NationStates Jolt Archive

Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr Seuss.

My favorite is Animal Farm. Perfect description of Soviet Russia. In Animal Farm, pigs rule over you.

SPOILERSSSS!!!!!
plot: animals are fed up with their human overlords. They overthrow the farmer and his family and establish control over the farm. The pigs, the animals in charge, begin abusing their power. Long story short, they try to build a windmill. It gets destroyed and Napoleon (Trotsky) gets blamed by Snowball (Stalin). Boxer the horse (naive, uneducated working class) keeps believing that the pigs will make things better despite worsening conditions and gets sold to the glue factory for the pigs' wiskey. Many paralells between Soviet Union and Animal Farm.

ENDING TEH SPOILAZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah Animal Farm is great, but Nineteen Eighty-Four also is cool (I love George Orwell).

Yeah Animal Farm is great, but Nineteen Eighty-Four also is cool (I love George Orwell).
Don't forget Burgess' "1985", which is good in its own way, as well as A Clockwork Orange, which deals with morality and its relationship with politics.

Although those two writers are, admittedly, massively over-referenced, and nothing pisses me off more than clueless fools says "OMFG 1984!" whenever, say, some CCTV cameras get put up around town... ach...

"Eine Billion Dollar" (1 trillion dollars) of Andreas Eschbach. It isn't even a dystopia but very critical about the influence of the Big Business. AFAIK it is not translated to English yet.

"When in Doubt, Mumble," by James H. Boren

Better than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie- Hunter S. Thompson.

Holy war INC by Peter Berger

Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction.

Seriously though, I very rarely read non-fiction which seems to be more of what this thread is about, so let me just say I've seen that 1954 cartoon Animal Farm movie and it was really damn good.

You know what, I've read The Jungle. It turns to socialist propaganda by the end, but still pretty good.

1984, by far.

Though America: Teacher's Edition does well. :p

Better than Sex: Confessions of a Political Junkie- Hunter S. Thompson.

Well, if you're going to bring in the Doctor, I prefer Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ;)

My first instinct is to jump on the Animal Farm and 1984 bandwagon; both are excellent books.

However, I guess it comes down to what you mean by 'political'. Colleen McCullough's 'Masters of Rome' series is fantastic, and gives incite into how even over two millenia ago, human ambition combined with human folly makes for interesting politics.

Dystopias about possible futures are always good, but occasionally a glance at the past is just as illuminating.

Not to incite you, but don't you mean "insight"? :fluffle:

My first instinct is to jump on the Animal Farm and 1984 bandwagon; both are excellent books.

However, I guess it comes down to what you mean by 'political'. Colleen McCullough's 'Masters of Rome' series is fantastic, and gives insight into how even over two millenia ago, human ambition combined with human folly makes for interesting politics.

Dystopias about possible futures are always good, but occasionally a glance at the past is just as illuminating.

That was the more entertaining read. Better Than Sex has a special place in my heart because that's the election I first voted in.

Shall we just say "the collected works of the Good Doctor," then? I'ts clear that, if nothing else, his is one of the most unique voices in political writing.

Well, if you're going to bring in the Doctor, I prefer Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ;)

That was the more entertaining read. Better Than Sex has a special place in my heart because that's the election I first voted in.

Atlas Shrugged. :)

*hides*

Not to incite you, but don't you mean "insight"? :fluffle:

Gah!! You are correct!!

My first instinct is to jump on the Animal Farm and 1984 bandwagon; both are excellent books.

However, I guess it comes down to what you mean by 'political'. Colleen McCullough's 'Masters of Rome' series is fantastic, and gives insight into how even over two millenia ago, human ambition combined with human folly makes for interesting politics.

Dystopias about possible futures are always good, but occasionally a glance at the past is just as illuminating.

You're making a mistake. I'm telling you, Dr. Seuss was a prophet.

Shall we just say "the collected works of the Good Doctor," then? I'ts clear that, if nothing else, his is one of the most unique voices in political writing.

Fair enough. I can go with "the collected works of the Good Doctor."

Dr. Gonzo was brillant and one of the most relevant American journalists of the 20th century.

Atlas Shrugged. :)

*hides*

I can understand liking the politics--I don't agree with them, but I can understand liking the ideas--but the writing? It's practically unreadable.

You know what, I've read The Jungle. It turns to socialist propaganda by the end, but still pretty good.

Ah, yes, The Jungle, a book intended to highlight the plight of the worker yet one which captivated people by the unhygienic and insanitary condition that the food they were eating was prepared, leading Upton Sinclair to later remark, "I aimed for the public's heart and by accident hit their stomach."

You heard a who, didn't you?

Yes, and it made my north-going zax turn around and go south. What can I say? I needed a thneed, simple as that.

You know what, I've read The Jungle. It turns to socialist propaganda by the end, but still pretty good.

Might have something to do with the fact that Upton Sinclair was a socialist and was trying to use his book to highlight the abuses of capitalism. :headbang:

I can understand liking the politics--I don't agree with them, but I can understand liking the ideas--but the writing? It's practically unreadable.

I agree, Seuss is much easier on the eyes. I never saw any pictures or funny rhyming words on the first page of Atlas Shrugged, so it can't be that good.

You're making a mistake. I'm telling you, Dr. Seuss was a prophet.

You heard a who, didn't you?

Might have something to do with the fact that Upton Sinclair was a socialist and was trying to use his book to highlight the abuses of capitalism. :headbang:

Really? I didn't know that. :rolleyes: I know that he was hired by a Socialist magazine to write it, and actually went and slummed it for research. I was just pointing out that without the heavy-handed ending it was still a good story with political themes.

"A Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

My favorite is Animal Farm. Perfect description of Soviet Russia. In Animal Farm, pigs rule over you.

SPOILERSSSS!!!!!
plot: animals are fed up with their human overlords. They overthrow the farmer and his family and establish control over the farm. The pigs, the animals in charge, begin abusing their power. Long story short, they try to build a windmill. It gets destroyed and Napoleon (Trotsky) gets blamed by Snowball (Stalin). Boxer the horse (naive, uneducated working class) keeps believing that the pigs will make things better despite worsening conditions and gets sold to the glue factory for the pigs' wiskey. Many paralells between Soviet Union and Animal Farm.

ENDING TEH SPOILAZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't read it in a while, but I'm pretty sure you got your pigs reversed. You can't go on with reversed pigs. No, no.

My favorite is Animal Farm. Perfect description of Soviet Russia. In Animal Farm, pigs rule over you.

SPOILERSSSS!!!!!
plot: animals are fed up with their human overlords. They overthrow the farmer and his family and establish control over the farm. The pigs, the animals in charge, begin abusing their power. Long story short, they try to build a windmill. It gets destroyed and Napoleon (Trotsky) gets blamed by Snowball (Stalin). Boxer the horse (naive, uneducated working class) keeps believing that the pigs will make things better despite worsening conditions and gets sold to the glue factory for the pigs' wiskey. Many paralells between Soviet Union and Animal Farm.

ENDING TEH SPOILAZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1984's also pretty cool. I don't read much with a political bent, but the idiocy of Catch-22 comes to mind.

What Catch-22 idiocy? I've HEARD of the book and I know it's also a damned if you do and damned if you don't scenerio, but what c22 idiocy?

"A Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

I'm looking forward to reading that. My girlfriend's mom is reading it for a class, and is going to give it to us when she's done.

Three particular books - which explain a great deal about the current state of politics and the economy - and are a must-read for anyone who seriously cares about getting accurate information are:

"The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" - Greg Palast

"Armed Madhouse" - Greg Palast

"The Great Unravelling" - Paul Krugman

You want some proper investigative reporting? Read the first two. You want some accurate economic analysis? Read the last one.

so far the funniest one I've read so far is Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.

"The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" - Greg Palast





LOVED this book!

The Prince by Machiavelli
The Bible (if you don't think that's about politics, read it again)

Friends voters countrymen - Boris Johnson . Not bad for a tory ;)

Three particular books - which explain a great deal about the current state of politics and the economy - and are a must-read for anyone who seriously cares about getting accurate information are:

"The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" - Greg Palast

"Armed Madhouse" - Greg Palast

"The Great Unravelling" - Paul Krugman

You want some proper investigative reporting? Read the first two. You want some accurate economic analysis? Read the last one.

You should also check out American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips. Very good stuff on the history and downfall of empires and the connection they have with both fundamentalist religion and economies based on financial services instead of production.

I can understand liking the politics--I don't agree with them, but I can understand liking the ideas--but the writing? It's practically unreadable.

I agree. I like the story, I think it could have been told in a less clunky fashion.

A toss-up between Starship Troopers and the Probablity Broach. All books should have talking monkeys, elves, or spaceships.

A toss-up between Starship Troopers and the Probablity Broach. All books should have talking monkeys, elves, or spaceships.

yeah, Starship Troopers is my #2 def.

I can understand liking the politics--I don't agree with them, but I can understand liking the ideas--but the writing? It's practically unreadable.

Ayn Rand is impractically unreadable, too ;)

The Prince by Machiavelli
The Bible (if you don't think that's about politics, read it again)

I have often contended that the Bible was written for sheep.

Ayn Rand is impractically unreadable, too ;)

I think that's what I was saying--or am I unreadable too? ;)

A toss-up between Starship Troopers and the Probablity Broach. All books should have talking monkeys, elves, or spaceships.

OMG, can't leave out Heinlein! Although I find myself more closely alligned with Moon is a Harsh Mistress than Starship Troopers :D

I think that's what I was saying--or am I unreadable too? ;)

I was merely agreeing with you, exponentially :)

Ann Coulter's How to Talk to a Liberal is without a doubt an antagonistic comedy. It's wonderfully hilarious and intellectually void of rational thought. She is the type of woman that could lose an argument, but poke you over and over, or call you a name repeatedly, and feel as if she has won.

My wife picked this up for her grandfather as a joke. He seemed to actually like it.....so I read it while fishing off the dock at his house.....in about 2 days. You don't have to agree with a thing to find the humor of this book.

A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn.

As Matt Damon's character in Good Will Hunting said, "That book will knock you on your ass." It should be required reading in any school.

A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn.

As Matt Damon's character in Good Will Hunting said, "That book will knock you on your ass." It should be required reading in any school.

Agreed--another must read.

Rousseau's Emile.

Ostensibly a book about education and to some extent undermined by its sexist treatment of women's education, the book nevertheless remains the greatest attempt to reconcile human nature and the demands of culture since Plato's Republic.

While many radical theorists of politics blandly insist that a genuine democratic revolution would require an economic and a cultural revolution as well, Rousseau actually sets about the task of describing a transformed human spirit.

His image of the self-sufficient, interdependent man is surprisingly compelling.

The Cato Handbook on Policy

The Second Treatise on Government, by John Locke.

There are a lot of bids for second, but I'd have to go with a split between A Theory of Justice by John Rawls, The Crito by Plato, The Politics by Aristotle, and The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant. I don't fully agree with just about any of them, but I would say that these five are the underpinnings of most of my conceptions of government.

As far as literature is concerned, I highly disagree with some of what he argues, but I have to say that I loved Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Excellent book.

OMG, can't leave out Heinlein! Although I find myself more closely alligned with Moon is a Harsh Mistress than Starship Troopers :D

Indeed...Moon is a Harsh Mistress is my choice.

Some good quotes...

But I will accept the rules that you feel necessary to your freedom. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.

Rules, laws — always for other fellow. A murky part of us, something we had before we came down out of trees, and failed to shuck when we stood up. Because not one of those people said: "Please pass this so that I won't be able to do something I know I should stop." Nyet, tovarishchee, was always something they hated to see neighbors doing. Stop them "for their own good" — not because speaker claimed to be harmed by it.

Oh, I don't know... Jenifer Government, perhaps?