Wildly Interesting Books

  • Adam's Task by Vicki Hearne
  • Anything by Colin Cotterill
  • Auguries of Innocence by Patti Smith
  • Big Box Swindle by Stacy Mitchell
  • Darwin: A Life in Poems by Ruth Padel
  • Gehry Draws
  • Human Smoke by Nicholson Baker
  • Out of Our Heads by Ava Noe
  • Stylepedia: A Guide to Graphic Design, Mannerisms, Quirks and Conceits
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson
  • The God of Small Things by Arundahti Roy
  • The Long Fall by Walter Mosely
  • The Martin Beck Series by Maj Sjowall and Per Waloo
  • The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
  • The Wrecking Crew by Thomas Frank
  • Vermeeer in Bosnia by Lawrence Weschler

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Toom's Response to my Endorsement of the Nader/Gonzalez ticket

Far be it from me to interfere with anyone's political self-expression. However, I would like to present my analysis of the current electoral/political conjuncture. Assuming that OBama and McCain are the Democratic and Republican nominees, and assuming that one of the two will be elected president, the question of which may be profoundly important for American politics. A McCain victory would be an endorsement of attempts to carry on the war indefinitely and a reaffirmation that American political discourse should be limited in a profoundly conservative way. However progressive Obama turns out to be or not be, an Obama victory would establish the impression of a reemergence of a sense of hope, a desire for change in the American populace. Even if Obama were to betray all his promises, the possibility of progressive movements being stimulated would be enormously enhanced, I believe, by him winning. LBJ's victory in 1964 is an analogy here. Johnson betrayed those who voted for him by intensifying the Vietnam war. However, the anti-war movements, the women's movement, civil rights etc. movements did grow in the afterward of his victory. I believe that a Goldwater victory would have had a chilling effect upon these and other social movements. The same is true, I think, if McCain defeats Obama. This is obviously not the only factor to be considered with respect to the November election, but I don't think it should be forgotten either.Cheers,

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