If You Don’t Think Things Are Bad in America, Just Go To a Book Store
Marshall Adame
November 08, 2007
American public opinion regarding the state of the nation today, depending on who you are talking to, can range from “Could be better”, to “In dire straits”, or “On the brink of tyranny”. In any case, it is not usually good. What ever the case, there are plenty of reasons for the doom and gloom. Take your pick; from 9/11 to our having a President who has abandoned the Rule of Law and burdened future generations with incalculable debt. To most we, as a country, have lost our way. To others, finally the opportunity for America to strike her enemies came, real or perceived, and we took it.
From my perspective, however you may read our national situation today, now is the time for resolve, vision, hope and strength. Today is the day for optimistic revelations, brave, new, courageous leadership and a call for unity among Americans.
Today is the day America needs stand together in the face of a repressive President and soundly send the message, “No More!” Today is the day to look carefully at those elected officials who have not resisted the Republican and our President’s march to power and diminishment of the authority of our Constitution.
While in a book store today I was reviewing the latest books relative to contemporary politics, national social commentary and political satire. Simply reading the “titles” was a telling revelation. As I read down the row of newly published books I simply shook my head in dismay and sadness. Books like Disaster (Katrina)- Christopher Cooper, Broken Government- John Dean, Terror Presidency- Jack Goldsmith, Imperial Ambitions- Noam Chonsky, Enemy at Home- Dinesh D’Souza, Nation of Secrets – Ted Gup, Second Civil War- Ronald Brownstien (Partisanship paralyzing America), Our Endangered Values – Jimmy Carter, America on Trial- Alan Dershowitz, Perfectly Legal – David Johnson (How the Super Rich Fleece America), Death of the West- Pat Buchanan, Scandal- Lanny Davis (Gotcha politics is destroying America), War on the Middle Class – Lou Dobbs, American Fascists (Christian Right’s war on America), Who are We?- Samuel Huntington, and on and on and on. Everyone Assigning Blame!!!...No Message of hope!!.... No willingness to reason!!! Pontification for it’s own sake in the surge to hit the money market with one’s book while the public continues spending tons of it seeking answers and hoping for the enlightenment of leadership. The iron is hot for bad news.
Do not misunderstand my point. This is not an indictment of the substance of the books, or the author’s intent when they wrote their books. In reading the titles, I realized the power of marketing in that the impact of the book covers is significant in luring potential buyers. That realization is what troubled me most.
Those selling the books seem to be counting on the consumers desire to know just how bad things really are. Titling a book with a positive message of a better future, or a message of overcoming in the face of peril, evidently, is not what we want to read anymore. Overcoming implies having to “do something” in the process surmounting social wrongs. Are we avoiding the need to do something? Do the marketing folks know something we don’t? Do they know doom and gloom sells in America? Have we become so conditioned by our President and Vice President that we now “expect” bad things to happen, liberty to diminish, privacy to be further curtailed and war to become a permanent part of American foreign policy in the world?
No, I did not buy any of those books. I am not looking to reassign blame, or justify my own righteous indignation for the Anti-Democratic Neocons now steering the ship of State. I do not want to be convinced, or reaffirmed that sacrificing liberty is worth securing my safety. No. I know myself well enough now.
Maybe I will write a book and call it “There Is Still Room On The High Road”.
Actually, there was a book title that caught my eye for it’s affirmative and hopeful message. It made me wonder what was inside. "Revolution of Hope"- Vincente Fox. (former Persident of Mexico).
Go figure.
http://marshallAdame4Congress2008.com
From my perspective, however you may read our national situation today, now is the time for resolve, vision, hope and strength. Today is the day for optimistic revelations, brave, new, courageous leadership and a call for unity among Americans.
Today is the day America needs stand together in the face of a repressive President and soundly send the message, “No More!” Today is the day to look carefully at those elected officials who have not resisted the Republican and our President’s march to power and diminishment of the authority of our Constitution.
While in a book store today I was reviewing the latest books relative to contemporary politics, national social commentary and political satire. Simply reading the “titles” was a telling revelation. As I read down the row of newly published books I simply shook my head in dismay and sadness. Books like Disaster (Katrina)- Christopher Cooper, Broken Government- John Dean, Terror Presidency- Jack Goldsmith, Imperial Ambitions- Noam Chonsky, Enemy at Home- Dinesh D’Souza, Nation of Secrets – Ted Gup, Second Civil War- Ronald Brownstien (Partisanship paralyzing America), Our Endangered Values – Jimmy Carter, America on Trial- Alan Dershowitz, Perfectly Legal – David Johnson (How the Super Rich Fleece America), Death of the West- Pat Buchanan, Scandal- Lanny Davis (Gotcha politics is destroying America), War on the Middle Class – Lou Dobbs, American Fascists (Christian Right’s war on America), Who are We?- Samuel Huntington, and on and on and on. Everyone Assigning Blame!!!...No Message of hope!!.... No willingness to reason!!! Pontification for it’s own sake in the surge to hit the money market with one’s book while the public continues spending tons of it seeking answers and hoping for the enlightenment of leadership. The iron is hot for bad news.
Do not misunderstand my point. This is not an indictment of the substance of the books, or the author’s intent when they wrote their books. In reading the titles, I realized the power of marketing in that the impact of the book covers is significant in luring potential buyers. That realization is what troubled me most.
Those selling the books seem to be counting on the consumers desire to know just how bad things really are. Titling a book with a positive message of a better future, or a message of overcoming in the face of peril, evidently, is not what we want to read anymore. Overcoming implies having to “do something” in the process surmounting social wrongs. Are we avoiding the need to do something? Do the marketing folks know something we don’t? Do they know doom and gloom sells in America? Have we become so conditioned by our President and Vice President that we now “expect” bad things to happen, liberty to diminish, privacy to be further curtailed and war to become a permanent part of American foreign policy in the world?
No, I did not buy any of those books. I am not looking to reassign blame, or justify my own righteous indignation for the Anti-Democratic Neocons now steering the ship of State. I do not want to be convinced, or reaffirmed that sacrificing liberty is worth securing my safety. No. I know myself well enough now.
Maybe I will write a book and call it “There Is Still Room On The High Road”.
Actually, there was a book title that caught my eye for it’s affirmative and hopeful message. It made me wonder what was inside. "Revolution of Hope"- Vincente Fox. (former Persident of Mexico).
Go figure.
http://marshallAdame4Congress2008.com
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