Book Recs? and an idea

I’m hatching an idea and want to toss it around here for feedback & input. I’m thinking of  DK folks who are either resistant or overwhelmed with discussions on the whole Truth:Torture  topic. My idea is, it would be a group effort, to do a new Weekly Series on the subject, with three or so items in each Issue: a Book Review, a Website Review; and , #3, is a Wild Card. #3 could be a music video, a cartoon, or lulz, or something.  

Maybe also include a Week In Review Update / Summary of News too.

Ya know… “Torture Lite”…

What do you think?

I confess my motives are selfish, or selfishly-inspired because I need this! I’ve been flying on fumes and my own limited wit for quite some time now. Maybe I should use this moment to try to explain myself a little, something I’ve been meaning to do here. (And after today, I go to Sleep Mode since DH and DD will be on spring break).

I really have been “living under a rock” for a long time.

I only came back to this realm at all in January 2007, after about a 30 year hiatus. Ostrich Syndrome mostly. It was Obama who lured me back at first and I camped out in the FB 1M Strong Group for most of last spring. A good place to start. Then I migrated over to DK after the summer passed.

As a teenager, early 70’s, I actually was a Peace Activist. I was involved with this Friday Night Group, a discussion group, youth group of the local American Friends Service Committee. Most of the other kids in that group were… you, you people. Valtin. Lol. (except Im not kidding… JS is that you?!?) I am no  “policy wonk”, by any stretch, but my instincts are good, and that group in particular did pretty much pave the way, sow the seeds. The Adult there too, Scott, especially.

Anyway… In  1974-75 I went away to college and left all that behind, for the most part. Life goes on.   I’ve always danced around the edges and I gravitate toward arty circles.

Fast forward to this century… I know I re-surfaced when the Abu Graib stuff came to light but I only found Code Pink and that did not “take” for me. Ive been a SAHM for 12 years and I really really am coming out of a desert… and I am very very thirsty!

Top 2 Books on my To Read List:

Shock Doctrine

Dark Side, Jane Mayer

Maybe this one?  The Way of the World: A Story of Truth and Hope in an Age of Extremism, Ron Suskind

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Worl…

Hope this helps clear the fog a little.

Thanks, KC

8 comments

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  1. hi.

  2. I live in Tennessee which bears some similarity to living under a rock.

  3. You must’ve been very shocked when you actually emerged from “under a rock.”  

    It’s also very difficult, depending on where you live.

    There are so, so many books out there on all that has gone on.  You might do an Amazon search on government/political.

    One book that I read, impressed me greatly.  It helped me to understand what has been going on and how, in a sense, this all has been brewing for some time.  Entitled “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” by John Perkins.  Very fascinating, but shocking!

  4. on 9.11… never seen it. Bought it today at the Half Price Books (they didnt have any of the books i wanted).

    So I just started to watch it, and I will probably lose my mind a little. heh. Just warning you.  

  5. I recommend

    Naomi Klien’s The Shock Doctrine The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

    Political Fictions by Joan Didion A series of essays written about electoral politics during the 80’s culminating in Clintons campaign.  

    Dreaming Up America by Russel Banks, a novelist, he wrote these essays after doing a documentary for French TV, which had novelists explaining the American dream. I loved it it is not wonky but uses our history to explain how we culturally and politically got to this place.

    Common Sense -Thomas Paine, reread it after my 30 years under a rock. Amazing book as it is as relevant now as ever. Great arguments for democracy, that we seem to have over and over.

    Democracy in America by Alex de Tocqueville  another oldie that like Russel Bank’s book gives you a view of America culturally and politically from the outside.

    For an ostrich your really an articulate voice who didn’t seem to miss much under your rock.      

     

  6. Slimey supra-national fat cats only interested in global exploitation.  Scumbaggery globally that pales in comparison to mere Wall Street has beens.

  7. to come out in paperback…

    Six Questions for Jane Mayer, Author of The Dark Side

    http://www.harpers.org/archive

    from Harper’s last summer, very interesting…. includes some remarks regarding the ICRC report that was not yet leaked at the time of the interview.

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