Welcome to Litsy!

I don‘t know why I feel like this is the time for this, but after the J&J book, apparently I‘m ready to take on anything and be pissed off by abhorrent practices and people. Here goes nothing.
#NancyMacLean #DemocracyInChains #audiobook

This book covers how the radical right libertarians have been able to get their interests represented in our Government. The first section goes in depth about Brown v Board, more so than I expected in this book. It was interesting, but perhaps was a bit long. Parts 2 and 3 start getting more into present day and how we got to now with the Koch bros. I really recommend picking this up. It's pretty horrifying.

I‘m bailing on this one. I‘ve been reading it all year and I‘ve only gotten to page 83. I really do want to know what the filthy rich right wing libertarians are doing in their think tanks to change our Constitution and country to their liking but I just can‘t make myself finish reading. At least not right now. I‘m finding the book densely written and boring. With so much going on in politics I just can‘t deal with more right now.

I‘m currently reading this one. This book explains so much about the radical right, which is documented on Jim Crow laws. The author is a historian who has researched this so well, and has presented it in an easily read book. As a political wonk myself, I‘m really enjoying it. I do have to put it down periodically so not to throw it it in anger. Not yet finished, I still am recommending it.

Terrifying. The utterly horrific story of how a few billionaires fully consumed by the Libertarian cult have conspired, over decades, to break American democracy in the name of more profit. This is how we got here, a place of incredible disparity between the wealth of less than one percent of our population versus the rest of us. How do we change this? How do we preserve our democracy?
VOTE!!!

I learned a lot reading this book. Most of it was terrifying and overwhelming. For a left-leaning liberal like myself, the information in this book made me feel like a pawn in a chess game I had no idea I was playing. I have an intrinsic belief that most people are inherently good and want the best for others. This book really challenges that belief.

Recent bookish additions. I bought the tagged book after seeing the author on Real Time. I found the still wrapped Norton Anthology of Short Fiction on the laundry room shelf. My sister gave me the bookends for my birthday. One of my patients made me the bookmark. The other nurses told her I love owls. I love the color coordination.
I also got some gift cards and cash for my birthday. I'm thinking of buying boots. Yes, I said boots, not books.

Signal boosting. If this is turned on, you'll see what Litsy wants to show you. @MelAnn

A must read to understand why so many of the electorate vote against their own self-interest: Charles Koch and his minions have spent 30 years undermining the foundations of collective action and representative democracy to further extreme “economic liberty” policies that benefit only the wealthy, property class. It‘s a tough read —frightening and infuriating— but so necessary. It‘s time to stand up for our social safety net and American values.

“If the [legislators] have their way, a nation that stands at 148th out of 172 democracies in the world in voter turnout will have even fewer people participating in the political process.”

Great learning how libertarianism started—horrifying as it was. Too textbook-like at times, but I am so glad this kind of book exists (more please 🤓).

I hope current/could-be leaders also look to history instead of repeating poorly motivated decisions.

“His analysis strikes at the heart of self-government,” said Warren J. Samuels. He granted that the book contained some dazzling points, but overall the limits of liberty were an extreme & anti-democratic departure from constitutional thought which had built in safeguards against possible tyranny by the majority.👇🏻

#nonfictionnovember This is book 2 of 5 of my reading of the National Book Award short list. Well, that was terrifying! This book looks at the development of libertarian ideology in the US, which arose in the South following the Civil War when the federal government took “property” away from slave holders. The book mainly focuses on the influences of James Buchanan and Charles Koch. Review continues below. 👇🏻

Up next in my readings from the National Book Award short lists - this is book 2 of 5 in non-fiction and book 4 of 5 in poetry. These both look like they‘ll be challenging. #nonfictionnovember

This is such an important book for insight into how "this" could happen. Should be required reading for us all.

Trying to figure out how we got in this mess #birthdayspace Thanks @Liberty 🎊!!!