Eugene Debs is the most famous American socialist. He ran for president several times around the beginning of the 20th century as a socialist. Around 1912, the Socialist Party had hundreds-of-thousands of members nationwide. Several mayors were elected under the Socialist Party banner and Debs got hundreds-of-thousands of votes during his runs for the presidency.… Continue reading Reviewing Eugen V. Debs Speaks
Tag: nonfiction
Reviewing a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
A Beautiful day in the Neighborhood is the movie about Mr. Rogers’s relationship with a journalist who profiled him for an issue of Esquire in 1998. This movie, unlike the documentary Won’t you be my Neighbor, does not talk much about Mr. Rogers’s life or his show; instead, it focuses on his relationship with the… Continue reading Reviewing a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Reviewing True Flag
Stephen Kinzer’s True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the birth of American Empire is an important examination of another portion of American history too few Americans understand. Specifically, the book looks at the discussion of American imperialism that took place during and after the War of 1898. The book uses the experiences and words… Continue reading Reviewing True Flag
Reviewing All the Shah’s Men
Stephen Kinzer’s All the Shah’s Men is one of those books far too few Americans have read.. In All The Shah’s Men, Kinzer details how the CIA led a coup to overthrow the democratically elected Iranian government of Mohammad Mosoddegh after his decision to nationalize Iran’s oil industry. Since many Americans don’t realize the reality… Continue reading Reviewing All the Shah’s Men
Reviewing Overthrow
Stephen Kinzer’s Overthrow reviews a century of America’s overthrowing governments from Hawaii to Iraq. Overthrow is simply one of the most consequential books I have ever read about American foreign policy. Given what is happening in Syria and Chile and the reality of the 2020 election, people interested in politics would do well to read… Continue reading Reviewing Overthrow
Reviewing Beaten Down Worked Up
Steven Greenhouse’s Beaten Down Worked Up is a critical look at the past, present and future of unions in America. While Greenhouse’s work, as he acknowledges, doesn’t provide the detail into historical incidents other books do, Beaten Down Worked Up is an important read.
Reviewing the Triumph of Injustice
Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman are two economists at the University of California, Berkeley. Their book The Triumph of Injustice demonstrates how America’s system of taxation benefits the wealthy more than it has since the 1920s; in fact, the 400 richest Americans now pay less than any other group of Americans. You may have seen… Continue reading Reviewing the Triumph of Injustice
Reviewing Democracy in Chains
Nancy McLean’s Democracy in Chains should be read by anyone interested in understanding the radical right. Democracy in Chains highlights the complete lack of morality that exists within radical libertarians. The book chronicles their decades-long support for racism, voter suppression, and even murderous dictatorships. As Democracy in Chains makes clear: the radical libertarian movement cares… Continue reading Reviewing Democracy in Chains
Reviewing The Education of Brett Kavanaugh
Robin Progrebin and Kate Kelly’s The Education of Brett Kavanaugh wants to be an investigative account of the confirmation process that landed Brett Kavanaugh (Kavanaugh) on the Supreme Court. If you followed the process, especially the parts of it involving Dr. Christine Blacey Ford’s (Ford) allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while they were in… Continue reading Reviewing The Education of Brett Kavanaugh
Reviewing The Impeachers
Brenda Wineapple’s The Impeachers covers the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Given the current impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, The impeachers is an important read. The reality that many don’t understand the Johnson impeachment, makes The Impeachers even more important.