History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Has history been tampered with?.......2007-10-23

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAZQNMXM4M9CL Has history been tampered with? Yes, it has! Did events and eras such as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire , the Dark Ages, and the Renaissance, actually occur within a very different chronology from what we've been told? Yes, they certainly did!

The history of humankind is both drastically shorter and dramatically different than generally presumed.

Why is it so? On one hand, it was usual custom to justify the claims to title and land by age and ancestry, and on the other the court historians knew only too well how to please their masters. The so called universal classic world history is a pack of intricate lies for all events prior to the 16th century. World history as we learn it today was entirely fabricated in the 16th-18th centuries. It's likely that nobody told you before, but

there is not a single piece of firm written evidence or artefact that is reliably and independently dated prior to the 11th century.

Naturally, after what you've learned in school and university, you will not easily believe that the classical history of ancient Rome, Greece, Asia, Egypt, China, Japan, India, etc., is manifestly false.

You will point accusing finger to the pyramids in Egypt, to the Coliseum in Rome and Great Wall of China etc., and claim, aren't they really ancient, thousands of years ancient? Well, there is no valid scientific proof that they are older than 1000 years!

The oldest original written document that can be reliably dated belongs to the 11th century!

New research asserts that Homo sapiens invented writing (including hieroglyphics) only 1000 years ago. Once invented, writing skills were immediately and irreversibly put to the use of ruling powers and science.

The consensual chronology we live with was essentially crafted in the 16th century by the Jesuits.

The world history was compiled from contradictory mix of innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts and other irrefutable proofs delivered by late mediaeval astronomers that were cemented by the authority of writings of the Church Fathers.

Early in life, we learn about ancient history. Children love the magical lessons of history - they are like fairy tales. Teachers recite breathtaking stories; very soon We learn by heart the names and deeds of brave warriors, wise philosophers, fabulous pharaohs, cunning high priests and greedy scribes.

We learn of gigantic pyramids and sinister castles, kings and queens, dukes and barons, powerful heroes and beautiful ladies, emaciated saints and low-life traitors.

Ancient history is based documents, manuscripts, printed books, paintings, monuments and artefacts - called primary sources.

The problem is that neither these ancient documents, nor events described therein can be irrefutably dated, moreover they contradict each other for the most part.

When a school textbook tells us that Genghis Khan in year X or Alexander in year Y, have each conquered half of the world, it means only that it is so said in some of the written sources.

There are no answers to simple questions:

When were these primary sources written?

Where and by whom were these sources found?

It is wrongly presumed that ancient and medieval chronicles, written by Genghis Khan's or Alexander the Great contemporaries and eyewitnesses, are readily available. Actually, only sources written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events are there, compiled mostly in the 16th 18th centuries, or even later.

As a rule, these sources suffered considerable multiple manipulations, falsifications and distortions by editing. At the same time,

innumerable originals of ancient documents under various pretexts were destroyed in Europe under various pretexts.

The names of persons and geographical sites often changed meaning and location during the course of the centuries.

Geographical locations became clearly defined on maps only with the advent of printing.

This made possible the circulation of identical copies of the same map for purposes of the military, navigation, education and governance tasks.

Historians from Oxford say: "hey, everybody knows that Julius Caesar lived in the first century B.C.

`Julius Caesar' statement is only a point of view as

there is simply no irrefutable documentary proof that Julius Caesar or any other great name of antiquity ever existed.

Better than that - extremely rare sources that can be reliably dated back to the 10th-14th centuries A D, do not show the polished picture of classical history.

They show a picture both contradictory and confusing.

All methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts are erroneous:

Radio-carbon C14 method produces dating with exactitude of plus minus 1500 years, therefore it is too crude for dating of events in historical timeframe!

The Almagest tractate, which lies as corner stone contemporary chronology, compiled in the 2nd century A D by Ptolemy, the founding father of astronomy, contains astronomical data of 9th to 16th century!

The Bronze Age,that has supposedly began 5000 years ago. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, but the technology for tin extraction dates back to 14th century A D!.

All eclipses contained in manuscripts, like Thucydides one, relating 'ancient' events have exclusively medieval dating. All horoscopes cut in stone or painted in Egyptian temples, like Dendera have exclusively early medieval dating solutions.

Not quite what you have learned in school? Open your eyes, and, you will find sufficient proof to reach step by step the inevitable conclusion that the classical chronology is false and therefore, that the history of ancient and medieval world universally accepted today, is also false. Have a fresh outlook on everything said or printed about "ancient" and "enigmatic" Roman, Greek and Egyptian, medieval as well as all other "lost and found" civilizations.

Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th and polished in 19th 20thcenturies. Human civilization is in fact barely 1000 years old!

This book will change your perception of History forever!
What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
Sounds Unbelievable?
Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21stCentury

Average customer rating:

two out of three
A must read... specially for people that love this country
Well researched and balanced
Sharp, Not Balanced, But An Important Read
One of the Best Books I Have Ever Read

American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21stCentury
Kevin Phillips
Manufacturer: Penguin Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Democracy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Federal Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Church & State | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Nonfiction | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

ASIN: 0143058444

Book Description

From the writer called our "modern-day Tom Paine,"an explosive analysis of the axis of religion, politics, and fiscal imprudence that threatens to destroy the nation.

Unabridged CDs - 11 CDs, 13 hours

Customer Reviews:

two out of three.......2007-10-14

He does an excellent account of the history and current predicament we have regarding our national addiction to oil and lack of a true energy policy because of political weakness, and the incredible national debt to China and Saudi Arabia. But the book stumbles on the concept that "perhaps" one third of the republican voters truly believe the "end times" are near and that the Bush administration heeds this call, such that our nation will be led willingly into more wars to hasten the Second Coming of Christ. Greed for oil, a gamble to create a client state, etc all the real reasons for the Iraq war are cited by Mr Phillips but he seems to not understand the fundamental role of religion in American society - it's never as weak - or as strong - as you may assume.

A must read... specially for people that love this country.......2007-10-08

This book is no hoopla... no gimmicks... no hype.

This book is SUPERBLY well researched... a non-biased objective and insightful look and exposition of the 3 MAJOR historic aspects that shape US goverment policy and that have shaped life in the USA as we know it.

To see where the country is headed... how things are shaping up... and give lights to what needs to be done... one draws our own conclusions, but the facts are there... this book is powerful... this is knowledge that EMPOWERS people... if you care about the USA and it's future, do yourself a favor... and just read this one... republican or democrat, makes no difference... this is just how it is.

Well researched and balanced.......2007-09-16

There is (I think) a growing group of people who call themselves Republicans but are increasingly disgusted with the people who lead the Republican party, and the direction that they take both the party and the nation. I am one of those who has been increasingly disaffected for years, and Kevin Phillips appears to be as well based on his recent writing. I am a long-time fan of Mr. Phillips, as someone who has the courage to see something that he has in the past and still wants to identify with unravel and decline in front of him, and give voice to the frustration, as well as the fear for where this alarming trend might take us.

The book takes the reader through a well-detailed account of how we have reached this point, and where this likely leads. The "here" that Mr. Phillips outlines is a country where the dominant political party in the country has entered into a "great alliance" with the dominant religious organizations in the country in order to maintain joint dominance. The religious organizations benefit by continuing to assure that their agenda's are met by the politicians, while the political party benefits by keeping the eye of the governed off of the rape and pillage that is going on within the political apparatus. The focus weaves this involvement of the extreme right-wing fundamentalist clerics through all aspects of government, focusing in particular on the debt that has resulted and the foreign oil dependence that continues to drive most decisions, plunging the nation further into debt, resulting in increasing profits from those few who "own" that industry.

The historical aspects of the book were excellent, helping the reader to understand how we got where we are, as well as making it clear where history would advise that all nations end up when they get on the path that we have put ourselves on. It is not a comforting picture. I have given the book 4 stars because while the message and content are excellent and timely, I do think that the writing became just a little disjointed and rambled down some alleys at times. I would still highly recommend this book.

Sharp, Not Balanced, But An Important Read .......2007-09-15

Former Republican strategist, Kevin Phillips, believes he knows what is wrong with our nation. Chances are, by very virtue of your reading a book review on a Christian e-zine, you contribute to the erosion of our national health. American Theocracy: The Politics and Peril of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century is at times scathing and at times coolly analytical in its survey of dangers Phillips sees threatening our superpower status.

Part I examines the effects of America's dependency on oil. Our industry, automobiles, and military have an insatiable appetite for oil. Phillips argues that this energy dependency gives Big Oil too much sway over our domestic and foreign policies. At home we lax our environmental laws to accommodate oil drilling. And abroad we resort to international thuggery to secure control of Iraq's mostly untapped oil fields. "The war on terror?", "Importing democracy to the Middle East?" Phillips sees these as slogans to sell an imperialistic war.

In Part II: "Too Many Preachers", Phillips takes aim at Christian Fundamentalism, a movement the he sees embodied by the Southern Baptist Convention, Pentecostals, and the charismatic movements. Phillips chronicles these denominations rise to prominence and how they shape national politics. The culture wars are provoked by radical Christians attempting to establish a theocracy--a Christian America governed by God's rules. "Disenlightenment" is Phillip's descriptor for the effect that these empowered believers have on our country: They value faith over science and a literal Armageddon over peace.

Phillips closes his diatribe with Part III on our national and individual debt. Again, Phillips provides a valuable historic context at how debt played a role in the decline of England, Spain, and the Netherlands as superpowers. Phillips offers an undeniable outline of the depths of our national debt as well as personal credit lodes. He argues that our increasing debt and decreasing hard industry has created a thin ice that will eventual give in under our largesse.

American Theocracy finds its value when Phillips is able to sustain his analytical voice, and he's able to do so for extended periods of time. His historical perspective on our oil dependency, the changing face of American religion, and our national debt demand your attention. I'll confess, as an evangelical with political tendencies a few notches right of centrist, this was uncomfortable stuff to read. Even so, Phillips places important issues on the table.

However when Phillips slips into his polemic voice the book becomes tedious. Phillips has open contempt for people superstitious enough to buy into the Biblical creation account, Noah Arc, or a literal interpretation of Revelation, such as the one popularized by the Left Behind franchise. Phillips also makes too many gaps in his evidence with clauses like, "Although the evidence is weak." He's on a mission to connect the dots and is willing to supply any missing points along the way.

Make no mistake; Kevin Phillips wields too much anger and bias to be objective. But are there any takeaways for the evangelical and fundamentalist Christian communities?

I think so. American Theocracy provokes us to ask several poignant questions:

-- Have we developed what Phillip's calls "American Exceptionalism"; a belief that America has an exclusive blessing from God? How does this belief influence our foreign policy?

-- Does our theology concerning the end times make us overly tolerant of military interventions in the Middle East? ("The faster we get to Armageddon the faster we get to heaven.")

-- Should the political arena our primary method of advancing God's kingdom on Earth? Does Jesus truly expect that we establish an "American Theocracy?"

I won't pretend to offer the final word on these questions. Instead, I just note that in spite of all the book's weaknesses, American Theocracy provides the agenda for an important conversation that's long overdue

One of the Best Books I Have Ever Read.......2007-08-19

I read this book 3 times and have encouraged others to read it. I rarely read any book more than once but this one was so thought provoking. Some reviews stress the chapters about religion but the book is so much more than that. Religion has NOTHING to do with the debt which is dragging this country down which is a chapter all its own. There is also a chapter on consumer debt which is dragging us as individuals and families down. Anyone who is worried about the financial state of this country should read this book.

The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War over the American Dollar (Enterprise)

Average customer rating:

"The Money Men" intriguing ...
Another great contribution from Dr. Brands
Brands Doesn't Disappoint
Not up to Brands very high standards
THE MONEY MEN follows their lives, philosophies, clashes and lasting influences.

The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy, and the Hundred Years' War over the American Dollar (Enterprise)
H. W. Brands
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Money & Monetary Policy | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0393061841

Book Description

A best-selling historian's gripping account of the powerful men who controlled America's financial destiny.

From the first days of the United States, a battle raged over money. On one side were the democrats, who wanted cheap money and feared the concentration of financial interests in the hands of a few. On the other were the capitalists who sought the soundness of a national bank—and the profits that came with it.

In telling this exciting story, H. W. Brands focuses on five "Money Men": Alexander Hamilton, who championed a national bank; Nicholas Biddle, whose run-in with Andrew Jackson led to the bank's demise; Jay Cooke, who financed the Union in the Civil War; Jay Gould, who tried to corner the gold market; and J. P. Morgan, whose position was so commanding that he bailed out the U.S. Treasury.

The Money Men is a riveting narrative, a revealing history of the men who fought over the lifeblood of American commerce and power.

Customer Reviews:

"The Money Men" intriguing ..........2007-02-10

I found this book to be a bit of a challenge, since it takes the reader through the history of U.S. money from before the nation's establishment as a country independent from the crown of England, and the accompanying tax structure, all the way through the Federal Reserve days of Alan Greenspan. Yet what I learned about the men profiled in this book gave me a glimpse of their "inner workings" and how their business - and personal - biases have had an affect on the entire development of the U.S. An excellent read.

Another great contribution from Dr. Brands.......2007-01-05

Dr. Brands never disappoints. His research and witty style makes him a must-read in any topic on American history. Here, he's taken what some might consider a dry economics topic and turned it into a pleasurable experience that will help anyone understand this important current in the course of our country.

Brands Doesn't Disappoint.......2007-01-01

I am a big fan of Bill Brands' work. He's one academic historian who can make complex subjects understandable to Average Joes like me. Unlike the previous reviewer, I don't have much background on the Money Question, which, as Brands explains, so deeply divided the nation for the first dozen or so decades of its existence. So this book was a learning experience for me.

In "The Money Men," Brands elucidates five pivotal stories in America's economic development:

*Hamilton's efforts to establish a national bank and his program to finance the developing country's growth through national debt
*The Jackson-Biddle "War" in which Pres. Jackson prevailed in killing off the Second Bank of the United States
*Jay Cooke's role in financing the Civil War
*The failed attempt of railroad barons Jay Gould and James Fisk to corner the gold market
*J.P. Morgan's role as the nation's de facto central banker.

Of these, I was particularly drawn to the story about Cooke's innovations in selling Union war bonds to the general public. Major bankers, especially New York bankers, had shown only tepid appetite for such bonds amid Union battlefield setbacks. Indeed, except for Lincoln, Cooke may have been the man most responsible for keeping the Union army in the field.

I was also surprised to learn -- as apparently were his contemporaries --of the relatively modest size of Morgan's estate: $68 million. By comparison, Andrew Carnegie amassed a $225 million fortune.

Brands wraps up with the resolution to the Money Question -- the establishment of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1913. The Fed system was a compromise that combined elements of Hamiltonian capitalism and Jeffersonian democracy. With a couple of glaring exceptions (late 20s/early 30s and 1970s) the Fed system has served the nation's economy well across nine decades now.

Not up to Brands very high standards.......2006-12-20

The Money Men by H.W. Brands is a good, albeit quite brief, review of our nation's historical struggle between the forces of capitalism and democracy. Clearly the two, while a recipe for economic success, opportunity and global power, have collided both philosophically and politically over some two hundred thirty years.

Brands, a highly regarded historian at the University of Texas, and the author of such definitive books and "Andrew Jackson" and "The Age of Gold" seems to have radically tailored his prose for this entry into The Enterprise Series. As it is my first read of these books I cannot be sure if the editors at Norton are seeking to spoon feed a reader audience where little existing knowledge of the specific topics is assumed. It seems as if that is the goal and it is a shame as Brands has so much more to offer. His writing is crisp in The Money Men and the history of a developing economic, financial and monetary system is well done, but from a cursory and overview perspective. Those looking for more should do just that, keep looking.

THE MONEY MEN follows their lives, philosophies, clashes and lasting influences........2006-11-07

The Money Men: Capitalism, Democracy and the Hundred Year's War Over the American Dollar charts the influence and struggles of the financial industry in American history, using biographical sketches of five key financiers to follow the story of the American dollar. Andrew Hamilton, Nicholas Biddle, Jay Cooke, Jay Gould and J.P. Morgan each helped form the monetary system in this country - and thus helped shape its political choices. THE MONEY MEN follows their lives, philosophies, clashes and lasting influences.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

A Must Read for Political Activists
A Must Read
As a voter you owe to yourself to read this.
Best Journalist of our Time
A real eye opener!

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Greg Palast
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Political | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Democracy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0452285674

Book Description

Award-winning investigative journalist Greg Palast digs deep to unearth the ugly facts that few reporters working anywhere in the world today have the courage or ability to cover. From East Timor to Waco, he has exposed some of the most egregious cases of political corruption, corporate fraud, and financial manipulation in the US and abroad. His uncanny investigative skills as well as his no-holds-barred style have made him an anathema among magnates on four continents and a living legend among his colleagues and his devoted readership.

This exciting new collection brings together some of Palast's most powerful writing of the past decade. Included here are his celebrated "Washington Post" exposé on Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris's stealing of the presidential election in Florida, and recent stories on George W. Bush's payoffs to corporate cronies, the payola behind Hillary Clinton, and the faux energy crisis. Also included in this volume are new and previously unpublished material, television transcripts, photographs and letters.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read for Political Activists.......2007-08-14

Greg Palast is to journalism, what Michael Moore is to documentaries. This is a real eye opener to anyone who follows politics and is interested in preserving our constitutional rights. Palast shows us how our political system is undermined and bought by people who, on the surface, are upstanding citizens, but in reality are the greedy and unprincipaled. He spares no one or either party in his invetigative prowess and great sense of humor.

A Must Read.......2007-06-27

As bitter this sort of truth be -- that is, to both patriots and would-be patriots (well, at least they're trying) -- it's now the harshest of realities.

Because it effectsd njot merely us sinners but also the still unborn yet to come, it does, however, needs to be seen clearly and understood -- if we don't want to let it happen yet again.

We have been witrness to the abuse of our religion 9in the blatant pursuit of power as well as that which usually serves best to bu7y it: money.

Take notice then and learn from these past 6.5 years. That's the only way not to repeat our most recent political past. Live and learn. Even so, fool me once, shame of you Bush et al. But, fool me again, shame on me!

A must read if myou truly want to be finally now a learned and wordly wise citizen of the now somewhat tarnished (if not sorely debased) but still greatest nation on earth (in spite of the Bushies best efforts to bleed it dry in particular, as well as wreck it generally) our own United States of America .

As a voter you owe to yourself to read this........2007-06-05

As everyone knows if one side gets away with something, pretty soon everybody is doing it. So even if you are a died in the wool Republican you should read this book, because I can guarantee you that the Democrats will be caging/purging you off the voter rolls next.

Mad about Iraq? Here's the scoop on why we've made a hash of it. Even if you wanted to toss that foul dictator Saddam Hussein, and now are wondering why after liberating these folk we are still being shot at, read this book.

Mad about your gasoline prices? Read on. Mad about your power bill? Read on.. we are being played for suckers and I for one am tired of it.

Best Journalist of our Time.......2007-05-21

What can I say, Greg Palast is a genius at finding the hard facts on not just President Bush, but Clinton too. Some might think he is bias support the right-wing. But with a open mind this book and Greg on his site blows you away with facts. Features how the Republican's (BUSH TEAM) fixed the election with scrub list, globalization, corporate cons my favorite Small town minds. Plus his new Book, features how they are planning to steal 04 and 08. Get this book help spread the news of the cronies in Washington.

A real eye opener!.......2007-04-01

Greg Palast is a very courageous man who wants the truth to be told. I highly recommend this book.

Age of Betrayal: The Triumph of Money in America, 1865-1900

Average customer rating:

New York Times didn't like it....
Magisterial
Interesting, full of facts, too hard to read
Economic history
Fables of the Reconstruction

Age of Betrayal: The Triumph of Money in America, 1865-1900
Jack Beatty
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1400040280
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Book Description

A brilliant reconsideration of the Gilded Age in America, when an oligarchy of wealth triumphed over democracy, when dreams of freedom and equality died of their impossibility. Jay Gould, the “Mephisto of Wall Street,” never runs for office, but he rules. This was his time (and John D. Rockefeller’s and Andrew Carnegie’s), and this was his country.
At the end of the Civil War, with the rebellion put down and slavery ended, America belonged to Lincoln’s “plain people.” But “government of the people” and economic democracy were betrayed by political parties that fanned memories of the war to distract Americans from government of the corporation.

Synthesizing the research of a new generation of scholars, Jack Beatty gives us a fresh look at the “revolution from above” of industrialization that forged modern America. In Age of Betrayal, Supreme Court justices turn the Fourteenth Amendment’s promise of “equal protection of the laws” to the freed slave into the shield of the corporate “person.” The presidents of the Pennsylvania and Southern Pacific railroads engage in a bidding war for congressmen. A depression brought on by railroad speculation throws millions out of work, the hungry riot for bread in Buffalo, the homeless sleep on Chicago’s streets, “tramps” are arrested, strikers are shot, and the nation’s presidents avert their eyes.

In the 1890s the Populist revolt from below challenges the revolution from above. Entrepreneurial capitalism ends in the early 1900s, as 1,800 giant firms are compacted into 157 behemoths. God instructs President McKinley to invade Cuba and seize the Philippines from Spain; turning from liberators to occupiers, U.S. troops slaughter and starve the (Roman Catholic) Filipinos in the name of “Christianizing” them. In perpetrating this “infamy,” William James cries out, “We have puked up our traditions”—revealing how these sordid decades had remade us.

A passionate, gripping, often shocking history of wealth over commonwealth—thirty-five years of American history in which we see the reflection of today’s gilded age.

Customer Reviews:

New York Times didn't like it...........2007-09-04

NY Times' reviewer called this a "hidebound Marxist analysis." That's plenty of reason for me to keep my money in my wallet.

Magisterial.......2007-08-05

This is a classic, and worth the time to read. The parallels with the present era are obvious and instructive. On a personal note, I found it interesting to read the author's comments about John C. Fremont and the Texas Pacific sale and to juxtapose it with Sally Denton's biography of John and Jessie Fremont, Passion and Principle.

Interesting, full of facts, too hard to read.......2007-07-03

I was really interested in this book and have enjoyed listening to Mr. Beatty on NPR radio as a commentator. But I found his book to be a hard read, even hard to skim. It drifts away from the big picture and wanders endlessly in microscopic details that overwhelmed me. He's seemed more enamored with tricky sentence structure - I some times had to read a sentence several times to sort out all of the heavily comma'd parenthetical expressions. The endless references were useless. In today's age of electronics and hyperlinks a book like this would be much better if it wasn't on paper.

Economic history.......2007-07-01

This probably rates higher than 3 stars if you are an economic historian. It is a detailed dislogue of the years between 1865 and 1900. It is not an easy read, but for the student of the era it is about as complete a recitation as you would ever hope to find and should prove useful. For the average reader however it is not an easy read, is not told in a narrative manner and three stars may be too many. It may tell you more than you ever wanted to know.

Fables of the Reconstruction.......2007-06-21

_Age of Betrayal_, I have to say, was a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing read. Mr. Beatty, who demonstrates his probity, erudition and understanding time and again on NPR's _On Point_, easily imports these virtues into writing. His is politically inflected historiography in the best sense, comparing favorably to marxian British historians of previous generations like E. P. Thompson and Gareth Stedman Jones. For the author, what is past is incontrovertibly prelude, and his treatment of the Gilded Age offers the perceptive reader as many insights into his own historical moment as of historical ones.

To his credit Mr. Beatty wears his learning and convictions lightly; the polemic is always subtle, never heavy-handed, and is seamlessly integrated into the prose; the gusto with which he tackles his subject proves infectious. Some chapters, such as those treating the rise and spectacular collapse of the Populists, and the labor unrest at the Carnegie steelworks, have a tragic sweep to them that will leave only the most jaded eye unmoist. As one who studies late-nineteenth century British literature, I really have to credit the author with deepening my understanding of events on this side of the Atlantic during the same period.

I do, however, have two quibbles with the text. First, the author's prose style, while generally graceful, does show a proclivity toward terseness, as well as Chicago-Manual economy of punctuation, which sometimes make even more formidable the dense thickets of data the author frequently drops his reader into. Second, while in the main Mr. Beatty confines himself to the period stated in the book's subtitle, 1865-1900, he does at times look forward to FDR's New Deal, and offers as a coda some words of Woodrow Wilson's in 1913. What the author fails to discuss in his small leap forward into 1913 is another significant event of that year, the creation of the Federal Reserve, a puzzling omission given that Lincoln's greenback paper currency and the free-silver of the Populists occupy such important places in his narrative.

Puzzling because the Fed did exactly what Lincoln did, and what the Populists proposed: replace metal-back currency with fiat. The only twist -- and a critical one, keeping with the theme of betrayal -- is that the power of fiat was removed from government and placed in the hands of private bankers through legislation drafted by representatives of the reviled caesariat of robber-barons. This, I think, is perhaps the greatest single greatest betrayal, ensuring as it does that the everyday wage-worker will lose around three percent per annum the value of his labors' fruits -- and it is one the author never mentions. I'd be interested to hear how the author would defend the creation of the Fed as an innovation on what the free-silver folk, whom Beatty, following Milton Friedman, claims would have triggered inflation of low-double digits. I am therefore led to ask: Is the steady, inexorable march of three-percent inflation preferable to that which the free-silverers would have engendered? Is it simply the rate of the progression that makes the former palatable? To me, this is like saying the prisoner condemned death by _lin chi_ died before the thousandth cut, and thus did not die by _lin chi_.

These are of course ancillary considerations, and they do not prevent me from recommending _Age of Betrayal_ as an instructive, entertaining read. I also recommend Louis Menand's magnificent _The Metaphysical Club_ for discussion of another dimension of the same era.

Democracy Derailed: Initiative Campaigns and the Power of Money

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our new branch of government
good book, but lacks balance
Democracy Derailed Derailed
Good Introduction, But Off in Places
Good Book, but Common Knowledge for Most

Democracy Derailed: Initiative Campaigns and the Power of Money
David S. Broder
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0156014106

Amazon.com

Longtime Washington Post scribe David S. Broder, considered by many to be the dean of Beltway journalists, delivers a pounding attack on ballot initiatives in Democracy Derailed. Available to voters in half the states and in hundreds of municipalities ("from New York City to Nome"), initiatives allow citizens to skirt the legislative process and put measures directly before voters. And this, writes Broder, "is alien to the spirit of the Constitution and its careful system of checks and balances." Furthermore, it "threatens to challenge or even subvert the American system of government in the next few decades." Broder begins with a history of initiatives, which grew out of the well-intentioned Populist and Progressive movements, quickly arriving at the present day and the numerous controversial measures on subjects ranging from taxes to campaign finance. Much of the book is devoted to the 1998 election cycle, with particular attention paid to California's Proposition 226--the paycheck-protection initiative that would have limited the ability of labor unions to spend members' dues on political activities. The fact that it ultimately failed doesn't undercut Broder's message, because so many other measures have been passed in California and elsewhere. The real strength of Democracy Derailed, however, isn't in its arguments against ballot initiatives, but in its description of how the business behind them really works. Broder spots moneyed interests everywhere; others will merely see citizens choosing to spend their dollars on politics. On one point Broder is indisputably correct: initiatives represent a grossly "unexamined arena of power politics." With this book, they become better understood. --John J. Miller

Book Description

Now in paperback, how initiatives are remaking our democracy, creating a hazardous new arena of politics.

Where once most state laws were passed by legislatures, now voters in half the states and hundreds of cities decide directly on such explosive issues as drugs, affirmative action, casino gambling, assisted suicide, and human rights. Ostensibly driven by public opinion, the initiative process is far too often manipulated by moneyed interests, often funded by out-of-state millionaires pursuing their own agendas.

In this highly controversial book, David Broder, the "dean of American political journalism" (Brill's Content), explains how a movement that started with Proposition 13 in California is now a multimillion-dollar business in which lawyers, campaign consultants, signature gatherers, and advertising agencies sell their expertise to interest groups with private agendas.

With a new afterword updating the results of the most recent elections and discussing the potential for future initiatives, Broder takes the reader into the heart of these battles as he talks with the field operatives, lobbyists, PR spinners, labor leaders, and business executives, all of whom can manipulate the political process.

Customer Reviews:

our new branch of government.......2005-08-25

The government as envisioned by the US Constitution consists of three parts: the executive, judicial and the legislative. Interestingly, the founding fathers never included any mention in the Constitution of how the state and local governments should be comprised. For most of America's history, state governments copied the national model to some degree. This has changed since the 1970's, with the introduction of referendums and initiatives in over 20 states and numerous counties, districts, and cities. These two changes have allowed voters to directly influence, change, and often counteract the actions of the three established branches of government. The Constitution defines clear checks and balances between the three branches, and ways by which individuals would be chosen to serve in these branches. But there is no such legal underpinning for the referendum and initiative. The resulting consequences are the subject of this well-thought out and well-referenced book.

The author gives a history of the referendum and initiative in America, how these two ideas entered the public consciousness, and how they have come into legal existence in various states and localities throughout the US. The author then proceeds to describe some of the major initiatives and referendums that have passed and failed, their supporters and opposers, and their effects, both intended and unintended, both on the political process in their jurisdiction, but on other jurisdictions. The author shows how money often becomes the prevailing factor in the formation and acceptance/rejection of a referendum or initiative. Specific cases are studied in detail, especially those in bellwhether states such as California.

The overall image portrayed is that both the initiative and referendum are often instruments of specific industries amd business lobbies, and rarely are ever reflective of issues of general concern to the electorate. Also, both instruments have been used succesfully to limit tax collection, but without the requisite cut in spending. This book also shows how use of both instruments has led to increased bureacracy, paperwork, and lawsuits as more pieces are added to the governing process, without a coherent framework of checks-and-balances.

Oveall, this is a very important book to read, not just for lawmakers, but citizens in general.

good book, but lacks balance.......2004-04-09

David Frohnmayer, president of the University of Oregon, described the degenerating initiative process by saying, "It's no longer citizens fighting the oligopoly. Now it's the oligopoly paying people to act as citizens." An explanation of David S. Broder's feelings on the initiative process would mirror these words. In his "Democracy Derailed: Initiative Campaigns and the Power of Money," Broder makes his convictions known. Although he provides little balance on the issue, he writes a strong, solid message from the anti-initiative camp.

Broder has the skills, experience, and information to make a potent argument against initiative and referendum campaigns. He has a B.A. and a M.A. in political science from the University of Chicago. Starting in 1966, he has been a corespondent for the Washington Post, in which his columns continue to appear every Wednesday and Sunday. In 1973, he was honored with the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary. Broder also appears frequently on television news programs. Views expressed by Broder are often left of center, as shown by recent headlines such as "Would FDR Run Those 9/11 Ads" and "Dean: A Milestone, Not A Millstone."

With his well-established background, it is no wonder that Broder builds firm grounds against the modern initiative and referendum processes. Broder opens "Democracy Derailed" with a well-researched history of the initiative. In tracing back to the Progressivist and Populist movements of the 19th century, Broder hands the reader the "how"s and "why"s of initiative's origins. He then proceeds to show the current condition of the initiative campaign, especially in California, Oregon, and other states that implement it.

The bulk of Broder's book discusses the negative aspects of the progressivist initiative in the current United States. These chiefly concern the influences of powerful entities (such as big businesses, wealthy individuals, and initiative promoters), the undermining of constitutional legislative power, and the lack of public knowledge of detailed issues. Broder essentially argues that, though politicians have a price, the American voters wear an equally low tag. While that may not be the worst aspect of the corrupted initiative, Broder gives it ample space on the pages of "Democracy Derailed." Perhaps the strongest and most frightening detriment of the initiative is its assault on the structure of a democratic republic. This issue is also given plenty of voice from Broder. He also complains about the corrupt system of putting initiatives on ballots. Many initiative-promoting companies pay campaigners per signature for petitions, a practice of questionable integrity. The book leaves nary a stone in the anti-initiative field unturned.

"Democracy Derailed"'s chief downside lies in the fact that Broder makes no effort to break the soil of the field of the initiative benefits. The book starts with the noble origins of the initiative process, then proceeds to indicate that the current process bears no resemblance to those origins. While the current process may be quite different, it still stems from those benevolent origins. Some believe that a few positive elements of those origins remain in the otherwise-corrupt system today. Broder gives little voice to such opinions. The initiative's ability to raise the possibility of issues such as term limits may, in fact, be of benefit to this republic. Though governmental officials should represent the citizenry, they necessarily constitute a small segment of the population with its own interests in mind. There are many intelligent, thinking Americans who see the downfalls of the process as well as the redeeming qualities. However, Broder characterizes some of these people as "a bearded . . . hippie" and others as far-rightists. He includes a few token quotes from initiative rights activists, but usually follows them with rebuttals from the anti-initiative camp. The initiative rights groups may sometimes contain extremists, but they are an important part of the debate over the merits of the initiative process.

As anti-initiative literature, "Democracy Derailed" is impeccable. Broder has his facts straight; he has dotted every "i" and crossed every "t." As a springboard for discussion, the book suffices. A book that gives solid voice to both sides of the issue might be an improvement for fruitful bipartisan debate. Whether Broder intentionally omitted a solid voice for the opposition or whether his habits as a liberal journalist have carried over to the pages of "Democracy Derailed," the only fault with the book is its lack of balance. Some books, however, unlike journalistic media, should be unilateral. David S. Broder's Democracy Derailed is one such book.

Democracy Derailed Derailed.......2002-12-18

_Democracy Derailed_ is obviously very well researched. Broder cannot be faulted for his attention to detail. He talks with a wide variety of people, some who feel that the initiative process serves democracy wonderfully, others who disagree. And while it seems as if he tried to make the book fairly evenhanded, every once in a while Broder makes an off the cusp comment that is virulently cynical about the people's ability to make good choices. Certainly the masses have not always made the best decisions, but Broder is unwilling to give them any credit at all. This distrust of the public seems especially out of place when it is revealed that most of the initiatives that are promoted solely for the benefit of a special interest fail. That seems to indicate a public that can make good decisions.

Despite that complaint, much of Broder's analysis is still valid. The initiative process has clearly become something that is not used by "the people" but mostly by corporations to further their own political agenda. The money issue has polluted this avenue, that was originally supposed to be a way for normal people to pass laws that legislatures were too scared/beholden to interests to make. And while this is unequivically true, Broder does not spend enough time talking about ways that the process could be changed to reflect the original intention. His (in my opinion, unwarrented) distrust of the public leads him toward wanting to abolish this potential tool for democracy.

Good Introduction, But Off in Places.......2001-08-15

As a political consultant working in California, much of what Broder writes is familiar to me. That said, I am certain that, for many Americans, this text will be their introduction to this rather peculiar facet of democracy in the western USA.

Broder does a good job covering the topic in broad strokes, from its origins, to the days when it was used infrequently, to its use now, often by powerful and wealthy interest groups trying to push their agenda, often with very deceptive tactics. While he does a good jobs on these topics, as well as bemoaning these initiatives impact on representitive democracy, he misses several important subjects.

Most important, he does not deal with the implication of California's constitution (our basis law) being often radically altered by a vote of 50%+1 of the people who show up at the polls. Nor does he deal with how the legislature now often won't touch issues, figiuring that they will be covered in the initiative process. Most importantly of all, he does not lay enough of the blame on elected representitives whose failure to act in face of serious problems has led to many of Californias most famous initiatives (prop 13 and the problem of skyrocketing property taxes being the best example).

As I said, this is a good introduction, but a lot more could be written on this important topic.

Good Book, but Common Knowledge for Most.......2000-07-08

Being a Californian, and one who works for a State Senator, I was interested to see what an outsider would have to say about our Great State. After chuckling about what some in the national media have said about California politics, I was surprised to see that Broder did a decent job in summarizing the recent proposition campaign in 1998.

His book is a case study that follows the money, and the advertising campaign tactics meant to trick and deceive voters. Unfortunately, this tale is all too common in Californian's high priced television driven political process. Broder could have chosen any major proposition ballot initiative in this state and produced similar results.

However, because Broder's case study and thesis is such a common occurrence in California, anyone with just a meager understanding of politics would have found the conclusion of this book axiomatic. Of course, this speaks to the well researched and truthful nature of the book, but I picked it up looking for special insight into the political process from a veteran reporter. Unfortunately, Broder's book shines no more light on the problem of money and the lack of checks and balances in proposition campaigns than already exists.

I don't want to sound like a snob, and in all honesty, I would recommend this book as a primer in California's proposition campaigns, but it only provided a basic understanding and little more.

A clear problem exists, and Broder does a good service in pointing it out so eloquently.

Average customer rating:

"Selling out" is a good book...

BIG SAMAD SEFIANES HONEST OPNION THEFT OF OTHER PEOPLES WORK

Nitty Gritty, Worth Every Penny to Any Voter

Required reading

An Area of Vitally Needed Reform

Selling Out: How Big Corporate Money Buys Elections, Rams Through Legislation, and Betrays Our Democracy
Mark Green
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Money Rules: Financing Elections in America

The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class - And What We Can Do about It (BK Currents)

Taking Back the Corporation: A Mad as Hell Guide

Unfree Speech: The Folly of Campaign Finance Reform

ASIN: 0060735821
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Book Description

With CEOs and corporations under fire for years of outrageous deception and fraud, the time has come for Mark Green's groundbreaking book, Selling Out. A political watchdog and longtime crusader for better government, Green exposes the truth about the poisonous role money has come to play in our political culture. How are so many corporations able to buy political protection? Why do legislators pay more attention to contributors than to constituents? Filled with bold and practical solutions that are already working to return power to the American people, Selling Out is sure to inflame anyone who's stunned by the recent corporate scandals -- or who's curious about how so many have gotten away with so much for so long.

Customer Reviews:

"Selling out" is a good book..........2006-06-01

This is a good book...an insider writes a great story, and really with good faith; the only problem is "certainty"; if the author can incoporate detail rules of elections with his stories and show how closely things are related, his argument can certainly sells better. Also, there are a lot of theories out there regarding campagn financing and public elections; a little theory can help sort out all those messy events...

BIG SAMAD SEFIANES HONEST OPNION THEFT OF OTHER PEOPLES WORK.......2005-02-15

My name is Big Samad Sefiane, I have been writing screenplays and making music since the age of 13. The only problem with that
book which came out in feb. 2004 is very much a like my screenplay I have written and copyrighted before he released his book. I wouldn't rate a book, singer or songwriter who takes other peoples ideas and mixes it with his work. The book is too much similar to my screenplay Entitled HACKERS. After sept. 11, 2000 mail slowed down and it took me a year to copyright my screenplay. The screenplay as visible on the internet and also sent to strattford career institute for editing. The similar scripts will be reviewed by an entertainment attorney.

Nitty Gritty, Worth Every Penny to Any Voter.......2003-01-20

I've chosen this book, together with Michael Moore's "Stupid White Men" and Greg Palast's "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" to end a lecture I give on the top 50 books every American should read in order to understand why America is not safe today and will not become safe anytime soon, unless the people take back the power and restore common sense to how we spend the $500 billion a year that is now *mis-spent* on the military-industrial complex instead of real capabilities for a real world threat.

Mark Green knows as much as anyone could know about the intricate ways in which the existing system provides for *legally* buying elected representatives away from the citizens' best interests. The details he provides in this book--as well as the moderate success stories where reforms have worked--are necessary.

The bottom line is clear: until the 60% of America that is eligible to vote but does not vote, comes back into the democracy as active participants who question candidates, vote for candidates, and hold elected representatives accountable *in detail and day to day,* then corporate corruption will continue to rule the roost and will continue to concentrate wealth in the hands of an unreasonably wealthy few at the expense of the general public.

Although I found the book inspiring, I also found it depressing. Absent another 9-11 (or two--or suicidal shooters in an elementary school in every state of the union, or cataclysmic failure in Iraq and North Korea) I see no immediate prospects for America's dropped-out citizens "awakening" and taking back the power. There is still time for corporate money to get smart, pump a little more down to the poor, and avoid a revolution at the polls.

Required reading.......2002-12-09

People recently have been lamenting the low voter turnout and general apathy of the american voter. I think Green is dead on when he suggests campaign financing is a big culprit. Politicians accept monetary donations from corporations and PACs that grossly shadow donations from individuals, leaving us feeling that our say or vote doesn't make a difference, and that all candidates are lousy; it's just a matter of which is more tolerable.
Green lays it out in this well researched book. If you have any faith in the US government, it will be gone after reading this book. The "good guys" are few and far between - and it's more and more difficult for them to get elected to office to make a difference.

An Area of Vitally Needed Reform.......2002-10-17

Mark Green has spent his entire adult life in consumer interest reform politics. He began by working for Ralph Nader and eventually became New York City's commissioner of consumer affairs. He became more intimately connected than ever to the dangers posed to democracy by the influence of big money when he ran as the Democratic Party's candidate in the last New York mayoral election against multimillionaire Michael Bloomberg. The amount of money spent on both sides was staggering, prompting Green to pick up his talented pen and write this tome dedicated to awakening citizens to the dangers of a democracy perilously close to drowning in a cesspool of excessive funds.

Whereas America's founding fathers provided the nation's fledgling government with a system of checks and balances, in current times one can forget about the balances and concentrate fully on the checks. Checks and more checks are forthcoming from big interests, which translates into ultimate control, no matter how often this axiomatic truth is denied. As critics ask: If the strategy is not succeeding, why do the big money interests shower accelerating amounts on political campaigns?

The cancer on our democracy is abundantly clear to those interested citizens watching election battles in the current 2002 mid-term campaign. Rather than stepping forward and debating the merits of the major issues facing the nation, an increasingly helpless and turned off citizenry is bombarded by simplistic campaign negative ads highlighting half truths and sometimes outright lies. Post election studies reveal that excessive negative advertising disgusts many voters, who then become so turned off by the process that they do not vote at all. This was symbolized in the 1988 presidential election when George Bush the Elder prevailed on a highly orchestrated campaign of negative advertising highlighted by Willie Horton and the Pledge of Allegiance. Less than half of all eligible voters bothered to go to the polls, an all-time high since such scientific studies began to measure voting tendencies.

This cancer on the body politic has been a festering wound for some time. A few years ago in California an election campaign specialist with an imposing track record for success proclaimed bluntly that when a candidate hired his services it was time for him or her to take a vacation. He did not want the candidate to get in the way as he put his big money campaign into gear, highlighted by advertising displays of catchy symbols and pithy comments, which were drummed ad nauseum into the minds of voters through television and radio.

Mark Green made a recent appearance on the Phil Donahue Show in which he made a dire prediction. If this cancer is not dissipated through corrective legislation very soon then we will reach the point where the only two types of candidates are independently wealthy moguls ready, willing and able to spend millions of their own dollars such as a Michael Bloomberg, or lackeys under the total control of the wealthy special interests bankrolling their campaign efforts.

Mark Green's is an important voice which needs to be heard. The voice is tuned into the major area that will make or break democracy as we have known it. Will the days of idealistic but far from wealthy candidates be truly a thing of the past? Will Jeffersonian town hall democracy be something the smooth talking kingmakers will dismiss with sarcastic laughter as relics from a truly distant past?

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Tells how to fight fire with fire, through active citizenship, responsible investing, and shareholder activism

Tells how to fight fire with fire, through active citizenship, responsible investing, and shareholder activism

Overload the corporate system

The Challenge to Power: Money, Investing And Democracy
John C. Harrington
Manufacturer: Chelsea Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1931498962

Book Description

Our only chance to save the planet and take back control of our economy and political system lies in our ability to control our dollars. In a brilliant synthesis of thirty years of experience, John C. Harrington gives investors the strategies to thwart corporate domination of the earth's resources, decentralize our economy, restore democracy, tame corruption, and regain community control of our financial resources.
A strong advocate of using shareholder power to push for responsible corporate practices that benefit society, Harrington warns that we are running out of time; corporate abuse of shareholders and other stakeholders runs rampant. Concerted, coordinated shareholder action is needed to challenge corporations to adopt human, labor, and environmental codes of conduct to eliminate years of egregious and abusive practices.
For corporate America to change in time, a revolution—fueled by investor dollars—must come from within.

Customer Reviews:

Tells how to fight fire with fire, through active citizenship, responsible investing, and shareholder activism.......2005-12-08

Corporations have great power on how democracy is handled in America: that's the message of and proof contained in The Challenge To Power: Money, Investing And Democracy. Individuals and other organizations need to break big business' hold on society and the world economy, argues Harrington, who has led the socially responsible investment movement for over thirty years: Challenge To Power tells how to fight fire with fire, through active citizenship, responsible investing, and shareholder activism.

Tells how to fight fire with fire, through active citizenship, responsible investing, and shareholder activism.......2005-12-08

Overload the corporate system.......2005-11-14

My link to this book is from a book review by William Baue which can be found at http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/1854.html.

"What is now needed is a strategy that is a 'systems' approach that coordinates all the stakeholder strategies at one time to overload the corporate system," Mr. Harrington. "Shareholder advocates will play a role, as will activists in the streets, NGOs in the community, labor in the workplace, and peasants, farmers, and workers in the fields of developing countries."

"Corporations will not be able to deal with campaigns coordinated at the local, state, national, and international levels," he adds. "We need to act now as investors, as voters, as philanthropists, as executives, as consumers, as activists, and most important of all, as human beings concerned about the survival of our planet, our economy, and our struggling democracy."

Let's all do this!

Regulating Finance: The Political Economy of Spanish Financial Policy from Franco to Democracy

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Regulating Finance: The Political Economy of Spanish Financial Policy from Franco to Democracy
Arvid John Lukauskas
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0472108360

Book Description

In recent years many countries have liberalized their financial markets as a central element of their efforts to reform their economies and increase their economic growth rates. Financial deregulation leads to a fundamental restructuring of a country's economy and polity, as market forces, not state officials, begin to determine who obtains financial resources and at what cost. A critical question is whether countries can undertake a program of liberalization while undergoing democratic transformation. In this study, Arvid John Lukauskas explores why governments tightly regulate their country's financial system and why they choose to liberalize it.

Using a rational choice approach, Lukauskas contends that public officials provide the dynamic behind the evolution of financial regulation as they seek to retain power and generate public revenue. Lukauskas argues that the nature of a country's political institutions shape the incentives facing politicians and influence whether they seek to regulate closely or liberalize financial markets in the pursuit of their goals. Lukauskas then tests his ideas in an in-depth case study of the evolution of financial policy in Spain, a country that transformed its financial system into a mostly market-based system after years of heavy state intervention, while undergoing a transformation from a dictatorship to a democracy. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that leaders will not undertake structural change during periods of democratization, he finds that leaders in Spain undertook financial liberalization despite opposition from powerful groups, because democratization gave Spanish leaders a strong incentive to improve economic performance through financial reform in order to compete for votes.

This book will be of interest to political scientists and economists interested in studying financial markets and the effects of regime change, including democratization, on economic reform.

Arvid John Lukauskas is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Columbia University.

$There\'s No Government Like NO Government: the nonvoter\'s manifesto$
Average customer rating:

IRS Lackys like Brian Rookard Can't answer tough questions
The concepts change how you view the actions of others.
The Sorry Tale of an Anarchist
I don't vote. I still complain
A Liberating Read

There\'s No Government Like NO Government: the nonvoter\'s manifesto
Jackney Sneeb
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1553695739
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

A diabolical, irreverent, and even arrogant indictment of the mass delusion, "democracy," and the blind faith in any other form of "government."

Customer Reviews:

IRS Lackys like Brian Rookard Can't answer tough questions.......2004-09-12

Brian Rookard (the only one to give this book a bad review) is one of the IRS lackys on usenet who continually call "Onry" (Jackney Sneeb)and others who want liberty, derogatory names because they can't answer the simple and logical questions Onry raises:

Are all men's rights equal? _____yes or _______no?

Can someone delegate a right they don't posess to another or a group of others? ______yes or ________no?

If your judgment determined a law to be immoral, who SHOULD decide for you whether you obey it or not?

__a) you
__b) someone else _________________ (please specify)

Rather than answer the simple questions (which would pretty much end all the argument about whether "government" has any legitiment "authority") they avoid the questions and call names.
After lurking on usenet for years, I've come to be a true believer in non-government as the only hope for freedom.

You should read this book and then tell others about true freedom.

The concepts change how you view the actions of others........2004-09-09

"Of liberty I would say that, in the whole plentitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual."
-- Thomas Jefferson

The moral judgement we must make, is did the action of that other individual violate my right as an individual?

If somebody gets impatient and pulls out in front of me when I am impatiently driving down the road, how do I judge the individual's action as it relates to me?

1. You cut me off you !@#!@#! @$$40!% <Waves one finger salute> attempts to cut off other driver in revenge.

2. Dumb move, good thing I saw you. You're moving with traffic and not holding me up. Life is good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Observing Teenage boys playing in a playplace. Should I say something?

1. They are too old by my arbitrary decision, so Yes.
2. They are not damaging the equipment, they are not running over the little kids, so No.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"There oughta be a law", means "I don't want them to do that." I must now rethink every thing that I don't want them to do based upon not having the authority to make them stop.

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the forms of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question." "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations - entangling alliance with none."
--Thomas Jefferson - First Inaugural Address.

The Sorry Tale of an Anarchist.......2004-09-09

This guy has no idea what he's talking about. He rants and raves, his arguments are not well thought out, and he's a hypocrite too. He talks about how taxation is theft, and he collects a government check!?!?!? The author hangs out on the Usenet news group misc.taxes and pens under the name(s) of OnryAnRkst, XCobraJock, and Jackney Sneeb. His arguments are regularly trashed and his inconsistencies exposed. He's a real piece of work, that guy. Don't waste your money.

I don't vote. I still complain.......2003-09-02

That's right. Even before reading this book I considered voting to be a pointless exercise that made minuscule, even nonexistent impact on the powers that be. The age old statist shibboleth of "if you don't vote, you can't complain," along with other similar (and absurd) contentions, are demolished quickly by the author's withering logical analysis of the monstrous, immoral and antihuman concepts of "government" and "authority." Along with exposing the fallacious nature of practices such as voting, the author systematically breaks down the core components of the statist's belief in "government" and destroys them with relatively simple logic, aided by examples of past conversations with "government" aficionados and accurate (often hilarious) analogies and comparisons.

I recommend this book to all living and breathing humans.

A Liberating Read.......2003-07-12

Although the sub-title of this book is "The Nonvoter's Manifesto" and discusses the nature of the illusion or delusion that is commonly called "government" its true target is the nature of moral decision making. Who, or what, is it that makes your moral decisions, those decisions that you are faced with every moment of every day? Even as you read this you are making moral decisions in that you could simply get up and attack, steal from or otherwise harm anyone else nearby, but you do not (I hope). The crux of the work, therefore, is how and why many people perpetrate acts of violence almost entirely without qualm simply because those decisions are apparently made on their behalf by "authority".

The magical and illusionary nature of "authority" is described using simple and often witty analogies and syllogisms. In my opinion the logic of the case made is quite unassailable; you really CAN'T grant a right, which you yourself do not have, to another. This makes "authority", "government" and "democracy" utterly illusory. The consequences of this simple, yet profound realisation? That all moral (and other) decisions are entirely yours to make. You cannot legitimately hide immoral behaviour behind the veil of "authority" since it is always YOU who makes your decisions and any attempt to claim otherwise is an attempt to obviate your own autonomy and a denial of your own moral responsibility.

The book itself is logically sound, witty and peppered throughout with actual dialogue from internet chat rooms which act to provide the arguments of the "authoritarian" and demolish them in no short order. Everything from "Who would build roads?" to "Government protects our rights" is considered and crushed beneath "Jackney's" unstoppable logic.

The ultimate conclusions may seem somewhat odd. The only political condition there is, or has ever been, is anarchy - armed gangs ordering people around through the threat of force. "Laws" are merely commands from the controlling gang, again backed by threats of force. Everyone is an anarchist; either that or many people are some kind of bizarre robot without free will who have their decisions made for them by some mysterious (and almost universally immoral) gang calling itself "authority" or "government" - a decidedly nauseating, anti-human idea.

In conclusion, read this book. It suffers slightly from a lack of continuous narrative but its informal and humorous approach will help you see past the delusions placed upon you by those in "authority".

The only government.....is self-government and "voting" in order to legitimise the immoral force masquerading as your government is simply wrong.

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