Tag: Book Review

Hillbilly Elegy: A Review

This is an IST public service announcement (PSA)……

Since Trump named JD Vance his running mate last week the author’s book has been flying off the shelves both on-line and brick and mortar bookstores.

Since I refuse to waste money on a book written by a racist blowhard I have to depend on other sources for the review.

After extensive research I found a review that might help any fence sitters decide whether this guy has a place in our nation’s leadership.

I’m no fan of Hillbilly Elegy, the 2020 movie starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close, but when I picked up the book it’s based on recently, in light of rumors that its author, J.D. Vance, would be Donald Trump’s pick for vice president, I expected it to feel more substantive than its screen adaptation.

At one time, liberal and conservative centrists alike hailed Vance’s bestselling 2016 memoir of making it out of rural, poverty-stricken Appalachia, transforming himself from a tempestuous teen into a successful Yale law school grad.

Yet years on, Vance has undergone a transformation of a different sort, remolding himself from a fairly moderate professed conservative who once compared Trump to Hitler and wrote with disdain about the outer edges of the party into a would-be authoritarian.

That’s not to say Vance doesn’t have some nuanced and even appealing positions. His populist economic instincts are a running theme of Elegy, and today he makes deals across the aisle with Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren. But to understand his larger worldview, you have to look past his economic ideas to his social ideas — and to what Vance actually displays about himself throughout the book.

Perhaps readers in 2016 were eager to look past the book’s highly loaded subtext and overt classism, as the promise of a sympathetic conservative who could unlock Trumplandia for liberals was just too appealing. It also seems likely that readers loved the book because it confirmed all of the negative stereotypes they already held about country hicks. As a read on Vance himself, though, in the context of his subsequent embrace of Trump and far-right ideology, Hillbilly Elegy paints a portrait of a man obsessed with status — and brimming with contempt for just about everyone he meets.

https://www.vox.com/culture/360909/jd-vance-how-true-is-hillbilly-elegy-classism

Nothing about this ‘person’ would lead me to vote for him or any party that would have him as second to the presidential candidate.

I even posted a piece written by someone who knows the man’s story…..

Will The Real JD Vance Stand Up?

Paul Krugman put it right….”this is the man that put ‘con’ in conservatism”.

I hope this was helpful in some small way.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Once And Future Infowars

Well first the Infowars in this post has nothing to with the site from the uber-conspiracist, Alex Jones….or the tin foil hat crowd…..

We have seen how social media has played into our elections and the spread of crappy world views….some might even say “fake news”…..but the future of social media is in question….maybe not by everyone but some at least……

A new book covers this subject……..

Violence, like Twitter, is a means of communication. If we do not understand it as such, its place in international relations makes no sense. As Thomas Schelling wrote in 1966: “The power to hurt is bargaining power. To exploit it is diplomacy — vicious diplomacy, but diplomacy.” Thinkers such as Joseph Nye and John Arquilla have argued that future wars will be determined by “whose story wins” more than who wins on the battlefield. Any analysis of narratives affecting war, however, must explain how violence itself shapes and destroys narratives. Violence may be a terrible way of communicating, but it will always be the ultimate way for states to signal their intentions and capabilities when discourse fails.

Journalist David Patrikarakos’ War in 140 Characters is an extremely rewarding, yet hopeless attempt to argue that new information technology — specifically, social media — has fundamentally “destabilized classic forms of war” and suggest that something new is upon us. According to Patrikarakos, social media is “one thing above all else: effect without cause.” As a result, it has given actors without any resources the ability to have an impact on what he calls the “narrative” and “discursive” levels of war, at which actors interpret the truth and political meaning of military action. Since the narrative and discursive levels of war have a greater impact on the political outcome of a war than military operations, effective tweeting can make battles irrelevant. And since non-state actors are better at tweeting than the West’s discredited institutions, they have gained an unprecedented advantage. The pernicious effects of battlefield social media thus threaten “the very idea that wars between state and non-state actors are asymmetric.”

https://warontherocks.com/2018/03/the-once-and-future-infowars/

It is up in the air on the future of social media….Facebook has called into question the security on these sites and points to ways they can be exploited.

Personally, I have never trusted any of them as far as I could spit them….my footprint on social media is very small to the point of being damn near none existent.

I have no confidence still and will continue to use them sparingly.

The Original Power Grab

The closer the election day we get the more total garbage is being said by the candidates….I chose to ignore the mindless dribble coming from all those opinionated twats in the media and look for something that is at least interesting and informative…..

These days we hear about the power grab that Trump has made over the GOP…..but this is not the only such grab.

In my early days of college I was working on a degree in political history….especially the early days say 1765-1800…..those were fascinating days…..the delegates worked to come up with a government for the colonies….

There is a new book coming out about those early days…..”The Founding Father’s Power Grab”…..it is written about the Constitution and its meaning and ratification…..

Throughout the hot Philadelphia summer of 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention labored to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new frame of government. While the convention nearly broke down several times over slavery and the apportionment of representation among the states, by late September the delegates had achieved their goal and produced a new constitution—the one Americans still live with. No delegate was completely satisfied with the process or the results; of the 55 who attended the convention only 39 signed the finished document. Overall, though, the signers were pleased with the system they created. James Wilson of Pennsylvania judged it, “The best form of government which has ever been offered to the world.” Next, the Constitution was sent to the states to be debated and, the Framers hoped, ratified.

Few people in the state ratifying conventions shared Wilson’s enthusiasm. The proposed government was less democratic than either the Articles of Confederation or the individual state constitutions.

Source: The Founding Fathers’ Power Grab | New Republic

I have written in the past that those early days were anything but idyllic….there was much dissent and argument……there was not a consensus.

Info Ink Book Review #7

I do not normally do many book reviews…..I read constantly and there are few books that I feel I need to offer my opinion on…….last Xmas I was given a book entitled “American Emperor:  Aaron Burr’s Challenge To Jefferson’s America” written by David O. Stewart…….I live in Mississippi and since Burr was arrested in the Mississippi Territory I have always been interested in his (Burr’s) activities and being a fan of political history……..I finally read probably the most interesting account of the actions of Aaron Burr.

I was given this book because most people that know me know that I am not one that worships at the alter of Jefferson……..while I consider him a splendid politician he was not the idealist that some seem to think he was….and for that reason I do not believe that he wrote the Declaration of Independence….he was working from notes for the ideas were already in print…in Paine’s “Common Sense”…

Enough of my dislike for the cult of Jefferson…….the book is an excellent read and I am kicking myself for not reading it soon after I received it……Mr. Stewart gave an account of the whole Burr conspiracy thing from about 1800 to his arrest and trial for treason……..Mr. Stewart’s research disclaimed a lot of the accusations against Burr…like his duel with Hamilton in which the later was killed….as well as Jefferson’s treatment of him (Burr) during the 1804 presidential election and then on to Burr’s attempt to form an army to go to New Orleans and westward and form a new country apart from the America of Jefferson.  The author’s description of the plotters interactions was well documented and extremely interesting…..and then there was the condescension of Jefferson toward Burr and the conspirators…..as if no one would dare oppose the father of the Declaration….was all too clear….well at least for me……

All in all an excellent book by an excellent author….Mr. Stewart wrote a brilliant account of the part of American History that few people know……..if you are a fan of political history and early American history I highly recommend this book….the reader will NOT be disappointed.

I apologize to the person who gave me the book as a gift and I apologize to the author for not reading it sooner….I shall not make that mistake again……..

2011 Info Ink Book Review #1

From time to time I am given a book that someone wants my opinion on….usually it is politically motivated or historically motivated……and for the Xmas we all celebrate I was given a book entitled “Revolutionaries” by Jack Rakove….about the beginning of this great country and the events that lead to its establishment……

The official title is….”Revolutionaries:  A New History Of The Invention Of America” by Jack Rakove,  a Pulitzer prize winner…..

We all know the general story of the founding of the country….the Tea Party, Paul’s ride, Concorde, Trenton Valley Forge…on and on…..through the Constitutional battles fought…to the swearing in of our first president……this is all generic and easily taught and more easily understood….but Mr, Rakove goes much further….like any political story or history, if you will, there are always back stories that seldom get talked about….this is where “Revolutionaries” begins….

He takes the reader from the Tea Party (the physical protest, not the political movement) to the ratification of the newly penned Constitution…all the battles fought in the political arena to find and then implement the “perfect” republic.

We all know the generic history of the founding of the United States of America, but Mr. Rakove takes the reader to the back stories of the founding from the firebrand Sam Adams to the snooze fest that was Washington (the man not the city), the intelligence of John Adams and Madison and all the in-betweens, the moderates, if you will.

All in all “Revolutionaries” is an excellent look at the early days of the revolution and the country……an excellent characterization of the players in the founding of the country…the inter-actions, the arguments, the radicals, the moderates and the wimpy…..

I recommend this book to anyone that has a deep desire to learn about the founding of the country, beyone the generic…..well done Mr. Rakove…..

2010 Info Ink Book Review #6

From time to time I am given a book that someone thinks that I will appreciate or dislike, usually as a gag gift…last year a conserv friend gave me Sarah Palin’s first book, which I thrashed and now that same well-meaning person is at it again…..this time it is her new book….

America By Heart:  Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag

It has been out now for awhile and all the speculation about her timing, her future is just noise by the media…..is she afraid of the larger cities…..seems a serious author would be jumping at the chance to show their stuff…..and there is the answer….a serious author…..it is about the cash….nothing else….no substance and no information….just attacks and convenient facts……

First of all, not a hard read if you have the IQ and reading skills  of a 12 year old…….a good way to waste an afternoon……

Second, just I thought….it was all about attacks on the pres and the Dems with a few references to famed political types in the past…such as Plato and Tocqueville, who she was so proud of for writing on the American exceptionalism that she overlooked the fact that he said there was NO, I repeat NO party of principles in the US…that somehow did not make her point so she eliminated it from her (with lots of help) thinking…..

As the face of the Tea Party she did what anyone would expect her to do….come to the rescue and defend the movement from attacks of various types.  At one point she chastised people for demonizing the TP, while she demonized the President and Dems……this is typical Palin spin and rhetoric….lots of cutesy but NO substance…..she just does not have what it takes to be a politico…..

One of my fav parts of this book  (I use the term loosely) was her attacks on Reality TV she calls them a “cult of self-esteem”……but wait!  She has a reality show on TLC and her daughter is on DWTS….this type of double standard is what she and her political rhetoric are all about….NOT centered in reality!

As usual she pointing out all that was wrong with the Obama presidency….and as usual with Conservs did not offer any substantive solutions….just endless criticism…..Her reflections are trite and puerile and if you were expecting anything other than that….you need a shrink!

The only saving grace was that it was a gift and I did not have to waste my money on this endeavor….all in all a complete waste of time….nothing informative and certainly not entertaining…….my advice is if you want something interesting and informative to read…try the closest port-a-potty!

Info Ink Book Review #5

Book:  Glenn Beck’s Common Sense by…you guessed it….Glenn Beck!

This book has been out for some time now…since last year….I would not buy it so one of my so-called friends got me a copy off of Amazon and gave it to me for my opinion……it has been awhile since I received the book and the 2010 elections got in the way of me writing this review…..well the elections are over (for now, but are they really ever over?)……and I have found time to write what I think of the book……

First of all, I am an admirer of the true Thomas Paine and his writings….the fact that Beck would presume to use the title of one of Paine’s most influential pamphlets…pissed me off…..but there is so much more….

Where Paine supported a retirement system, equality of the races, public education and real democracy, women’s rights and animal rights……Beck craps on everything Paine ever wrote….by attacking many of the very principles that Paine stood for in his many years of political activism….Sorry but in NO way is Beck in the company of greatness……..

Beck is an entertainer….not even an analyst….he makes up stuff to make his point and does not let facts and history get in his way….his writings are to sell books not enlighten a frightened populace….if anything he adds to any apprehension that the people may have about their country, their life and their politics………he offers NO solutions to complex problems other than some mindless ramblings….

Glenn Beck is NO Thomas Paine!

Info Ink Book Review #3

Everyone that knows me knows that I am a political junkie and therefore they think that I am some sort of genius when it comes to political books…..this review is of a book given to me by a friend because he knows of my efforts to disspell some of the hero worship of our Founding Fathers……

Political Incorrect Guide to The Founding Fathers by Brion McClanahan, Ph. D.

First of all this series is published by Regnery Publishing, Inc….a conservative group at best…..

About the author……is a well learned aficionado of  American History and of course he was born in Virginia…..he went to school in South Carolina, Maryland and now lives and writes from Alabama(a side note:  Phenix City Alabama use to be a huge speed trap town that screwed people with traffic tickets)……at best he is a loyal follower of the guys from Virginia who according to these people the sun rose and set on them and with them there would be NO US of A…..a conservative to say the least……

As a Virginian he made ev ery effort to show the anti-federalists in a bright light, people like Jefferson and Lee and Henry and in doing so took the time to try and paint the New Englanders as the elitists (sounds all too familiar these days)….he attempted to show that the Southern planters as the heroes that only wanted the best for the new country (a position which I do not agree with)…..

I will give him his props…..Dr. McClanahan wrote the book in a style that was easily read….it would give the average American could read and understand…..but with a noticeable conservative lean…if readers would read this book and then a book entitled “American Scripture” then they would have a good base to understand the beginnings of the United States of America……there is always more to the story than the flag waving cheerleading….unfortunately, Dr. McClanahan falls into the same BS that all conservatives fall into…..the Virginians saved the Union….

Info Ink Book Review–“Going Rogue”

I had considered spending the $20+ for Sarah Palin book just to see where she was going with her “philosophy”.  I was saved the decision by my son-in-law who bought the book yesterday as it went on sale for the first time.  He said that he wanted my opinion of it before he decided whether to read it or give it as a Christmas gift…you know kinda like that fruit cake that makes the rounds….

The review is for “Going Rogue” by Sarah Palin……..

Sarah Palin…the former beauty queen, former news person, former major of a small town, former governor of Alaska and former vice presidential candidate….damn!  That is a lot of former and now she is a writer and according to right wing news person, Rush Limbaugh, she has written the best policy book ever……the best policy book written was one of the reason I wanted to read it……I am a policy analyst and junkie so with that recommendation I just had to read it…..

The 400+ pages was easily read….it was in the style of a 5th grader which means that anyone with half a brain can grasp what she is trying to say….which should make it a best seller and popular book……

But what does she write?  I now know that Todd without a shirt makes her randy……I know that she hates the media….which was something that was pretty well documented but she hates them to the point of taking them fishing with the hope that they would get muddy and s”slimy”….I now know, at least according to Palin, that the losing efforts on the GOP’s part was nothing to do with her…that she was the only winner they had…..I now know that the McCain campaign tried to control her eating habits……that Schmidt and Wallace were working against her and made her do things she knew was not in the best interests of the campaign…..her grasp of policy was nowhere in the book….she talked about the stim plan as if it was the bailout…..so the one policy she tackled was wrong…..

All in all her book is an attack on ther McCain organization and a call to arms for the mindless….there is nothing of substance in the book….which means that it will be a hit for this country loves mindlessness….that could explain the popularity of FOX and reality shows.

Okay back to Limbaugh…..he said the it was the best policy book written…..I thought I missed something and read it again….yes again…it is a very easy book to read when youi have nothing of substance to worry about checking…..the second time I was less impressed than the first time…..Limbaugh?  He is either getting paid to promote her book or he is a moron……I would like to believe that he is the first option and not the second……If anyone was looking for a policy book like other politicians, then you will be sadly disappointed.

The best thing I can say about the book is that no one will get a headache trying to keep up with her thinking….or if you suffer from insomnia….I prescribe “Going Rogue” and sleep like a baby.