Other titles that might be worth it:

“What Would Jefferson Do?” Thom Hartmann

“The Revolt of the Elites” Christopher Lasch

Probably completely worth the time, though I have made just a little for dabbling in it:

“The Rise of the Meritocracy” by Michael Young

Hartmann goes all the way back to the Saxons for democracy roots…that he claims are reallygermane to our experience in the U.S….the Athenians arguably [I half-way presume myself] related more to theory. Democracy devolves responsibility to all members. The main feature of such seems to me is that folks who previously were available in the scapegoat herd…have taken on the responsibility of leading themselves (taken it on by degrees over the centuries). Hartmann provides a number of cases of democracy in other kinds of tribal life, which, taken as a whole, I really doubt were prevalent…or gaining much ground until around 1500 BCE. That’s sort of a statistical, anthropological contention, not meant to detract from the instances Hartmann cites. I find the idea that democracy has come on as accelerated distancing from scapegoatism plausible…and would not go to Hartmann’s anthropological roots for real solid grounding. But I’d like to hear from folks who think otherwise on this point. It used to seem like splittin hairs, but one position to me would seem to necessitate more tolerance…and less theocracy.

First: How intelligent, savvy, well-meaning people can fall for their own hopes and dreams. Second, exactly how intelligence becomes disinformation without the either conspiracy or intent. Third, just how America’s brand of colonialism does and does not work like the old school brand, and, concomittantly, why the Iraqi’s never showed up with those flowers. And, what a little corruption can turn into and how it can cripple, well, everything. The pitfalls of being an ‘advisor’ to someone else’s army. They may learn how to lose the backing of the American people by lying to them. And finally, why America’s image of herself as the eternal ‘good guy’ can make us behave like bad guys.

They won’t learn much about fighting a home-grown insurgency with a single, highly intelligent and very canny leader, head of a (more or less) functioning government. They are stuck with myriad insurgencies headed by a variety of men with a variety of axes to grind and no government in sight. Way different!

And a great deal more

They will learn that a truly great writer can make an 800-page biography go down like cool water on a hot day.

To balance that, they should try 4 Hours in My Lai. This will teach them how good kids come to do heinous acts, and why we must include in any solution, a means to get our soldiers out of Iraq regularly and for extended periods. How frustration and racism come together to dehumanize every Iraqi, insurgent or not.

Reading Iraqi fiction, biography, history (by Middle Eastern historians) and poetry may be the best antidote to the above. I intend to begin ASAP.

http://www.radioopensource.org/reading-for-the-new-majority/

Thanks for the great show.

I suggest also the November 9th epidode of “KCTS Connects”, on Seattle Public Television. I recommend the program, esp. the interview with Scott Ritter on his book “Target Iran” as well as the book.

Ritter argued very convincingly the likelihood of an Iran war was virtually 100%. He claims Bush’s conviction that he must take down Iran came in the same way he arrived at his Iraq decision–Faith Based rather than Fact Based analysis. He claims the Democrats are on the same bandwagon and are not likely to oppose. His arguments were literate, well articulated and a clear reminder of the same warnings by ‘the informed’ who opposed the invasion of Iraq.

http://www.amazon.com/America-Right-Wrong-American-Nationalism/dp/0195168402

“No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.” U.S. Constitution- Article I, Section 9.

A Bill of Attainder is a law that specifically applies to a group of persons. I’m referring to detainees held by the military, charged with crimes under our domestic law for actions done in a foreign nation.

Ex post facto. Congress has given immunity for crimes committed by our agents against enemies in the field and detainees.

I want my Constitution back!

it was in the radio show….:P