Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States is the best book I have read about American history. While it’s not perfect, I love the way Zinn acknowledges his own biases and attempts to explain a much accurate version of American history than is almost ever shared.
racism
Unity is a Tool of Oppression
The verdict for this episode is: unity will not result in change.
In this episode, I discuss how Biden’s focus on unity is promoting the status quo, refusing to change, and upholding systemic oppression.
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Reviewing the First Three Books in the Penn Cage Series
More than a decade ago, a good friend recommended The Quiet Game by Greg Iles. She informed me I would enjoy the history and characters in the story.
A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for a new fiction series to begin as a break from politics. I saw The Quiet Game on a list and was reminded of my friend’s long-forgotten recommendation. Realizing The Quiet Game had become the Penn Cage series, I gave it a shot.
Less than two weeks later, I’m in the middle of the fourth book in the series.
Reviewing Fordlandia
Greg Grandin’s Fordlandia is reported to describe the rise and fall of Henry Ford’s Brazilian rubber plantation. In reality, Fordlandia is another striking example of the destruction and exploitation brought by capitalism.
FDR’s Four Freedoms Speech in the Context of 2020
On January 6, 1941, FDR gave his Four Freedoms speech. While the speech would ultimately serve as the basis for the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations, the speech’s historical context tells pieces of the story regularly not discussed.
Athletes Will not Lead Social Change
The verdict for this episode is: police buy sneakers too.
In this episode, I discuss the recent NBA players decision to skip some games and why it’s not that important. By discussing their commitment to capitalism, I show how NBA players cannot lead social change.
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Eat the Rich
The title of this post is based on a hashtag used by folks wanting to destroy capitalism. Even though I have never used the hashtag, I recognize that capitalism has been, is now, and always will be an engine of oppression. I further realize that the destruction of capitalism is necessary for America to even think about addressing issues of equity, police brutality, ableism, racism, poverty, a lack of health care, a healthy environment, and all the things where America has led the world to failure.
Reviewing Shades of Glory
Shades of Glory: The Story of the Negro Leagues and African-American Baseball, by Lawrence D. Hogan is exactly what its title promises. If you want to learn a lot about the history of black people playing baseball in America, Shades of Glory is for you.
Reviewing the Soul of Baseball
Joe Posananski’s The Soul of Baseball: a Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America struck many cords with me.
Voting Blue is a Waste of Time
The verdict for this episode is: the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder shows why voting blue is a waste of time.
In this episode, I show how the response to George Floyd’s murder by Democratic politicians demonstrates why voting blue is a waste of time.
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