Tag Archive for 'author'

“Race: A History Beyond Black and White”

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on November 27, 2007
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It is hard for me to discuss “race” in a meaningful way. Like most whites, I would swear that I am not prejudiced, and yet, as a lawyer I see people get screwed everyday at the hands of people who would also swear they are not prejudiced. I have no reason to believe I am any more capable of being objective than they are. I get confused about who can say this word or that word, and who can joke about or criticize this or that conduct based on some perceived racial characteristic.

In this interview Marc Aronson discusses this not so simple question: “What is race?” His new book about race deals with the issue of race from an historical perspective. Actually, according to Marc, this idea of racial (color) discrimination is a relatively modern one and it may be one that is unique to America. Consider this: Of the 10 to 12.5 million slaves abducted from Africa, less than 4% were brought to America. The overwhelming majority, 96%, went to Brazil and the Caribbean. Why? The surgar plantations? So why does the social aftermath of slavery seem to be so different when comparing the US to Brazil or a Caribbean nation?

You will have to read the book and form your own opinion, but one point Marc makes is this: The civil rights movement resulted in legislation that swept away, virtually overnight (okay, a little literary license here), the public exhibitions of racial prejudice. However, it did nothing to change our private expressions of racial prejudice. In fact, it seems there was an unwritten rule that racial prejudices were not matters to be discussed, just denied. They were not issues for us to understand, just excoriate.

Compare the racial sins of Germany in its treatment of Jews. Marc points out that after the fall of Hitler the German people not only transformed the public display of discrimination, but they also sought to understand how it had happened, how individuals fell prey to such strong racial prejudices, and in addition, the struggle through which they dealt with them after the war. As a nation, we have not had this introspective analysis of our own feelings and experiences. We simply subjugate the racial rumblings and deny they have a right to exist. Have you ever read a book devoted to someone’s struggle in overcoming racial prejudice in America? I don’t mean the two paragraphs that explain the before and after, I mean the struggle! It is almost like it wasn’t a struggle, it was just a decision and once decided, it was over, done with.

Obviously, it can’t be that easy. So, a lot of our current struggles with “race” is probably the result that we never went through any national therapy.

According to Marc, race is an 18th century phenomenon that replaced religion as the standard by which people judged themselves superior to others. In the days of Rome, that superiority was determined by whether or not you were free or a slave. Slavery in Rome was not associated with race, but depended on whether you were poor and sold into slavery by your family or whether your community had been conquered by the guys in short dresses with swords. After Rome, the church’s influence in society made religion the standard by which people were judged to be good or bad. And then, along came America with a novel idea: All men are created equal! Social status and religion were discarded, but not color. Race conveniently provided the judgmental standard: black, red-man, yellow horde.

Did you know the 1795 Naturalization Act described the qualifications for a person to become a naturalized US citizen? Those qualifications: (1) free, and (2) white. The law remained on the books until 1952. “Americaness” was “whiteness” even before there was a “colored bathroom.”

Does Marc have a way out of this racial mental illness? Read the book!

 
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Robert Kuttner: “The Squandering of America”

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on November 12, 2007
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Robert Kuttner is a co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect magazine. While he writes on a variety of subjects, he focuses on economic policy, both domestic and international. He also writes a syndicated editorial column, which was awarded the John Hancock Award for excellence in business and financial journalism. Robert has also won the Jack London Award for labor journalism.

In his new book “The Squandering of America” he explores the history, the politics and the social forces that have turned the American Dream into a pipe dream for many Americans. In this day and time when everything seems screwed up, backwards, and headed down the wrong road generally, the word “squandering” sums up exactly how I feel. Seven years ago, I was dumb and happy and thought America was in pretty good shape. Today, I am disgusted, frustrated and regularly mad as hell. While this turn of events snuck up on me, it seems overnight, Robert was ahead of the curve. He wrote “Revolt of the Haves: Tax Rebellions and Hard Times” in 1980. I can’t say I have read that one, but I can imagine the plot, considering the fact that 27 years later, I am living it.

To put it bluntly, Robert thinks we (Americans) are in trouble. We don’t like to hear this. We much prefer to believe the soft lies from the people in power or who want to be in power. It’s like the water shortage in Atlanta. The critical nature of the crisis surprises and concerns most of us and who do we turn to for the solution: the people that either created the problem or ignored the problem at a time when it could have been solved. If responsibility is the theme of the day, why is no one being held responsible about anything?

It is obvious that Robert believes a lot of the current problems are the result of government’s failure to regulate business. In years past, we blamed government for being inefficient, wasteful and incompetent. This led to a general disdain for government regulation and a reliance on the free market to correct itself. Now, it is not the general ineffectiveness of government that is the problem, it is the fact that government simply isn’t involved.

You don’t have to look any further than toys from China. The Consumer Product Safety Commission which should be protecting our children from crappy toys is underfunded and understaffed because we prefer less government and tax cuts. The crazy thing is that the Acting Chairwoman (Acting?) told Congress the Commission didn’t want more money or more authority. Now that is a mentality that should be foreign to us, but half of us in this country think it is just great to eviscerate government. Tell that crap to the kids that died from the lead poisoning!

Think about it. If we didn’t have government regulation, your water might not be fit to drink, your car might not have air bags and your medicine might kill you. Regulation is not a bad thing. Bad regulation may be. Inefficiency may be. But, we threw the baby out with the bathwater. Government waste and inefficiency are not legitimate reasons to abandon any and all regulation.

According to Robert, Reagan began this experiment in the ability of the free market to regulate itself. It is an experiment he thinks has failed. The free market has turned Wall Street into a casino, where people don’t invest so much as gamble. The subprime mortgage scandal is the free, unregulated market at work.

The answer to this squandering is new leadership. Robert obviously favors Democrats over Republicans, although he isn’t convinced the DP is strong enough to lead us in a new direction. He doesn’t think Democrats have been looking out for the little guy. He points to the ‘06 election and successful campaigns like that of Jim Webb for Governor of Virginia to support his contention that people want leaders who are concerned about the plight of the middle class. According to Kuttner, Webb started out running to the right of the incumbent, George Allen, and changed his positions as he campaigned and began to understand the frustrations of the middle class.

In the presidential race, Kuttner doesn’t see Hilliary and Barack as sufficiently distancing themselves from the power brokers of Wall Street to steer the country in a new direction.

He seems to be encouraged by John Edwards who is not taking money from Wall Street and has accepted public financing of his campaign. I get the feeling that he thinks Edwards has found the right message, but he may not be the right candidate. The $400 haircut problem.

You can read a summary of the book’s chapters or listen to the interview, but whatever you do, realize that until we get the money out of politics, things probably will not change.

 
 Robert Kuttner, Author, The Squadering of America [28:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (296)

Which Do You Prefer: Polarization or Common Ground?

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Wilson
on October 23, 2007
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I have hope! I have hope that Rush Limbaugh is an old, aging fad. I have hope that Bill O. will soon be only a memory. I have hope that Ann Coulter can overcome brain death. I have hope that more and more Americans are getting fed up with the name calling, the dirty tricks, as well as the hatred, both real and feigned.

And at least some of this hope is because guys like Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel, one a conservative, the other a liberal, have put what I have been thinking and feeling into a book, “Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That Is Destroying America.” They also write a column in USA Today called “Common Ground.”

In this interview Beckel admits that 20 years ago he and Thomas were themselves polarizers. Now, he sees the politics of polarization coming to an end. This doesn’t mean that suddenly everyone will be in agreement. It doesn’t mean changing political philosophy. But ultimately, it should mean a renewed appreciation for discussion and the ability to compromise. Compromise used to be important in American politics until issues came to be viewed in the light of right versus wrong and compromise became a sign of weakness, a sign that your position must not be right because you are compromising. This idea is so much crap and it is killing us.

Who are these polarizers? Bob names names: Tom Delay (No Retreat, No Surrender) on the right, and Harry Reid on the left are two politician examples. But most of them may not be politicians, at least not the elected kind. These are the special interests, the lobbyist, the corporate interests that want to make sure we remain divided so we don’t solve one of our problems: them! Why do you think that when anyone tries to solve the health insurance problem, all you hear is “socialized medicine.” You never hear a proposal to solve the problem because they don’t want the problem solved. The make money as long as it is unsolved.

And then there are the bottom feeders: Ann Coulter, the voice of hate and Michael Moore, who Bob says selectively edits his films to achieve maximum polarization. For these guys, polarization sells and we are the ones buying most of the time.

And then there are the organizations like Dobson’s Focus on the Family, on one side and Move On.Org. on the other. There are many, many more.

And then there are the myths created by the polarizers to prove that we are polarized. Bob’s two examples: Red State vs. Blue State and the Culture War. The media and the political advisors have convinced us that we live in either a red state or a blue state. And yet, Ohio, labeled “red” has a Democrat for Governor and one Democratic Senator. New Hampshire, labeled “red” has a Democratic Governor, a Democratic legislature, and two Republican Senators.

If I live in a “blue” state, I can view Ohio and New Hampshire as being part of the opposition, even though they are clearly not more red than blue.

As for the culture war, where is it? We don’t tote guns in the street like in Iraq. The biggest culture war that most American families are actually aware of is the argument about what to watch on TV.

Some of this problem is our fault. We don’t want to listen for more than a minute or two. We don’t want to hear the other side of an argument. We don’t want to moderate our position or give credit to the opposition for a good idea. We want to be right and we want to be on the winning side. And worst of all, we are the ones who nitpick every word the other side utters, and resent the fact they do the same. How else can you explain the greatest deliberative body in the history of the world, the Congress of the United States, wasting the time to debate a resolution condemning what a free Americans say. I don’t care whether you like Rush or MoveOn, if that is all Congress has got to talk about, they need to find another job.

The Democratic base is maybe 20% of American voters, the Republican base 30%. That leaves half of us somewhere in the middle and the middle will prevail, but only when candidates come forward that give us viable alternatives to the ones committed to polarizing influences. When an actual election results prove that polarization no longer works and will get a candidate defeated, not elected, things will change. I hope 2008 is that election year that we, the middle, take control of America back from the polarizers, from the extremists.

Our job is to make them understand. The only way to do that is to vote. The only way to know who to vote for is to find out about all the candidates (at least more than one) and make an informed decision regarding your choice. Republican, Democrat or Independent, when America votes smart, we will get smart politicians, not tricky ones.

 
 Bob Beckel, Author [27:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (283)

The Merchant of Death! Illegal Arms and the Iraq War

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on September 18, 2007
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When I talk to someone like Stephen Braun, National Correspondent for the L.A. Times, I realize how far removed I am in South Georgia from the realities of a world I know nothing about and can scarce contemplate its existence: illegal arms trading. Guys like Viktor Bout, the Merchant of Death, just don’t do much business at our local Lowes. I even understand Bout was the inspiration for Nicholas Cage’s character in Lord of War

Former Russian GRU or KGB agent turned international arms trader, owner of a fleet of planes, boss to hundreds of employees, and protected by the Russian government, Viktor Bout, is the Sam Walton of arms deals. According to Braun, Viktor didn’t just sell arms to the Taliban and African dictators, after his fleet of planes delivered the goods, they were loaded with whatever products were available for transport to make the return trip profitable as well.

This guy has been banned from international travel by the UN, and yet, that doesn’t stop him from his base of operations somewhere in Russia. Within a maze of corporate names and documentary subterfuge, Viktor has even done business with the US in Iraq, being paid $60M to fly supplies.

Even though he has most certainly provided arms to Al Qaeda, the Taliban and other bad, bad people, he apparently has value to the US in Iraq. The US is supposedly working to keep him off the list of mercenaries whose assets are frozen for supplying arms to Liberian dictator, Charles Taylor. Bout has served so many governments and conflicting interests that apparently there is always someone wanting to protect him.

It just bothers me that we pay people like this to do things for us. I just can’t appreciate this fake morality of the Bush administration that condemns people for wanting to dispense condoms, but has no problem paying killers that want to dispense people. It makes me wonder if Viktor has stock in Halliburton.

 
 Stephen Braun, Author [27:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (318)

Interview with Susan Maria Leach, Author, “Before and After: Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery”

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on September 3, 2007
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Susan Maria Leach has turned her personal experience with obesity into a personal crusade, as well as a business and a book: “Before and After: Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery.” Like many of us, Susan struggled with weight issues most of her life. Six years ago she took the ultimate step and underwent gastric bypass surgery.

Susan weighed 300 lbs. and was considered to be “morbidly obese.” At that weight your heart works overtime, your lungs struggle to provide you with enough oxygen and your self-image may not be the best. Susan found that she was making excuses just to stay home. Now, at 145 lbs, Susan has made weight loss a matter of lifestyle, a change in lifestyle.

According to Susan, the battle after the surgery is just as important as the one to have the surgery. During the first year after surgery, it is a lot easier to lose that first 100 lbs. simply because of the effects of the surgery. But at some point, to be successful, further weight loss, permanent weight loss, requires not just a change of diet, but a difference in the way you eat.

So Susan began revising all of her personal and family recipes. Since she is Italian, that’s a lot of recipes. She became known as the “The Lady with the Recipes” and after an appearance on the Today Show, her business, Bariatric Eating.com, took off.

Susan’s website offers more than recipes. She provides easy access to products, helpful information about the process of undergoing bariatric surgery, and online support.

Without detracting from Susan’s successful surgery, one word of caution. As an attorney I have handled numerous cases involving disasters following bariatric surgery a/k/a weight loss surgery. It is one of those surgical procedures that if something goes wrong, it is usually bad, very bad. My point: If you are considering weight loss surgery, do your homework and know your surgeon and your hospital.

And remember, stay away from the cornbread!

 
 Susan Maria Leach, Author, Before and After [30:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (381)

Interview with Wright Gres, Author, “Macedonia Passage: Dangerous Cargo”

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on August 19, 2007
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Wright Gres is a local author, tugboat captain, and all-around adventurer. Wright was raised in Tampa, Florida and grew up with boats and water. His new book is based on his first transatlantic voyage back in 1983.

Here is how Wright describes his story: “Macedonia Passage is a modern day sailing adventure with a touch of Balkan politics and a hint of romance.” I can only say that it the few pages I was able to read before the interview are any indication, it will be a great read. At about 480 pages, I should knock this out over the next weekend.

Wright also provides insight into the difficulty that new authors experience in getting their works published and promoted. His wife, Dusty, is our local librarian and provides a lot of support and enthusiasm toward the effort. You can order the book at River House Books.

During the interview, I was able to convince Wright to hire me as his agent/attorney. He hasn’t signed a contract yet, but I trust him. We are looking for a movie deal! If anyone is interested, you know where to find me.

 
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Interview with Fred Rosen, Author of “there but for the Grace of God”

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on July 25, 2007
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Fred Rosen, a true crime author, writes about survivors of serial killers in “there but for the Grace of God.” Frankly, I did not know anyone survived serial killers, but apparently they do. It kind of gives you the creeps when Fred talks about the young girl who almost walked into the room with Ted Bundy, but instead turned and walked away. It still changed her life.

From Bundy, to Son of Sam, to BTK, to Dahmer, Fred tells amazing stories, one after another. I mean think about Kevin Bright who was shot in the head twice by the BTK killer and refused to die, while living through the brutal murder of his sister in the next room.

Read at your own risk.

 
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Interview with Rebecca Mead, Author of “One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding”

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on July 23, 2007
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If you are planning on getting married, you owe it to yourself to read “One Perfect Day.” It might be the best investment you ever made, as well as the cheapest item in the wedding plan. Rebecca Mead seeks to understand the national compulsion to go all out to make a one-day, fifteen minute experience last for years–in paying for it!

The average American wedding now costs about $28,000. That is about 7 1/2 months of the median income today. The industry takes in $161 billion annually. And it is not necessarily paid in cash. Credit cards, home equity loans, and other inventive financing arrangements make it all possible. People are now saving for their children’s weddings just as they would for their college education. Wedding planners have taken over the traditiional role of bride, mother and that special friend who helps. No doubt todays weddings are such extravaganzas that without a wedding planner, the bride might not make it to that perfect day.

Do you know what the “Oh Mommy!” Moment is? Rebecca’s book attempts to provide the future bride and groom (and probably their parents as well) with some practical pointers in avoiding getting sucked in to the role of Brides Gone Wild a/k/a Bridezilla!

 
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Interview with Kenneth C. Davis

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on May 26, 2006
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Kenneth C. Davis is the author of "Don’t Know Much About History. Ken gives us the history behind Memorial Day which was first celebrated after the Civil War to honor those soldiers that died in the conflict. Over 1.1 million soldiers have died defending American freedom beginning with the American Revolution.

 
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Interview with Karl Greenfield, "China Syndrome: The True Story of the 21st Century’s First Great Epidemic"

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on May 5, 2006
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Greenfield was the editor of Time Asia at the time the SARS epidemic began.

 
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