Welcome to Litsy!

One of the most meaningful, empowering, and visionary books I‘ve read in some time. It was in part a call to action re: 2016, so it‘s….super relevant. Valarie Kaur is an important voice for right now, and always. Looking forward to reading her recently published book soon (tagged in comment ⬇️).

As I dive deeper into understanding American politics, books like this one are very helpful. This book does not imagine a future that may come to pass if our projected path doesn‘t shift; it shows that we are already there. It discusses the flaws in the system that led us to this point. America will fall; its ‘democracy‘ will not last. It is falling right now, as we speak. The question is, what will you do? Highly recommended read.

At this point in history, 240 years after its composition, much of the US Constitution simply does not apply to reality. Democrats and Republicans alike worship the document as a sacred text, indulging a delirious sentimentality that was the precise opposite of what the framers envisioned as the necessary basis for responsible government. There is no way to govern rationally when your foundational document is effectively dead and you worship⬇️

The problem is not who is in power, but the structures of power. The US system is an archaic mode of government totally unsuited to the realities of the 21st century. It needs reforms to its foundational systems, not just new faces.

The new issues have to do with how intelligence uses information, or, more accurately, how intelligence and other fact-based analysis will fare in a world in which even a sophisticated society like our own is trending toward decision making anchored on a priori, near-instinctive narratives—decision making based on that which can be made popular or widely held rather than on that which is objectively true.

Library haul

I picked this book up from the library last week. Today, I have a doctor‘s appointment, so I brought it along to read while I wait.

This novel had lots of twists and many turns. I had a little trouble figuring out the plots and where the characters fit in for the first couple of chapters. The layers were waiting for the reader to catch up. Then things were starting to make sense. I was surprised by some of the layers and certainly didn‘t expect the ending. This was my first novel by Margolin and I will read more of his work. 4.25/5

This memoir astonished and altered me. Coming of age as an American Sikh in the aftermath of 9/11, Valarie Kaur‘s dedication to making a difference and her extraordinary courage in the face of hate crimes, police brutality, and sexual assault are made only more remarkable by her resilient compassion toward those who‘d harm her. Read this if you believe a better world takes both courage and kindness and you‘d like to become more of both.