Since most of the people in the Occupy movement have plenty of time on their hands when not
sexually assaulting other occupiers,
threatening members of the media, or
throwing rocks and bottles at the police, I thought that I'd give them some books to read while they are eating their organic chicken ragout and beet & endive salads:
Lord of the Flies by William Golding - William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who
are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant
today as when it was first published in 1954. At first, the stranded
boys cooperate, attempting to gather food, make shelters, and maintain
signal fires. Overseeing their efforts are Ralph, "the boy with fair
hair," and Piggy, Ralph's chubby, wisdom-dispensing sidekick whose
thick spectacles come in handy for lighting fires. Although Ralph tries
to impose order and delegate responsibility, there are many in their
number who would rather swim, play, or hunt the island's wild pig
population. Soon Ralph's rules are being ignored or challenged
outright. His fiercest antagonist is Jack, the redheaded leader of the
pig hunters, who manages to lure away many of the boys to join his band
of painted savages. The situation deteriorates as the trappings of
civilization continue to fall away, until Ralph discovers that instead
of being hunters, he and Piggy have become the hunted: "He forgot his
words, his hunger and thirst, and became fear; hopeless fear on flying
feet." Golding's gripping novel explores the boundary between human
reason and animal instinct, all on the brutal playing field of
adolescent competition.
--Jennifer Hubert
Animal Farm by George Orwell - Fueled by Orwell's intense disillusionment with Soviet Communism,
Animal Farmis a nearly perfect piece of writing, both an engaging story and an
allegory that actually works. When the downtrodden beasts of Manor Farm
oust their drunken human master and take over management of the land,
all are awash in collectivist zeal. Everyone willingly works overtime,
productivity soars, and for one brief, glorious season, every belly is
full. The animals' Seven Commandment credo is painted in big white
letters on the barn. All animals are equal. No animal shall drink
alcohol, wear clothes, sleep in a bed, or kill a fellow four-footed
creature. Those that go upon four legs or wings are friends and the
two-legged are, by definition, the enemy. Too soon, however, the pigs,
who have styled themselves leaders by virtue of their intelligence,
succumb to the temptations of privilege and power. "We pigs are
brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of the farm depend
on us. Day and night, we are watching over your welfare. It is for your
sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples." While this
swinish brotherhood sells out the revolution, cynically editing the
Seven Commandments to excuse their violence and greed, the common
animals are once again left hungry and exhausted, no better off than in
the days when humans ran the farm. Satire
Animal Farm may be,
but it's a stony reader who remains unmoved when the stalwart
workhorse, Boxer, having given his all to his comrades, is sold to the
glue factory to buy booze for the pigs. Orwell's view of Communism is
bleak indeed, but given the history of the Russian people since 1917,
his pessimism has an air of prophecy.
--Joyce Thompson
Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman - How can we benefit from the promise of government while avoiding the
threat it poses to individual freedom? In this classic book, Milton
Friedman provides the definitive statement of his immensely influential
economic philosophy—one in which competitive capitalism serves as both a
device for achieving economic freedom and a necessary condition for
political freedom. The result is an accessible text that has sold well
over half a million copies in English, has been translated into eighteen
languages, and shows every sign of becoming more and more influential
as time goes on. (From the inside flap of the 40th Anniversary edition.) Heck, anything by Milton Friedman should be required reading.
Gangster Government by David Freddoso -
“GANGSTER GOVERNMENT”
Columnist Michael Barone invented the phrase.
President Obama has perfected the practice.And in this new and stunning book,
New York Times best-selling author David Freddoso (
The Case Against Barack Obama)
provides the much-needed exposé of an administration that has brought
Chicago-style corruption and strong-arm politics to Washington, looking
to reward its friends (the unions, federal workers, and other liberal
interest groups) and punish its enemies (the private sector workers and
taxpayers who foot the bill for Obama¹s massive expansion of the federal
government).
In
Gangster Government you'll learn, among other shocking revelations:
- How
the Obama administration has used “czars” and “recess appointments” to
install powerful bureaucrats, some with extreme views and shady pasts,
without congressional oversight - How the Obama administration ignored
the Constitution and reversed 100 years of bankruptcy law to reward its
friends (the United Autoworkers) in the GM and Chrysler bailout - Why even the pretense of “cutting costs” in Obamacare came second to rewarding the Democrat-supporting trial lawyers' lobby
- Why,
ignoring federal law, the Obama administration is trying to shield the
TSA workers who search passengers at airports from private sector
competition - How the trillion dollar "stimulus" was directed overwhelmingly at protecting government workers supported by the taxpayers
- Why “green jobs” are all about shaking down the taxpayer for favored businesses—not about truly “sustainable” energy or jobs
- How
the Obama administration bullies private businesses and even state
governments that don't cooperate with gangster government
Gangster Governmentis a devastating and revealing look at the momentous first two years of
the Obama administration and its subversion of our Constitution and
laws. It casts a hard look at a president whose training on Chicago’s
political playground shines through every bent law and every broken
promise. (description from Amazon)
A Presidency in Peril by Robert Kuttner - When Barack Obama took office in January 2009, he had an unprecedented
chance to do what no other recent president could: seize the nation's
financial reins from the corporate elite and return them to the American
people. Progressives everywhere held out hope that their new leader
would take advantage of the economic crisis he stepped into and enact
bold policies that would evoke real financial reforms-putting Main
Street in front of Wall Street, at last. But that, writes Robert
Kuttner, is not the way things turned out. Instead, America's best
chance for radical financial reform turned into Wall Street's greatest
victory. Obama filled his administration with allies of financial elites
who were more interested in business as usual than in transformative
change. As a consequence, Main Street remained mired in deep recession.
Instead of being the instrument of economic renewal, Obama became the
target of economic frustration. In this hard-hitting, incisive
account, Kuttner shares his unique, insider view of how the Obama
administration not only missed its moment to turn our economy around-but
deepened Wall Street's risky grip on America's future. Carefully
constructing a one-year history of the problem, the players, and the
outcome, Kuttner gives readers an unparalleled account of the
president's first year.More importantly, though, Kuttner shows how we could-with swift, decisive action-still enact real reforms.This
is a book not to be missed by anyone who wants to understand exactly
how Wall Street won, and how Main Street can still fight back. (Description from Amazon)
Power Grab by Christopher Horner - Barack Obama’s “Green” Policies Start With Controlling Your Energy…and End With Your Life.
If
Obama and his “green” coalition get their way, we’re headed for
blackouts, skyrocketing energy prices designed to bankrupt disfavored
industries, and even greater government control of our economy. Obama’s
green jobs agenda masks a declaration of war against America’s most
reliable sources of energy—coal, oil, and natural gas. He seeks to shut
them down and convert America to green energy—mostly wind and solar—in
an irresponsible experiment that will guarantee an energy crisis and
drive America from recession to depression. The Obama administration,
working in collusion with green groups allegedly protecting the
environment, unions protecting their paychecks, and local elites
protecting their ocean views, is putting the special interests ahead of
your interests. In Power Grab, best-selling author Christopher C. Horner reveals,
- How
Obama is obsessed with “climate change” schemes at huge expense to our
economy—even as the scientific case for global warming is collapsing. - How
Obama is counting on the liberal courts to gain greater control over
American industry How Obama’s “green jobs” policies are stripping jobs
from America and sending them overseas. - How Obama’s policies, if enacted,
will dramatically change your life—starting with your confidence that a
flipped switch will provide light, that a faucet will flow with water,
that your home will stay warm, and there’s gas at the pump.
(from inside flap)
Okay, this should take you a few days. You can find these at your local library, which is free, and we know how you like free.
