Tocqueville's "Democracy in America"

Started by Pas, February 19, 2004, 07:51:02 AM

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Pas

19th century book describing america... still actual.

Fucking great book. The chapters about native american almost make me cry. It explains how no matter what they did back then, they were fucked...and for one reason : when they saw a couple of white men coming they didn't beat the shit out of them like they could have.

What's weird is that in those days, it wasn't the president's fault. Shit, Washington urged people to treat the natives with dignity and respect. But the lame ass colonists were a bunch of assholes no doubt about it.

I'm reading this in a sociology class now (I'm in my pause now) and I'm totally absorbed. Shit I'm speedy gonzalez though­.

(kelvin)

I'm interested in sociology, too. Tocqueville is still on my to read-list.
Ever heard of this one?
<<<<<<
One of the greatest books by one of the greatest authors I know.

godardian

Quote from: kelvinI'm interested in sociology, too. Tocqueville is still on my to read-list.
Ever heard of this one?
<<<<<<
One of the greatest books by one of the greatest authors I know.

I bought my partner his Philosophy of Modern Music for Valentine's Day (he's getting his PhD in choral conducting). I fully intend to read Adorno AND Tocqueville as soon as I read the dozens of books I keep buying that then lie unread on the shelf (I never have nearly enough time to read).

The only thing I've really read on Tocqueville is Joan Didion's brilliant mockery of Newt Gingrich's absurdly misplaced Tocqueville name-dropping in her Political Fictions.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

(kelvin)

Quote from: godardianI fully intend to read Adorno

Prepare for intellectual dynamite...I'm looking forward to reading the other School of Frankfurt authors as well: Marcuse, for instance, seems really interesting, and their successor, Habermas, may also be well worth reading.
godardian, btw, can you recommend anything by Susan Sontag? What book should I start with?

godardian

Quote from: kelvin
Quote from: godardianI fully intend to read Adorno

Prepare for intellectual dynamite...I'm looking forward to reading the other School of Frankfurt authors as well: Marcuse, for instance, seems really interesting, and their successor, Habermas, may also be well worth reading.
godardian, btw, can you recommend anything by Susan Sontag? What book should I start with?

Well, if you're going to be doing Frankfurt school- that does include Benjamin, right?- then her essay on Benjamin, the title piece for her collection Under the Sign of Saturn, would be a cool place to start. But my favorite book of hers is Styles of Radical Will.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

(kelvin)

Yes, it includes Benjamin. I'd say the issue of the antagonism between technical (re)production and creation of art strongly relates to cinema as an art form or as a product.

thanks

bonanzataz

The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

Ghostboy

Me too. I think I'll got to the library tomorrow. I've been on such a literature kick this past year that I think I'll move on to some well recommended non fiction (Peter Biskind doesn't count).

modage

Quote from: Ghostboy(Peter Biskind doesn't count).
he COUNTS!  dammit, critics are artists too!
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Ghostboy

But...it's just so entertaining! Something so much fun to read couldn't POSSIBLY be of much substance, could it?

Seriously, though, my only problems with him stem from the reports of gross misrepresentation of the facts for the sake of a good read; Ebert's answer man column this week deals with a few of these issues. Since I like Michael Moore, I guess I have no ground to stand upon with this.