That was quite interesting.

[jetsam1]

After heeding someone's recomendation (possibly EGB's I think) I have begun reading Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky. Just read the first 'section' all about the media and the USA and terrorist client states and especially the aread of media 'propaganda' and motivation I find it kind of syncs with my views before reading it. Of course in a much more intelligently argued and structured way (of course!)

I now feel that I am very poorly educated about politics in general and am now feeling I should really know a lot more (steady now!
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
). So to those on here who know a little about these sorts of things, any recommendations for further investigation? It'll take me a little while to get through the current bookstock (random purchasing of whatever looked interesting in the shop!). When I say 'politics' I mean generally how the world works and how it should work, and also interesting areas eg the Middle East and why things are as they are, the historical background to the current mess (I think you can see the intellectual area I come from) and anything else that might be interesting.

Actually, we should start a thread up of useful resources as they are posted up, a sort of 'education if you want it type thing'.

Ok? So that is todays challenge, expand!! And my friend in the local bookshop shiould be able to get virtually anything in print too! Bonus!

[Dub]

Originally Posted by jetsam1
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

After heeding someone's recomendation (possibly EGB's I think) I have begun reading Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky. Just read the first 'section' all about the media and the USA and terrorist client states and especially the aread of media 'propaganda' and motivation I find it kind of syncs with my views before reading it. Of course in a much more intelligently argued and structured way (of course!)

I now feel that I am very poorly educated about politics in general and am now feeling I should really know a lot more (steady now!
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
). So to those on here who know a little about these sorts of things, any recommendations for further investigation? It'll take me a little while to get through the current bookstock (random purchasing of whatever looked interesting in the shop!). When I say 'politics' I mean generally how the world works and how it should work, and also interesting areas eg the Middle East and why things are as they are, the historical background to the current mess (I think you can see the intellectual area I come from) and anything else that might be interesting.

Actually, we should start a thread up of useful resources as they are posted up, a sort of 'education if you want it type thing'.

Ok? So that is todays challenge, expand!! And my friend in the local bookshop shiould be able to get virtually anything in print too! Bonus!

Also on EGBs recommendation I read "The Retreat of Reason" by Anthony Browne - which I must admit I thought was going to be a bit high brow but I read it all in one sitting as i was enjoying it so much.

Now...on guess whos recommendation - I am reading "Prayer for the Assassin" (cant remember the author) and it too is a fecking good read.

Would recommend both of these EGB recommendations to anyone else.

[gun ainm]

EGB recommends Chomsky ranks right up there with Dixie Chicken recommending Braveheart as an accurate biography of certain Mr Wallace
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


mind you he did express an increasing sympathy for anarchistic theory recently so perhaps a damascene conversion has (finally) occured?
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[jetsam1]

It's all grist to the millstone though.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[wee 162]

Originally Posted by jetsam1
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

After heeding someone's recomendation (possibly EGB's I think) I have begun reading Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky. Just read the first 'section' all about the media and the USA and terrorist client states and especially the aread of media 'propaganda' and motivation I find it kind of syncs with my views before reading it. Of course in a much more intelligently argued and structured way (of course!)

I now feel that I am very poorly educated about politics in general and am now feeling I should really know a lot more (steady now!
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
). So to those on here who know a little about these sorts of things, any recommendations for further investigation? It'll take me a little while to get through the current bookstock (random purchasing of whatever looked interesting in the shop!). When I say 'politics' I mean generally how the world works and how it should work, and also interesting areas eg the Middle East and why things are as they are, the historical background to the current mess (I think you can see the intellectual area I come from) and anything else that might be interesting.

Actually, we should start a thread up of useful resources as they are posted up, a sort of 'education if you want it type thing'.

Ok? So that is todays challenge, expand!! And my friend in the local bookshop shiould be able to get virtually anything in print too! Bonus!

Might have been me...

Specifically on the middle east Robert Fisks "The Great War For Civilisation" is out in paperback on the 2nd October. I've no actually read it yet since I refuse to lug a 1000 page harback about, but I'd imagine it is pretty good judged on having skimmed several bits in Waterstones over the last few months (I actually get pissed off when there isn't a copy there when I've nout to do at lunchtime
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
). Re-read Fateful Triangle (also by Chomsky) recently which is all about the US/ Israel/ Palestine, and while it is still very readable, it's definetely dated to the early 80s with a lot events overtaking the analysis. Based on that it's probably no worth buying, but if you want a lend gimme a shout and I'll get it to you next game at ER or something.

In a different style, a collection of investigative reporting called "Tell Me No Lies" edited by John Pilger is outstanding. It's chronological and covers lots of stories by different reporters from, the liberation of Dachau, to the aftermath of the bombing of Hirsohima, to the My Lai massacre, and an Israeli reporters (whose name escapes me) investigation of Gaza in the 90s. There's some slightly lighter stuff (and thank feck for that!) as well, and I'd reccomend it for a more human perspective than a lot of more scholarly stuff.

For a completely different take on history from the one you know, you could read Eric Hobsbawm. He's a Marxist historian and he wrote a series of four books covering history from 1789 to the 1990s called Age Of (Revolution, Capital, Empire, and Revolution respectively if I mind right). The ones before the 20th Century are a bit dry at times, but I found Age Of Revolution really readable.

edit: BTW I'm not trying to indoctrinate you
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I'm assuming you have some knowledge about things, and most of the above will probably challenge your current understanding which is what it sounds like you're looking for.

[egb_hibs]

I have to say that I cannot claim credit for advocating the chomsky felly, suspect Al, as he himself points out, it a more likely candidate
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[jetsam1]

possibly! Picked it up on impulse as I recognised the name from somewhere!

[jetsam1]

Originally Posted by wee 162
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

edit: BTW I'm not trying to indoctrinate you
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
I'm assuming you have some knowledge about things, and most of the above will probably challenge your current understanding which is what it sounds like you're looking for.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
No bother, it's good to have more than one opinion on things. Been travelling around a lot recently and been reading stuff like Time and various newspapers and have found some of the crazyiness quite interesting and want to try and understand it all a bit more as I get the impression that the bredth of knowledge of history both ancient and contemporary is a little narrow in tis country.

And damn it! It's just nice to know things!
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.