Welcome to this month's reading group selection. David Von Drehle mentions The Melting Pot , a play by Israel Zangwill, that premiered on Broadway in 1908. At that time theater was accessible to a broad section of the public, not the exclusive domain it has become over the decades. Zangwill carried a hopeful message that America was a place where old hatreds and prejudices were pointless, and that in this new country immigrants would find a more open society. I suppose the reference was more an ironic one for Von Drehle, as he notes the racial and ethnic hatreds were on display everywhere, and at best Zangwill's play helped persons forget for a moment how deep these divides ran. Nevertheless, "the melting pot" made its way into the American lexicon, even if New York could best be describing as a boiling cauldron in the early twentieth century. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America takes a broad view of events that led up the notorious fire, not...
Scary. Seems Clint stole the show last night with his debate with the chair ; )
ReplyDeleteFortunately I missed that one, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, as theater it was pretty good. One of the best things to come out of this crappy convention.
ReplyDeleteAnd apparently the first thing people on prime time got to see on t.v. For someone as controlling as Romney, I would assume heads would roll. Pretty funny when you think about it.
ReplyDeleteI like the "empty chair" meme that's floating around as a result. Maybe the empty suit could sit in it.
And in case anyone missed this (I regret not watching the entire week):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediaite.com/tv/jon-stewart-basks-in-the-glory-of-clint-eastwoods-awesome-speech-while-tearing-apart-romneys/
Here's Mitt suffering through a chat with a gay Vietnam war veteran,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.upworthy.com/mitt-romney-accidentally-confronts-a-gay-veteran-awesomeness-ensues
So good!
ReplyDeleteThis is where policy affects real people. All he seems to be ultimately asking for is the equal right to have his partner/husband recognized by the government when it comes to pensions, hospital rights, and burial. Why is that so difficult to grant someone who has served in the military? What the hell's the difference as he says.
It's also interesting to listen to Romney trying to make small talk with someone his own age -- let's see ... while you were (probably drafted) in Vietnam I was in college and then off to serve my church for two years. Talk about worlds apart.
Since this is a meandering thread I started a book today called Savage Continent a history of europe in the years right after WW2.Really good book so far 75 pages in.A Brit author named Keith Lowe wrote it and it's very readable.bosox
ReplyDeleteI read Dark Continent a few years ago by Mark Mazower which took in the pre-war as well as post-war conditions of the Continent. It was very good as he laid out the reasons why Europe adopted a socialist path after WW2. There is also Tony Judt's Postwar, which I've been meaning to read.
ReplyDeleteTony Judt's Ill Fares the Land is a remarkable book.
ReplyDeleteA meander into Russia:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/106969/putin-flies-birds-jumps-the-shark
Good one, av! Shared it with my buddies from the old Russia and Eastern European forum.
ReplyDeleteTwo faced is a good way to describe Romney, as he backtracks once again on tax cuts and repealing Obamacare,
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-says-won-t-cut-taxes-wealthy-americans-144438996--election.html
http://news.yahoo.com/romney-says-likes-parts-obamacare-131040341--finance.html
As several commentators have pointed out, he'd have a hard time repealing some of the more popular parts of the plan once people start getting used to having the benefits of more equitable access (e.g., like me).
ReplyDeleteNot sure what the heck he's talking about re taxes. I guess his point is he'll lower rates, but close (undisclosed) loopholes so the rich will continue to pay the $$ amount that they do now. Like a shell game: Don't look there -- listen to what I say. And whatever you do, don't look at MY taxes.
I sure hope people are paying attention.
I think they are. Seems Reuters is polling a sustainable "bounce" from the Democratic Convention, which is why Romney is reversing himself once again.
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