conservatism

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right | Arlie Russell Hochschild

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A UC Berkley sociologist spent 5 years conducting research in Louisiana as she sought to understand political divisions in our country & why people vote the way they do even in the face of seemingly obvious contradictions. One thing that becomes apparent is the tension between economic and emotional self-interests & the profound impact of the former in recent elections. A fascinating, even-handed, accessible, & thought-provoking read.

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Christine

Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right | Arlie Russell Hochschild

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Thinking I may need to shift to books that are about escaping our current reality, as I keep reading the opposite and it‘s heavy. 🙃 But this is a good one, by a well-known sociologist (still doing vital work in her mid-eighties!) and based on ethnographic research where she deeply studies and truly listens to those whom we might perceive as voting against their own interests. A powerful takeaway is Hochschild‘s assertion that many (who ⬇️

Christine perhaps feel shamed and disempowered themselves) are drawn to you-know-who because he turns shame into blame through an oft-repeated four-step anti-shame ritual:

1. Says something outrageous/horrific
2. Gets publicly shamed
3. Becomes the “victim” of the shaming
4. Roars back at the shamers.

Seems obvious, but framing in that way does provide some food for thought re: how to move forward, I think. 2w

Deblovestoread I‘m definitely leaning into reads of a lighter tone but still trying to stay engaged with what is happening. Hard to find a balance in these times. Great review! 2w

AlaMich I‘ve so often wondered why people vote for someone who so clearly doesn‘t give a you-know-what about them or their problems. 2w

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TiredLibrarian I read this one of hers and found it insightful.

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

Christine @Deblovestoread Perfectly said - that balance is hard. 7d

Christine @AlaMich Yes, it‘s so hard to fathom and truly tragic. 7d

Christine @TiredLibrarian I must get to that one soon, glad you found it worthwhile. 7d

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Floresj

Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right | Arlie Russell Hochschild

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A well done, investigative reporting in Appalachia of a community before and after a white nationalist march in Pikeville, KY. Interviews with residents give shape to the frustrations of loss, shame, and poverty though they work hard yet can‘t get ahead. It‘s a great book, but it didn‘t make me feel better.

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Tara

Right-wing women: the politics of domesticated females | Andrea Dworkin

Looking forward to the Dworkin reissues! (Great covers imo.) I‘ve read 2 of these 3, and had to read them as pdfs 🙃 so we‘re well overdue for the reprint.

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dariazeoli

With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace | Nikki R. Haley

With all due respect, if you couldn‘t answer that question the first time, you shouldn‘t be running for the office you‘re running for. I don‘t want a president who panders to a base who can‘t accept an honest answer.

https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1221988690/nikki-haley-didnt-say-slavery-caused-t...

marleed That was shocking. What I used to believe to be true was that our national lawmakers understood history, the constitution, and were privy to real world situations in discrete ways that constituents didn‘t have access to. It was the job of the lawmaker to present truth and fact to his constituents even if that was not what the constituent wanted to hear. So wrong. Now lawmakers spew what they believe a constituent wants to hear as a truth. 1y

Susanita “It was all about the government telling them what to do.” 🙄 1y

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SirReadsalot1776

The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival | Ron DeSantis

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This autobiography of the popular governor of Florida (Ron DeSantis) makes a compelling case for why he should be the next POTUS. Desantis is man of integrity, a conservationist, a conservative, and an overall champion of freedom and the rule of law.

keithmalek

Hardhat Riot: Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution | David Paul Kuhn

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The riot itself is actually the least interesting aspect of this book. What was far more interesting is the history and politics that lead up to it, and Kuhn tells that tale masterfully. This is the story of how the Democratic party lost the white, middle class voter, and why they shouldn't have. Worst of all, Kuhn shows how Democrats learned nothing from it, and continue to make the same mistakes to this very day.

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