Death of the Liberal Class by Chris Hedges
Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt by Chris Hedges
I haven’t read either but they are on my “what to read next” list.
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I’ll second this one. As a psychologist (not psychiatrist) I don’t feel bound by the Goldwater rule, and would certainly join the authors if asked!
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whoa. i didn’t know chris hedges had published anything since War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning… Thanks!
“This Is How It Begins” by Joan Dempsey
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[https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Chains-History-Radical-Stealth/dp/1101980966]
Despite its breathless, clickbait title, Nancy MacLean’s Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America is a must-read for understanding why the U.S. is in the soup right now. Meticulously researched and presented, it complements and provides a deeper backstory for Jane Mayer’s Dark Money . Completely engaging and eye-opening.
The wonderful book about the Electoral College gone wrong, written by Jeff Greenfield, “The People’s Choice”. And he wrote it years before George W. or Trump ran.
The story:
What happens if the President-Elect dies after the election, but before the Electoral College votes? Does the “loser” Presidential candidate win? Does the Vice-President elect then become President? Laws vary by each state - if the laws are clear what to do anyway.
Throw in a Dan Quayle-like VP-elect, and an Electoral College member who doesn’t want to vote as she is told and you get a book that I LAUGHED OUT LOUD to.
Enjoy.
Did someone already mention Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance? I didn’t read all the posts in this thread so perhaps it was already mentioned, but it’s a fascinating view of the southern working poor and how much of that is systemic.
This is a brilliant and super depressing if not accurate take on today.
I can’t stop thinking about Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. Decades old and painfully accurate.
I also recommend Strangers In Their Own Land and Merchants of Doubt.
Remember to balance with Pema Chodron’s When Things Fall Apart…
It totally turned my head around when I read it in college, it’s been part of my worldview ever since, but I reread it for the first time in 2017. Definitely a good choice, and I’ve been recommending it to others,
POLARIZED! The Case for Civility in the Time of Trump: An experiment in civil discourse on Facebook by Jeff Rasley
In the US, our body politic is suffering from a sickness. Political polarization has become so extreme it has spawned violence against and by politicians. A new syndrome, “post-election stress disorder”, is recognized by psychologists. Instead of trying to lower the temperature, the media, politicians, and political action committees (PACs) stoke the angry passion of extremism.
Social media has contributed to this culture of outrage. It is polluted by the rantings of bigots, trolls, and terrorists. Fear-mongering politicians use it to widen social, economic, and ideological divisions. Social media could be a medium for civil discussions about political issues, but the temptation to respond impulsively and angrily has made politics even more toxic. It’s just easier to rant and vent or hide out in like-minded silos.
Is there any possibility of a cure for the sickness of our body politic?
Facebook is the largest forum in the history of humankind for free and open communication among citizens. It can be used to engage in meaningful conversations about important political, social, and economic issues. Facebook has the potential, as described by Mark Zuckerberg, to be a medium where people discover their common values and connect in uplifting and enlightening ways. Or, it can be used to further aggravate prejudices and divisions.
The choice is ours to make.
As is demonstrated in Jeff Rasley’s latest book “regular folks” can use their social networks for civil discussion and debate, and then for positive political action. Whatever our political leaning, we need not imitate President Trump by tweeting insults and ridicule at political opponents.
Who do we want to be as a nation?
“The Case for Civility” exposes the causes and effects of hyper-partisanship. It offers a “modest proposal” to treat the symptoms of toxic polarization at the grassroots level. An experiment Rasley conducted in Facebook based on the values of civility, tolerance, pragmatism, and moderation proves we can cure what ails us.
https://www.amazon.com/POLARIZED-Case-Civility-Time-Trump-ebook/dp/B073JT4LPT/
The Trump Phenomenon: How the Politics of Populism Won in 2016, by Peter Kivisto
No, it is not bad to recommend your own book if it is relevant – and I believe it IS relevant! I just watched this earlier today: https://www.facebook.com/ILoveYouAmericaWithSarahSilverman/videos/1613988585349239/
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I’m going back a bit and reading Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Player Piano’.
PS, could be useful to publish the list on Goodreads or similar?
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I think another insightful book for these times is ALICE IN WONDERLAND.
Here are a couple more for when some of the amazing books listed here get you to feeling like there’s very little hope:
Tales of Two Americas: Stories of Inequality in a Divided Nation by John Freeman - essays, journalism, poetry, and short stories from 36 contemporary writers sharing a multitude of perspectives on life in America today. https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Two-Americas-Stories-Inequality/dp/0143131036
What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner - a powerful reminder that patriotism and nationalism are not the same thing, and that you are not alone in wanting the best for and from your country. https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Two-Americas-Stories-Inequality/dp/0143131036____
I may have missed it somewhere in this long thread, but I recommend reading James Baldwin, especially his essays, like “Notes From A Native Son” and “The Fire Next Time”, beautiful writing and deep thoughts about this country.
“A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn is a must read. It covers practically every social and political protest movement in the history of the U.S. and it’s very useful to see what has been tried before, what worked and what didn’t work.
“Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich, and “The Way To The Spring:Life and Death in Palestine” by Ben Ehrenreich, who happens to be her son, both worth reading.
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Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff, is a surreal, post-modern account of Trump’s contentious first 100 days in the White House. Credibility and inaccuracies aside this is an incredibly enjoyable read. Fire and Fury with it’s almost Fitzgeraldian themes and frightening conclusion will serve history as a cautionary tale of dangers of demagoguery in democracy.
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A Must-Read - “Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh and America’s Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941” by Lynne Olson. The battle between the isolationists and the interventionists. Had Lindbergh and his ilk succeeded, the US might never have gotten involved in WWII. Politics at its worst and much like the factions (America, First) of today. But at least POTUS of the day wasn’t bordering on crazy - and there was no Twitter.