modern Mind: An Intellectual History of the 20th Century' by Peter Watson
'The Rhetoric of Reaction: Perversity, Futility, Jeopardy' Albert O. Hirschman
'The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science' by Will Storr
'Voltaire's Bas-tards: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West' John Ralston Saul
'World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech' by Franklin Foer
'Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance' By Robert Pirsig

Check Goodreads for reviews, many of the books are challenging and they will change you and change the way you see. Best of luck.

"The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading." David Bailey

you forgot to mention IGNORANCE OF THE LEFT by midcan.It s great satire.