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, noting the gro
This is a good time for every true patriot to learn more about American history. Here's why:
ReplyDeleteThere is some talk from certain delusionals of the far right who believe Occupy Wall Street is unpatriotic and at war with American ideals. If these delusionals would do their homework and read John K Alexander's book,
SAMUEL ADAMS: The Life of An American Revolutionary
... the early Founders attacked elitism and the laws that benefited the wealthy at the hands of the poor. That, in fact, the earliest critics of the Founders said their efforts were to wage a war of ''taking away the Distinction of rich and poor." {p 34}
I just started reading this fine book and can readily see how it applies to the current headlines.
Here's a video from youtube which reveals a right wing 2d Amendment rights advocate standing up in defense of Occupy Phoenix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0HNr2Y7B5c
''we're exercising our 2d Amendment rights so that everyone can exercise their 1st Amendment rights''
If our Founders were around today, this is what they would be shouting to the high heavens.
I find it bemusing that the Conservatives believe firmly in their right to free speech, but try to deny the Left the same right. Fox and other right-wing "news" organizations have done everything they can to play up the violence and mayhem at these "OWS" rallies without noting that much of the violence and mayhem has been initiated by the police. They've often categorized these rallies as a "hippie movement," evoking the unrest of the 60s. Yet, the Tea Party rallies, which often got unruly are seen in a positive light.
ReplyDeleteSam Adams leads the Sons of Liberty after the completion of the Boston Tea Party:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPyd0dnzYOI&feature=related
Contrary to all the lies and mischaracterizations of the right wing media, this is the type of movement needed today as part of OWS.
I well imagine this is how the Tea Party sees itself. I'm not sure where the OWS rallies are leading, but recent referendum votes and the recall of Russell Pearce in Arizona do give one hope that 2012 will be a good year for Democrats.
ReplyDeleteI can't get over how obstinate the Republicans have been in Congress. God forbid the Democrats acted this way while Bush pushed through his war resolutions, Homeland Security and Patriot Act. I only hope the electorate is taking due note of all this stonewalling.
Tom Wicker, RIP:
ReplyDeleteIconoclastic reporter was highly regarded during the 1960s:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/us/tom-wicker-journalist-and-author-dies-at-85.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
~~~ Riding waves of change as the effects of the divisive war in Vietnam and America’s civil rights struggle swept the country, Mr. Wicker applauded President Lyndon B. Johnson and Congress for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but took the president to task for deepening the American involvement in Southeast Asia.
He denounced President Richard M. Nixon for covertly bombing Cambodia, and in the Watergate scandal accused him of creating the “beginnings of a police state.” Nixon put Mr. Wicker on his “enemies list,” ~~~
An old American classic revisited:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/sc-ent-1207-books-change-thomas-paine-20111209,0,1815159.story
"Common Sense" ~ good to know that the current generation can again read and learn from this great book.
Great book, although unfortunately it has been picked up by conservatives as well and warped beyond all recognition,
ReplyDeletehttp://tv.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/arts/television/06beck.html
I find it amusing, to say the least, that conservatives have picked up on Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine and De Toqueville, all of whom believed in a strong federal government. Hamilton also felt a national debt was what held a nation together and bought out the state war debts to help consolidate the federal government after the first revolutionary war.
ReplyDeletePaine is even more difficult to figure out as he was an atheist to the bone and his book, Age of Reason, offers some juicy quotes,
http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes/bl_q_TPaine.htm
I remember Goliard (from the NYTimes) was a big fan of De Toqueville. Yet, here was a French aristocrat who adamantly favored a strong federal government and repeatedly chastised the Jackson administration for stripping federal government of much of its authority by refusing to renew the National Bank, the forerunner of the modern day Fed.
It would be interesting to find a book that delves into how these historical figures have been interpreted (rightly and wrongly) over the years.
Trippler you'll like this -- I just started reading Grand Pursuit last night, Sylvia Nasar's book on economics, and she starts with a great story about Malthus and Dickens. Turns out Dickens was motivated to write A Christmas Carol because of Malthus' ideas after returning from the "plenty" of America. Scrooge was Malthus!
ReplyDeleteShe also does a great job explaining his theory - I have a much better idea of how he saw the labor/food/population cycle than I did before.
And speaking of Malthus and his influence, I watched the Nova dramatized special on Darwin the other night. Very well done if you all can catch it.