Australian Politics Forum - What are you currently reading?

fezz

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #165 - May 4^th, 2014 at 8:59pm

Today I read the speech War is a Racket by Major General Smedley Butler.

Butler was America's most decorated soldier and General in the US forces and wrote this speech (1934) along with several other essays and books on the subject of war and the massive profits war generates for a select few, and why we will always have war in the capitalist state. As long as Gordon Gecko's words are sustained, Greed is Good, young men and women will be sent to war for profit.

The next book I have just begun is Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins.

Excerpts:

"Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign "aid" organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization."

and

"It is one part of the struggle for world domination and the dream of a few greedy men, global empire. That is what we EHMs do best: we build a global empire.
We are an elite group of men and women who utilize international financial organizations to foment conditions that make other nations subservient to the corporatocracy running our biggest corporations, our government, and our banks. Like our counterparts in the Mafia, EHMs provide favors. These take the form of loans to develop infrastructure — electric generating plants, highways, ports, airports, or industrial parks. A condition of such loans is that engineering and construction companies from our own country must build all these projects. In essence, most of the money never leaves the United States; it is simply transferred from banking offices in Washington to engineering offices in New York, Houston, or San Francisco. Despite the fact that the money is returned almost immediately to corporations that are members of the corporatocracy (the creditor), the recipient country is required to pay it all back, principal plus interest. If an EHM is completely successful, the loans are so large that the debtor is forced to default on its payments after a few years. When this happens, then like the Mafia we demand our pound of flesh. This often includes one or more of the following: control over United Nations
votes, the installation of military bases, or access to precious resources such as oil or the Panama Canal. Of course, the debtor still owes us the money—and another country is added to our global empire."

Sounds familiar...Ukraine is the latest to join the money / debt merry go round. When it can no longer meet its debt obligations, I'm sure we'll see another US military base installed closer to Russia and the bleeding of Ukraine's natural resources to the highest bidder.

If I were to be cynical, it would appear that there is an EHM play going down right now in Australia.

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« Last Edit: May 4^th, 2014 at 9:26pm by fezz »

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Emma

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #166 - May 4^th, 2014 at 9:25pm

austranger wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 11:59am:

Emma wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 3:16am:

yes ..must agree that reading is a blissful escape from this best of all possible worlds. Huh

I've read my share of 'classics'.. and these days I'm all for escapist literature.

Trouble is I can never keep up with the books, authors or series I read.

I've lost track of the books I've read. I know some people keep a diary, other's, Library borrowers , mark the book they've read .. so that they can see if they've read it before, and it's 'grade'. Never bothered myself, but now, in my dotage, I wish I had.

Will never be able to read all the books I'd like to, ..but it beats the hell out of sitting passively watching the fodder on the visual media.

Right with you on keeping track, put simply, I've given up trying, lol.
I remember those I've read more than once as a rule, and often find myself partway into a book and realising I've read it before. If I can't remember the finish I keep reading, if I can I put it aside.
I use Libraries all the time, books are far too expensive now. If I read one that has a sequel or is part of a series I only need to ask, if they can't immediately supply the other(s) they will generally get it in for me. If I like a book I'll look for others by the same author, or read the blurbs or reviews on it, they often reference other similar books that I will then look for.
I find I get absorbed into the written word far deeper than anything onscreen, and as you say, that's mostly bubble-gum for the brain anyway. Many's the time I've been lost in the pages to look up and realise I've read on into and/or beyond the night, or a decent bed-time anyway, lol. I totally avoid reading before any important event or appointment for that very reason, lol, I've made that mistake in the past and paid for it. You have NO idea how unreasonable or unforgiving your wife can be if you leave her waiting in the rain with the kids because that book was just too good to put down, lol. Cheesy

(true story!) Grin

Yes I know what you are saying..

.

My worst lapse was, long time gone now, travelling home from work by train, and missing the station where my husband was waiting to pick me up, ..because I was lost in what I was reading..

.. before the days of mobile phone technology THAT was a real pita

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Emma

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #167 - May 4^th, 2014 at 9:27pm

fezz wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 8:59pm:

Today I read the speech War is a Racket by Major General Smedley Butler.

Butler was America's most decorated soldier and General in the US forces and wrote this speech (1934) along with several other essays and books on the subject of war and the massive profits war generates for a select few, and why we will always have war in the capitalist state. As long as Gordon Gecko's words are sustained, Greed is Good, young men and women will be sent to war for profit.

The next book I have just begun is Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins.

Excerpts:

"Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign "aid" organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization."

and

"It is one part of the struggle for world domination and the dream of a few greedy men, global empire. That is what we EHMs do best: we build a global empire.
We are an elite group of men and women who utilize international financial organizations to foment conditions that make other nations subservient to the corporatocracy running our biggest corporations, our government, and our banks. Like our counterparts in the Mafia, EHMs provide favors. These take the form of loans to develop infrastructure — electric generating plants, highways, ports, airports, or industrial parks. A condition of such loans is that engineering and construction companies from our own country must build all these projects. In essence, most of the money never leaves the United States; it is simply transferred from banking offices in Washington to engineering offices in New York, Houston, or San Francisco. Despite the fact that the money is returned almost immediately to corporations that are members of the corporatocracy (the creditor), the recipient country is required to pay it all back, principal plus interest. If an EHM is completely successful, the loans are so large that the debtor is forced to default on its payments after a few years. When this happens, then like the Mafia we demand our pound of flesh. This often includes one or more of the following: control over United Nations
votes, the installation of military bases, or access to precious resources such as oil or the Panama Canal. Of course, the debtor still owes us the money—and another country is added to our global empire."

Sounds familiar...Ukraine is the latest to join the money / debt merry go round. When it can no longer meet its debt obligations, I'm sure we'll see another US military base installed closer to Russia and the bleeding of Ukraine's natural resources to the highest bidder.

If I were to be cynical, it would appear that there is an EHM play going down right now in Australia.

wouldn't surprise me at all...

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Emma

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #168 - May 4^th, 2014 at 9:31pm

austranger wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 11:59am:

Emma wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 3:16am:

yes ..must agree that reading is a blissful escape from this best of all possible worlds. Huh

I've read my share of 'classics'.. and these days I'm all for escapist literature.

Trouble is I can never keep up with the books, authors or series I read.

I've lost track of the books I've read. I know some people keep a diary, other's, Library borrowers , mark the book they've read .. so that they can see if they've read it before, and it's 'grade'. Never bothered myself, but now, in my dotage, I wish I had.

Will never be able to read all the books I'd like to, ..but it beats the hell out of sitting passively watching the fodder on the visual media.

Right with you on keeping track, put simply, I've given up trying, lol.
I remember those I've read more than once as a rule, and often find myself partway into a book and realising I've read it before. If I can't remember the finish I keep reading, if I can I put it aside.
I use Libraries all the time, books are far too expensive now. If I read one that has a sequel or is part of a series I only need to ask, if they can't immediately supply the other(s) they will generally get it in for me. If I like a book I'll look for others by the same author, or read the blurbs or reviews on it, they often reference other similar books that I will then look for.
I find I get absorbed into the written word far deeper than anything onscreen, and as you say, that's mostly bubble-gum for the brain anyway. Many's the time I've been lost in the pages to look up and realise I've read on into and/or beyond the night, or a decent bed-time anyway, lol. I totally avoid reading before any important event or appointment for that very reason, lol, I've made that mistake in the past and paid for it. You have NO idea how unreasonable or unforgiving your wife can be if you leave her waiting in the rain with the kids because that book was just too good to put down, lol. Cheesy

(true story!) Grin

And re public libraries..?

couldn't live without them. To have the access now available in your little library in the Village (mine) ... is a really good thing.

As you say.. books are too expensive to purchase, usually.. unless..??? 2nd hand.. or obsessed? .. but um yeah

..I Love my local library..

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Peter Freedman

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #169 - May 6^th, 2014 at 8:44am

Emma wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 9:31pm:

austranger wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 11:59am:

Emma wrote on May 4^th, 2014 at 3:16am:

yes ..must agree that reading is a blissful escape from this best of all possible worlds. Huh

I've read my share of 'classics'.. and these days I'm all for escapist literature.

Trouble is I can never keep up with the books, authors or series I read.

I've lost track of the books I've read. I know some people keep a diary, other's, Library borrowers , mark the book they've read .. so that they can see if they've read it before, and it's 'grade'. Never bothered myself, but now, in my dotage, I wish I had.

Will never be able to read all the books I'd like to, ..but it beats the hell out of sitting passively watching the fodder on the visual media.

Right with you on keeping track, put simply, I've given up trying, lol.
I remember those I've read more than once as a rule, and often find myself partway into a book and realising I've read it before. If I can't remember the finish I keep reading, if I can I put it aside.
I use Libraries all the time, books are far too expensive now. If I read one that has a sequel or is part of a series I only need to ask, if they can't immediately supply the other(s) they will generally get it in for me. If I like a book I'll look for others by the same author, or read the blurbs or reviews on it, they often reference other similar books that I will then look for.
I find I get absorbed into the written word far deeper than anything onscreen, and as you say, that's mostly bubble-gum for the brain anyway. Many's the time I've been lost in the pages to look up and realise I've read on into and/or beyond the night, or a decent bed-time anyway, lol. I totally avoid reading before any important event or appointment for that very reason, lol, I've made that mistake in the past and paid for it. You have NO idea how unreasonable or unforgiving your wife can be if you leave her waiting in the rain with the kids because that book was just too good to put down, lol. Cheesy

(true story!) Grin

And re public libraries..?

couldn't live without them. To have the access now available in your little library in the Village (mine) ... is a really good thing.

As you say.. books are too expensive to purchase, usually.. unless..??? 2nd hand.. or obsessed? .. but um yeah

..I Love my local library..

Me, too.

With what they call a "Smart" library card I can borrow books from about five different libraries as well.

Just started Conversations With Myself by Nelson Mandela.

The Boer should read it. He'd love it!

Grin

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God grant me the patience to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and, above all, the wisdom to tell the difference.

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Peter Freedman Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 5275 Wellington Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #170 - May 14^th, 2014 at 11:35am Now reading Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela. War and Peace is still awaiting me.
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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #171 - May 14^th, 2014 at 11:45am Couldn't face the long haul eh? I do that frequently. Opt for what might be lighter & easier. Story of my life really.
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Peter Freedman Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 5275 Wellington Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #172 - May 15^th, 2014 at 8:45am Am getting stated on War and Peace What a tome! So heavy you almost need a shovel to pick it up!
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Emma Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 9853 OZ Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #173 - May 15^th, 2014 at 10:03pm or you could try some modern light reading. I have just started on my first novel by Daniel Silva.. 'The Secret Servant'. A bit scary .. altho .. as likely a scenario as it is .. I couldn't give a stuff. Nothing stays the same. All things are equal.
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Peter Freedman Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 5275 Wellington Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #174 - May 16^th, 2014 at 2:28pm No light reading for me! Have put aside War and Peace for a while and started Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T E Lawrence.
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bogarde73

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #175 - May 18^th, 2014 at 2:21pm

Reading the Vita & Harold letters (see above) is an eye opener to me.
Although I was a pot-smoking randy tom-cat of the 1960s, the relationships among the English upper classes of the 1920s era comes as a surprise. Homosexual husbands and lesbian wives seem to have been the order of the day, as long as it was kept more or less out of the public arena.
Maybe the protestant ethic has stuck with me more than I imagined.

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Emma

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #176 - May 29^th, 2014 at 6:50pm

a frivolous question for you all...

I am about to embark on George R R Martin's book series which has led to the cult-like following for The Game of Thrones.

I read the very first one a couple of decades ago... or so it seems,, and always looked forward to the next one. However.. I lost touch with these books , and now I see there are many strands.

My Question..

Is it better to just read them all in the sequence in which they appeared, (ie originally published) or is it better, now that there is so much to gather, to read them in their own series.????

It does seem there are several story lines to follow.

Any advice..??

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Peter Freedman

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #177 - Jun 1^st, 2014 at 11:58am

Have just started Breaking News, Sex and Lies and the Murdoch Success Story by Paul Barry.

Have got far enough for this quote by Pulitzer Prize winner, Mike Royko as he walked out the door of The Chicago Sun Times as Murdoch took it over: "From what I've seen of Murdoch newspapers I don't know of any self respecting fish that would want to be wrapped in one".

PS: 59 other journalists and executives must have thought the same thing as they all left as well!

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God grant me the patience to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and, above all, the wisdom to tell the difference.

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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: What are you currently reading? Reply #178 - Jun 1^st, 2014 at 12:00pm Emma, I don't know the books you refer to but I've found that when you come across an author who has written a lot of books with the same characters in them, it has paid to find out the dates of publication and read them in that order.
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bogarde73

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Re: What are you currently reading?
Reply #179 - Jun 1^st, 2014 at 12:04pm

Peter Freedman wrote on Jun 1^st, 2014 at 11:58am:

Have just started Breaking News, Sex and Lies and the Murdoch Success Story by Paul Barry.

Have got far enough for this quote by Pulitzer Prize winner, Mike Royko as he walked out the door of The Chicago Sun Times as Murdoch took it over: "From what I've seen of Murdoch newspapers I don't know of any self respecting fish that would want to be wrapped in one".

PS: 59 other journalists and executives must have thought the same thing as they all left as well!

But aren't newspapers just a business like any other and therefore the owners are entitled to run it how they like? Within the law of course.

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Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.

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