Books and reading?

Call it a hunch, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people here are into reading. I figured I'd just make an official topic.

I've started reading Failed states by Noam Chomsky. It's the best political book I've ever read. But, that's not saying a lot, since it's the only political book I've read besides While Canada Slept.

I've found Failed States to be very comprehensive. It goes through the entire war on terrorism, as well as the US back story of supporting anti-democratic dictators by providing financial aid, supplies, intelligence and military support.

It also contrasts the US media with it's actions and reveals their gaping differences and hypocrisy. As well, it reveals the serious humanitarian offenses the US has committed over the years. The idea of exceptionalism is also pointed out in many of the US' foreign actions.

It's an amazing book, and I'm only half way through it.

I've just finished reading failed states. I've never read something so comprehensive and in-depth. It was simply an amazing book.

I took your advice and picked up losing confidence. Thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else have anything they've been reading recently?

I'm about half-way through Neil Shubin's "Your Inner Fish". Very interesting and enlightening. He's an excellent explainer.

I just picked up Richard Dawkins latest book "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution", but I must admit that I haven't gotten right into it yet as ODST came out the same day. >.>

I've been dropping some heavy hints that I would like 'Greatest Show' for Christmas but I don't know if I can wait that long. I may just have to pick it up myself.

I just finished Loosing confidence a few days ago. It was insightful, informative and very relevant.

Even though the book was very biased, it went through many things I had questions about. As well, it taught me how the parliament and Canadian government works.

The biggest thing that hit me was the chapter on coalition government. It explained how Harper used public ignorance of the parliamentary system to his advantage and hoodwinked the public into thinking that the liberals & NDP were overthrowing the government.

This was, in fact, a lie. The way that parliament works is that the majority (NOT Harper's minority govt.) gets to decide if a party's leader has the ability to lead. A vote called the non-confidence vote is called and the house votes for the acceptance of a minority government leader.

This is done so that a minority government has to be accountable to it's majority. However, Harper screamed that the liberals were overthrowing the government and the general populous was just too ignorant to know what was really going on. Harper was trying to bully the majority into accepting him into office.

So, why did Harper not have the confidence of the house? Because he created a bill at the very start to cut funds from political parties that had lost the election, thus destroying them financially. The financial funds are one of the few balancing powers in our first past the post election system, which is very outdated and is simply unfair for smaller parties and independents.

It was basically a scorched earth policy: destroy the financial status of the seats that were not his.

This is why Harper was going to lose in the non-confidence vote. Instead of making amends and submitting to the authority of the majority, he cried to the public that Canadian government was being overthrown, which brought a lot of public heat to anyone who would vote against Harper in the confidence vote.

It's ultimately my responsibility to understand the government, but I feel quite betrayed by Harper's disinformation tactics and media blitz. I fell for Harper's government coup thing hook, line and sinker.

BTW, I'm now reading a brief history in time now.

Originally Posted by Blondin

I've been dropping some heavy hints that I would like 'Greatest Show' for Christmas but I don't know if I can wait that long. I may just have to pick it up myself.

I'm with Blondin, the wife has been down loading and saving
podcasts with Dawkins etc, so I am hoping for a hard copy of 'Greatest Show' for us to
read. I am still struggling through 'The Ancestors's Tale' , but my daughter keeps swiping
it.