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Political information, resources, and references on the politics of the struggle between the Republicans and the Democrats is provided.
1. The Bubble of American Supremacy By George Soros. Who said all the big boys are Republicans? Multibillionaire George Soros has decided he can't take any more of George Bush and devoted his money and time to oppose him in 2004. This book is a ringing indictment of President Bush and the conservative movement.
Soros sees a disaster building in Iraq and does not think we should have ever occupied that country. Soros was born in Hungary and lived through Nazi Germany's occupation and, subsequently, the Soviet Union's occupation of that country. He has seen dictatorships up close and is afraid we are heading in the same direction.
2. The Great Limbaugh Con: And Other Right-Wing Assaults on Common Sense by Charles M. Kelly. This book explains how the conservative agenda (as exemplified by the ranting of Rush Limbaugh) has made possible the increasing control of the government by the wealthy and powerful. This control of government, in turn, has led to an enormous redistribution of wealth from the lower classes to those who live in gated communities. According to one reviewer, "Limbaugh hails from.............the educated nonworking class. This class received an enormous boost during the 1980's.
Reaganomics laid the groundwork for unfair tax 'reforms,' trade agreements, downsizing, anti-unionism hypocritically named right-to-work laws, and deregulation......such policies have directly led to a lower standard of living for the average worker......."
The Amazon conservative reviewers of the book were incensed by the book.
3. The Way Things Aren't: Rush Limbaugh's Reign of Error: Over 100 Outrageously False and Foolish Statements from America's Most Powerful Radio and TV by Steve Rendall Jim Naureckas, and Jeff Cohen. An expose' of the king of conservative talk radio, the man with "talent on loan from God." Limbaugh may have fooled 20,000,000 ditto heads with his ranting but there are a few people he hasn't fooled. The author is one of these. At one time I laughed at Rush's outrageous remarks. I don't laugh anymore. When you have 20,000,000 people who believe Rush when he says "I'm not making this stuff up, folks," it is not a laughing matter. These 20,000,000 people might not be the brightest kids on the block but they can vote!
Hopefully, the recent publicity about Rush's racist attitude toward quarterbacks and his drug habits will slow him down before he converts others to his conservative cause.
4. Bush at War by Bob Woodward. How is George Bush doing in the war on terrorists? Did he learn anything from the history of World War II or has he even read any of that history? I'm not sure. I see a lot I don't like with his foreign policy. This book is based on many interviews made after 9/11 including four (4) hours with the president. Bob Woodward does his usual thorough job of investigating his subject. A good look at the Bush Administration and how it reacted to 9/11.
5. We're Right, They're Wrong by James Carville, the ragin' Cajun. The liberals fight back! James Carville, a fellow Louisiana native of mine and the person largely responsible for the election of Bill Clinton to the presidency tells it like it is. Except, of course, for Al Sharpton or Molly Ivins, no one is better at ridiculing Republicans and conservatives than Carville.
Carville is also good at defending Democratic or liberal programs. He uses humor and satire explaining why not all government programs are bad. Carville includes an extensive list of government programs which have been successful. Work and education are two of Carville's favorite topics and he discusses how a person should be either working or being educated for work. Carville feels that government should help its citizens to obtain work and an education.
It should be noted that the book was written for the 1996 presidential election so it is a little dated.
6. Bush's brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential by James Moore and Wayne Slater. Some say that White House Senior Advisor Karl Rove is the second most powerful person in the US Government due to his access and relationship with President Bush. He is certainly one of the most ambitious. His has worked in all of the President's campaigns. According to the book, Rove led Bush, "a reluctant political warrior"" to the White House. The authors present both sides of Rove - his political genius is one side and the other side is his vindictiveness and abuse of power. This is a must-read for anyone wanting to know who is in actual charge of the country with Bush in the oval office.
Should we applaud Rove for what he accomplished with putting President Bush in the White House or should we kick his butt?
7. Strategy by Liddell Hart. The classic book on modern warfare but also applicable to politics and business affairs. Heavily studied by Guderian, Rommel, and other German generals who became experts on Blitzkrieg tactics (The French with the exception of DeGaulle didn't bother to read it).
Hart stressed flexibility, surprise, adapting to circumstances. He believed strongly in the indirect approach (Blitzkrieg) rather than the direct approach (trench war in WW I). He sought to minimize casualties and believed in a just peace as a practical matter rather than trying to extract revenge on the defeated foe. He disagreed with the Clausewitz theory that "blood is the price of victory."
Hitler used the indirect approach in his early World War 2 campaigns with great success but began to deviate after attacking Russia and suffered great losses as a result. His refusal to allow his army to retreat in the Russian winter of 1941 caused many German casualties. His refusal to evacuate North Africa when all was lost also cost him many fine soldiers. Also, Hitler's harsh treatment of Russia civilians turned many possible Russian allies into guerilla foes. All of these losing actions would not have been allowed by Hart's strategy.
When considering the use of the indirect strategy in politics, it appears that liberals are more comfortable with the indirect approach than conservatives. Conservatives believe more in the direct approach discussed below in the Clausewitz book. It is a no-holds barred, winner-take-all approach with the conservatives. In the long run, the indirect approach will probably win. But, in the short term, the direct approach is tough to deal with. To survive in the short run, the liberals will have to get down in the trenches with the conservatives and do a little hand-to-hand combat, i.e., learn and practice the direct approach.
8. On War by Carl Von Clausewitz. Modern ultimate fighters and politicians may want to read this book. First written in 1832, the book remains a classic and heavily influences those who would wage war.
Clausewitz believed in the direct approach to war as opposed to the indirect approach recommended by Liddell Hart, above. Clausewitz defines war as violence intended to compel the opponent to submit to the will of the proponent. Submission of the enemy is the object. Not for Clausewitz is Liddell Hart's goal of a just and fair peace. The chivalrous code of conduct and honor is gone from war. Attack on civilians is permitted and is justifiable. As far as battle tactics are concerned, if the enemy is thrown off balance, he must not be allowed to recover but instead is to be hit with blow after blow until he collapses. Clausewitz's direct battle system obviously causes more casualties than Liddell Hart's indirect approach and is criticized for causing bloodbaths, e.g., World War I trench warfare.
Hitler, at times, appeared to follow, first, one system then the other, although the German generals favored the Liddell Hart's indirect approach.
9. Rogue Nation by Clyde Prestowitz. This book by a Republican conservative digs into why America went from being a much-sympathized-with nation right after 9/11 to a much distrusted nation - in effect, a rogue nation in the eyes of much of the world - only two years later.
Publishers Weekly review of the book summed it up well "American high-handedness has exacerbated tensions in hot spots from the West Bank to the Korean peninsula. American unilateralism has sabotaged a host of international agreements on such issues as land mines, biological weapons and the International Criminal Court. America preaches free trade while protecting its steel, textiles and agriculture from foreign competition. America....runs a wasteful, SUV-centered economy while it rejects treaties on the environment and global warming....Most of all....the world fears America's overwhelming military might, now ominously paired with a doctrine of "preempting" the emergence of rival powers."
This book is a must-read for anyone planning to participate in the ongoing liberal - conservative showdown.
10. Hope of the Wicked by Ted Flynn. Probably no book has ever had more research done by its author than this one. Ted Flynn is very religious but not an ultraconservative wacko nor a leftist. He does not believe that our corrupted political systems can rescue us from the chaos that he thinks America and the world are falling into, a chaos that was exemplified by Nazi Germany in World War II. Only a return to true morality and religious principles will do the job. A must read for anyone that still cares about morality. All Amazon reader ratings were 5 ê, as good as you can get.
I am not an extremely religious person but this book made me think. Ted Flynn may be right.......the United States could be heading down a similar path that Germany followed under Hitler in the years prior to World War II. Who will step forward to save us now that so many other of our leaders have been captured by the ultraconservatives?
11. Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush by Molly Ivins. A witty but dead serious look at the pre-presidential record of George W. Bush by Molly Ivins, a home-grown Texas syndicated columnist and one of Bush's most vocal critics. The book first discusses Bush's admission to the National Guard in which he was moved ahead of tens of thousands of waiting applicants and proceeds in a "tell it like it is" manner to discuss his failed oil field business, his position as managing partner of the Texas Rangers and other aspects of his business and political career.
Shrub discussed how Bush used his powerful family and business connections again and again to advance his interests. According to Ms. Ivins, Bush is a "wholly owned subsidiary of corporate America," She notes that Texas, where Bush was governor, ranks low in many categories - poverty, health insurance, pollution - but does give him credit for his work in education and admits that he is an excellent politician.
She claims that, although he is a good politician, he seems to care nothing about actual governing. Maybe, that is why President Bush often seems to be controlled by his staff - he can't be bothered by things. Ivins warns us about electing Bush president.
Well, we didn't really elect him but he is in the White House nevertheless.
12. Bushwhacked: Life of George W. Bush's America by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose. This book is just off the press and yes, Molly did warn us in her book, "Shrub," about electing Bush president. (We didn't really elect George Bush president but he is there in the White House anyway). Molly Ivins is a native Texan and she saw firsthand what Bush did to Texas and so she tried to keep it from happening to the nation. The book tells us that "if Dubya Bush really had exported 'the Texas Miracle,' the country would be in deep s......" (Molly, I think he did export some of the Texas Miracle to Washington - we are in deep s...... and it is getting deeper).
The book goes into the Enron scandal highlighting Bush's close relations with Ken Lay, his outrageous tax cuts for the wealthy, his failed nation building in Iraq and Afghanistan, his pathetic military record, his chemical dependency (not cocaine but Monsanto, Dow and Union Carbide - these chemical firms put up the money to get him elected). The damage that the Bush administration had done to the American middle and lower classes - such as abolishment of many regulatory functions of government and subsequent reduced and more expensive services, his support of treaties exporting American jobs overseas (Democrats are equally guilty on this one) - is well documented.
OK, Molly, you warned us!
12. Living History by Senator Hillary Clinton. According to most reviewers, Hillary does a good job with her book. She discusses her life in detail emphasizing the eight years as first lady. She discusses the scandals that President Clinton took part in and how they affected her. She comes across as an honest concerned women and may have deflected some of her many distracters.
She does not disown her statement about the "vast right-wing conspiracy" although she said she wishes she had used different words. (I think her words on this matter were fine - she was just ahead of the rest of us who were naive about the conspiracy).
Hillary has gotten a lot of publicity and money from the book and both will be useful for her as she makes her inevitable run for the White House.
13. Blinded by the Right by David Brock. Another book - this time by a former conservative hatchet writer - verifying that the vast right wing conspiracy does in fact actually exist. (I laughed when Hillary first spoke of the conspiracy. I'm not laughing anymore.) Brock made his reputation trashing Anita Hill for the conservatives and has now had a change of heart and is busy trashing conservatives, including such big names as Clarence Thomas, Richard Mellon Scaife, and Ann Coulter.
Brock confesses all in this book and I notice no one is suing him. Could he be telling the truth. Most of the Amazon reviewers think so. Another must-read for anyone wanting to know the truth about the vast right wing conspiracy.
14. Fortunate Son by J.H. Hatfield and Mark Miller. This book tells all about President Bush - his avoidance of the draft during Vietnam, his alleged cocaine habit, his abuse of privilege, his use of insider trading to escape his failing corporation, etc. - and paints a bleak picture about the future of the nation if he is elected. Well, he was elected (sort of) and the bad stuff appears to be happening.
The only problem with the book is the author. He has spent a number of years in jail for some bad crimes to which he confessed. Despite Hatfield's criminal record, the book is still a good read as long as the reader keeps tongue in cheek part of the time.
Most conservative books written these days also need to be read with tongue in cheek.
15. The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill/Hillary Clinton by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons. When Hillary Clinton first brought up the idea of a vast right wing conspiracy against her husband This book weaves the tale of how Bill Clinton was very effectively slandered and finally impeached by the Right Wing Conspiracy mob while the press of the nation slept.
The Amazon.com editorial review calls it "investigative journalism at its juiciest." The Publishers Weekly review states the authors argue that "if the opposition to the Clintons didn't quite constitute a "vast right-wing conspiracy," as the First lady famously alleged, it was at the very least a "loose cabal" of "Clinton adversaries,...an angry gallery of defeated politicians,....right-wing pamphleteers, wealthy eccentrics, zany private detectives, religious fanatics ......"
A great shame is that so many formerly respected newspapers, magazines, and other media whored themselves out to the conspirators. Sounds pretty close to me. And I laughed when Hillary first brought up the "right wing conspiracy" bit.
16. The Race to the Bottom: Why a Worldwide Worker Surplus and Uncontrolled Free Trade are Sinking American Living Standards by Alan Tonelson. Tonelson makes a thorough analysis of the NAFTA problem and provides recommendations on how to reform the system. I strongly recommend Americans take the trouble to study this matter and revise NAFTA before we lose all that we have gained, economically, over the decades. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was approved in 1993 and was the first major step in the globalization of the North American and (eventually) the world's economy. About the only entities that opposed it were the labor unions, Pat Buchanan, Ross Perot, and Ralph Nader. (What a bunch of losers-or are they?). I admit I fell for it hook, line, and sinker along with my hero Al Gore and the leaders of both the Democratic and Republican Parties and, of course, the big multinational corporations.
Under NAFTA, American workers who lost their job as a result of NAFTA, were to get new high-tech jobs and the third world countries would get the low-tech work. NAFTA was to be a no-lose situation for the United States.
After 10 years, it is obvious that things are not turning out the way we were told they would if we supported NAFTA. Instead of the U.S. getting more high tech jobs, the multinational corporations are exporting these jobs to the third world nations, e.g., computer programming to Indian nationals. Additionally, many of America's low tech factories have been relocated overseas. The standard of living for about the lower income 60 % of Americans is now declining. Unemployment is slowly but steadily increasing. The trade deficit has now increased to 40 billion per . Obviously, the American citizens are not benefiting much from NAFTA although the American multinational corporations may be benefiting.
Could presidents George Bush Sr., George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have been wrong on NAFTA. Could that perpetual loser, Pat Buchanan have been right? Could Ross Perot (he's crazy, you know) have been right? And certainly, we know that Ralph Nader, the environmentalist, never gets anything right.
Fellow American citizens, we need to take another look at NAFTA while we still have something left!
17. Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust by Daniel Goldhagen. This book puts to rest the presumption that most of the German people did not know the Holocaust was going on and that those participating were forced to participate. The truth is that tens of thousands of Germans directly took part voluntarily. Anti-Semitic feelings permeated all of German society during this time period.
18. Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation by Robert Gildea. Many myths about French response to the German occupation during World War II have arisen. Some accuse the French of being collaborators; others paint the picture of noble French resistance to the Nazi.
This book paints a middle view. Its premise is that the French were neither all collaborators nor all heroes. Instead, the French tried to improvise and played the double role of cooperating with the Germans while, at the same time, keeping as much autonomy as possible. The book states that people's loyalties shrank from the nation as a whole to their factory, villages and family. They were just trying to survive.
The author interviewed 50 survivors of the occupation and paints a good picture of what it is like to survive the kind of pressure that comes with being overrun and occupied by an enemy. The French reacted to the pressure in their own particular manner. Another nation would have reacted differently as their heritage and culture would dictate. Its tough getting your butt kicked and then being taken over by the butt kicker. I think we ought to cut the French a little slack in the matter.
Rush Limbaugh is very judgmental about the French's reaction to the occupation. I would like to see how Limbaugh would react if placed in a similar situation. Would he collaborate or would he be a resistance fighter?
19. Treason by Ann Coulter. A leading conservative pundit (maybe the leading conservative pundit - apologies to Rush Limbaugh) gives it to the Democrats. She makes no apology in questioning their patriotism. According to her, the Democrats have been wrong on every major issue for decades. She is even more controversial than Rush Limbaugh in many of her statements. Fox news likes her and she makes frequent appearances on their political shows.
20. Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order. by Robert Kagen. Must-read new book discusses a new phase in relations between the U.S. and Europe. Kagen states, "It is time to stop pretending that Europeans and Americans share a common view of the world, or even that they occupy the same world." As we have seen in the Iraq War, the two power centers are diverging in their goals and the way they do things. The U.S., already economically strong, has become all-powerful, militarily. Europe, also economically strong, has allowed their military might to deteriorate while relying on the U.S. for protection.
Kagen believes that the U.S. is behaving as an all-powerful nation will (and as European nations have done in the past when they ruled the world). The U.S. is more willing to use military force and is less likely than Europe to use diplomacy (and the United Nations) to achieve their goals. Even though Europe depends on the U.S. for defense, they are quick to criticize the U.S. when we embark on military actions. Thus, misunderstandings between the two powers centers grow.
21. World on Fire by Amy Chua. Ms. Chua shoots a hole in the popular theory that globalization and democracy are good for developing countries. Ms. Chua questions that the American political and economic model will work in developing countries and cites difficulties in many countries where "free markets" have had difficulties.
Ms.Chua has lived in many countries where globalization or free markets were implemented. She says that the free markets do not spread wealth evenly in the undeveloped country. Usually, a minority group dominates the markets and become extremely wealthy. She calls these minority groups "market- dominant minorities." When democracy is achieved in the country also, these minority groups are very much resented by the majority of citizens who see their political power increased. The wealthy minority groups are violently hated by the still-poor majority groups who now control the country.
Ms. Chua gave examples of the problem: Indonesia with its wealthy market-dominant minority - the Chinese. A wave of violence was unleashed by the majority toward the Chinese. Similar incidents occurred in Russia, Sierra Leona, Bolivia, and the Middle East Ms. Chua also shows how individual countries can be viewed as the dominant minority and sites the Arab-Israeli conflict as an example. She also explains that Americans are viewed as a dominant minority and thus hated around the world.
She attributes the growth of terrorism to the "dominant minority" theory. Some heavy reading in this book. Makes you think.
22. The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson. The subtitle is "Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic [The American Empire Project].
A shocking book.
Mr. Johnson is as concerned with the Bush Administration as I am. He states that since 9/11, the United States has "undergone a transformation from republic to empire that may well prove irreversible." As Mr. Johnson said on a recent C-Span interview, we may have passed the Rubicon or point of no return. That is a pessimistic viewpoint that I have heard from no other expert! Could he be right? Let's hope not. Eventually, this would mean the end of our democracy as the country is taken over by increasingly totalitarian forces.
Johnson discusses American militarism and its beginnings, and the rise of the military-industrial complex with the close ties between industry executives and politicians. Johnson thinks little of President Bush and heaps most blame for America becoming "new Rome" on him (and other recent Republican presidents) but he also hits out at ex-President Clinton who disguised his "empire" polities as globalization.
President Bush and his staff don't bother with disguises. They are out in the open with their imperialist plans. And so far, the corporate-controlled media has eagerly gone along with Bush's plans and the public has been silent.
Johnson presents data on the number of U.S. military bases overseas that I had not heard before. According to him, there are many secret military bases overseas, in addition to the 725 bases that the Department of Defense acknowledges. Some of these bases are massive. On the C-Span interview, he stated that about 500 billion dollars per year goes to the military complex. He questions, in view of our massive budget deficits, whether we can afford it.
23. The Clinton Wars by Sidney Blumenthal. Ex-President Bill Clinton's chief political advisor tells all in this 800 page book. He is a strong supporter of Mr. Clinton's presidency and very critical of the Republican and conservative forces that tried to bring Clinton down. He discusses all the usual suspects that tried to destroy Clinton: Ken Starr, Rush Limbaugh (gets his "information" directly from the Republican National Committee"), Matt Drudge, Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Richard Mellon Scaife, Justice William Rehnquist, etc.
Blumenthal also discloses that, at one time, the FBI had 78 agents investigating Clinton. No wonder the FBI didn't know about the planned terrorist attack on the WTC - they were too busy trying to get something on Clinton. This was a sad time in American history.
24. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, And The Overthrow of Everything by Joe Trippi. The Howard Dean campaign for President was the most revolutionary political campaign in American history. Governor Dean lost but politics in this country will not be the same. The author of this book, Joe Trippi, was Dean's campaign manager and introduced the Internet to American politics. Dean and Trippi collaborated in their efforts and started a groundswell movement that almost, but not quite, made Dean the Democratic candidate against President Bush and the Republicans.
In the future, Joe Trippi's book and philosophy will also influence business and other activities in which the Internet can be used.
Joe Trippi believes that this is a critical moment in American history. "We are at the point that our founding fathers feared the most--when economic power seizes political power in this country.......Don't get me wrong, I love capitalism So did the authors of our founding documents. They knew that capitalism was a wonderful thing........But they also knew that democracy must govern capitalism, not the other way around. They knew that our economic system had to be subservient to our government. Left unchecked, they knew that capitalism quickly devours everything in its path, including democracy."
25. Fanatics & Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America by Arianna Huffington. One of my favorite political 'experts.' Once a hero to right-wingers like Newt Gingrich, Huffington has now moved past the political center towards the political left. In addition to writing books on politics and working as a TV political commentator, Huffington actually ran for Governor in California's recall election in 2003 which was won by Arnold Schwarzenegger. She has little use for the Democratic Party (watered down version of the Republican Party) but feels they are much preferable to George Bush and his right-wing Republican crowd.
Will Huffington run for public office again?
26. Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance (The American Empire Project). By Noam Chomsky.
I thought the U.S. was embarking on a little empire building when they invaded Iraq.
Noam Chomsky goes a big step further and says the U.S. has been on such a empire-building program for decades. He really takes a big step by claiming that the U.S. is as much a terrorist state as any other rogue government. Chomsky says that our former allies are upset with us because of the preemptive nature of the attack on Iraq and the appearance of empire building. These allies are experienced in empire building having engaged in the practice themselves, been its victim, or observed others, e.g., Soviet Union, Germany, Japan, etc., engaged in empire building. They know what they are observing.
Noam Chomsky is a linguist, intellectual, and political activist. His thoughts are not main stream ideas and the Bush Republicans are not going to agree with his conclusions regarding the preemptive U.S. conquest of Iraq. Despite his lack of a huge following, he is probably the most important intellectual to take aim at the Bush Administration' (and prior administration's) aggressive tendencies. After observing the U.S. aggression, Chomsky gloomily observes,
"We are entering a period of human history that may provide an answer to the question of whether there is intelligent life on earth, at least in the sense of "intelligence" that might be admired by a sensible extraterrestrial observer. Humans......demonstrated their destructiveness .......... dramatically so in the past few hundred years.....with an assault on biological diversity, on the environment that sustains life, and, with cold and calculated savagery, on each other as well."
27. Earth in the Balance by Al Gore. Gore's observations on the Marshall Plan are astute. His recommendation that such a Marshall Plan - type approach be used to save the environment is very provocative.
28. Left Behind by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. A story that exceeds, in scope, even the immense tale of World War II. The story of the last days of Earth - the Rapture of the Saints. The "saved" souls of the Earth are suddenly swept away to heaven leaving behind their loved but "unsaved" brethern - husbands, wives, lovers, brothers, friends, etc. - to fight the Antichrist and his Tribulation.
The book is about those left behind so I identify closely with them because that is probably where I would be. A really entertaining book with a great concept that leaves you hanging. And I'm not a very religious person! Why is it listed here as a reference on the great conservative - liberal showdown. If we don't answer some moral questions in this country soon - and I don't mean some of the phony moral issues that are being trotted out for vote getting purposes - a great tragedy is bound to occur.
Will it be the Tribulation?
1. The War Room starring James Carville and George Stephanopoulos. This film presents an inside look at master politician Bill Clinton's successful campaign for president in 1992. Carville and George Stephanopoulos were the political and media strategists, respectively, for Clinton's campaign and they were extremely effective. The two men had to deal with Clinton's weaknesses as well as his strengths.
As a reviewer said after seeing the film, "How was Clinton able to overcome all the obstacles he faced and get elected president? This film is a good step in the direction of learning how Clinton and team accomplished the miracle.
2. The Contender starring Jeff Bridges as the U.S. president, Gary Oldman as the right wing rival that wants to bring him down, and Joan Allen as the contender for the vacant vice-president's post. Allen is accused of participating in sexual hi-jinks with multiple partners.
One of the best political movies ever made.
3. The Manchurian Candidate. Two versions of this movie - a classic tale of prisoner-of-war brainwashing - exist. Both the old version and the new version are good but the 1962 version is rated as one of the great movies of all time.
The movie name "Manchurian Candidate" has become a cliche for certain political activity.
4. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Jimmy Stewart's classic tale of a little guy going to Washington and beating up on the corrupt political establishment.
5. Bulworth. A liberal politician organizes his own assassination and takes the opportunity to be honest with his voters. Warren Beatty stars.
6. The American President. Forerunner of the West Wing TV series. A widowed president falls in love with a lobbyist. Starring Michael Douglas and Martin Sheen.
7. Fahrenheit 9/11. Tells the story of what happened in the U.S. after 9/11. The Bush family's ties to Saudi Arabia and to the bin laden family are revealed. I'm surprised the administration didn't try to ban it.
8. The West Wing. A TV series starring Martin Sheen as the president and an all-star cast as his staff. A look at the inside workings of the White House.
Political Memorabilia, Museums and Presidential Libraries. The election of 2004 is over and most voters would say "thank God!" However, for the lovers and collectors of political memorabilia, the end of an election just means they can start scooping up the political buttons, bumper stickers, etc, that the uninterested voters are happy to discard.
Early in American history, it was considered undignified for a candidate to campaign. They just, more or less, waited at home for the election results to come in. After Andrew Jackson lost to John Q. Adams in 1924, things changed. In his next two elections for the presidency - 1928 and 1932 - Jackson used campaign advertising paraphernalia - snuff boxes, campaign posters, buttons, etc - in the campaigns. For almost 200 years, the practice has continued although in recent elections, radio, TV, and the Internet have played an increasing role as the mass media has been substituted for the advertising paraphernalia.
In the 2004 election, I saw much less use of yard signs, bumper stickers, etc, than normal, down here in New Orleans. The collectors don't mind though - it just makes the stuff they salvaged from the election that much more valuable! Collectors like rare items!
Some of the best places to view samples of political advertising follows:
A. Smithsonian National Museum of American History and National Portrait Gallery. The top location for political memorabilia in the United States. A great deal of information on the presidents.
B. University of Hartford. The excitement of presidential politics comes to life in the University of Hartford's Museum of American Political Life, home of one of the best collections of political memorabilia in the nation, second only to the Smithsonian. Approximately 60,000 artifacts - political posters, banners, prints, medals, glassware, ribbons, snuff-boxes, torchlights - are available for viewing at the museum.
Presidential Libraries. A great source of political and other information is available in the presidential libraries.
The presidential library system got its start because of President Franklin Roosevelt. Well before he became president, Roosevelt had learned that federal records were in disarray. For example, it had been the custom of the each former president to do with his presidential papers as he saw fit. As a result of the unsystematic approach, many important documents were lost. Roosevelt was disturbed by these revelations about presidential papers and, in 1939, he promised to donate his papers directly to the federal government. Two years later, he began putting his papers together and, since he was still president, he ordered the federal government to take care of them.
Since Roosevelt, a number of improvements have been made but each presidential library remains unique.
Political Information - Republicans vs. Democrats Web Sites.
1. Next War & Future Wars. World War 2 is behind us as is the Korean War, The Vietnam War, and the two wars with Iraq. Where will America's next war be? Syria? Iran? Venezuela? Cuba? One thing almost for certain, America's next war will be oil-related!
2. Red Onion. Personal and political rants and raves from the liberal side.
3. Political Collectibles. The election of 2004 is over and collectors are gobbling up political collectibles, e.g., autographs, buttons, bumper stickers, etc., used in the campaign.
4. New Orleans & Katrina. This tragedy and the failure of both conservatism and liberalism in organizing a competent relief effort will be debated for decades to come.
5. Dating for Conservatives & Liberals. Should conservatives and liberals date each other?
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