Journal Entry 1 by therubycanary from Portland, Maine USA on Sunday, April 30, 2006

A series of interviews with Noam Chomsky describing his views on how the U.S. actions since 9/11 are actually making the world more unstable rather than safer. He speaks a lot to propaganda, and how the American public may or may not be more influenced by propaganda, but are very influenced by fear. 

Journal Entry 2 by therubycanary from Portland, Maine USA on Monday, May 01, 2006

Sending out as a bookring. I would like this one to come back to me.


lobodyke
pelikanol
book-man-8
zzz
yvensong 

Journal Entry 3 by yvensong from Reno, Nevada USA on Saturday, June 24, 2006

This has arrived! I'm reading another ring book right now and will get to this ASAP. 

Journal Entry 4 by yvensong from Reno, Nevada USA on Saturday, July 15, 2006

Since I have been swamped with BookRings and BookRays, I've asked to be moved to the end of the Ring so I don't hold it up any longer.

This is going in the mail to Lobodyke today.

Edited July 17. Missed the mail on Saturday. It was mailed today.

Delivery Confirmation #0306 1070 0002 5602 0613 

Journal Entry 5 by Lobodyke from Bardstown, Kentucky USA on Wednesday, July 26, 2006

I received this today, and it looks very interesting and informative, especially in light of what the US might/might not do in regard to the current situation in the Middle East. I have two other bookrays/rings to finish up first, then this one will be next on the list. I read fairly quickly, so hopefully it won't be too long. Thanks for setting this up, Ruby Canary ;0) 

Journal Entry 6 by Lobodyke from Bardstown, Kentucky USA on Monday, November 06, 2006

OMG, I am SO embarassed that I've had this book for so long. My sincere apologies are owed especially to therubycanary, but also to everyone in the ring after me. Frankly, I've been really depressed, and this book has been too serious for me to get through in a reasonable amount of time. I should have passed it on to the next person, but I've learned my lesson, and I promise I'll do better next time.

All in all, this book varied greatly in quality and clarity of writing from one chapter to the next. Some parts of it were very informative, while others essentially rehashed pretty basic information that I already knew. I also did not care for the artificially-contrived "interview format" in which the book was presented. Rather than making the issues easier to understand -- which I believe was the intention -- this format just resulted in a lot of extra verbage and unnecessary injection of Barsamian's opinion into the context of discussion.

That being said, however, my favorite chapters were definitely "The Doctrine of Good Intentions" (6) and "Intellectual Self-Defense" (7). A disturbing quote from Chapter 6: "In the attack on Falluja General Hospital (by U.S. troops), patients were kicked out of their beds and doctors and patients were forced to lie on the floor, handcuffed. This is a grave breach of the Geneva Convention. In fact, the entire political leadership should face the death penalty under U.S. law for these actions. They're all eligible for the death penalty, according to the War Crimes Act passed by the 1996 Republican Congress. [italics added by me]" (p. 123) Here's a very perceptive quote from Chapter 7: " ... in any state, whether a democratic state or a totalitarian state, the rulers rely on consent. They have to make sure that the people they are ruling do not understand that they actually have the power. That is the fundamental principle of government. Governments have all sorts of means to control the governed. In the United States, we don't use the stake, club, or torture chamber; we have other means." (p. 153)

Note: I have to work overtime this week, but plan on getting the book in the mail to pelikanol by Friday.
 

Journal Entry 7 by pelikanol from Svendborg, Fyns Amt Denmark on Saturday, January 06, 2007

Got it in the mail today. I've read a few chapters already and it's seems very interesting :D 

Journal Entry 8 by pelikanol from Svendborg, Fyns Amt Denmark on Friday, January 12, 2007

Uhh... Well, I'd say that this book is like a wee political snack. I guess the interview form is the cause of that, but isn't it always? The book is mainly about the special talent that the U.S. has of being an ass at the expense of other countries. I found that quite fascinating. When I read the book I was quite happy with it, but when it was finally finished it just didn't really give me much. I don't even want to say too much about what I thought about it or what was in it, because this is not a book that really takes a deeper look at things. And that's ok, it's just not enough for me to base my entire view on life, the universe and everything on. It has got me thinking though, and I will certainly read more of the dear Mr. Chomsky's work to see what he's up to. He makes some very interesting points.

Sent to book-man-8 on 15. January 

Journal Entry 9 by book-man-8 from Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg Germany on Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The book was in the mail today. Thanks for sharing and for sending!
Edit, January 18th: As we have a really very stormy day. I've been staying home and done some reading... This book is a quick read. I especially liked the way it was written in a rather compact way, relating to events of the most recent history, to other events of history farther away. And I think it shows where the USA are awaiting most problems in the more or less "near future": not from the outside, but from inside the State itself. A good read to get all those facts remembered. 

Journal Entry 10 by book-man-8 at on Monday, January 22, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (1/22/2007 UTC) at

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

It's off to "zzz" from Belgrade, Serbia. 

Journal Entry 11 by zzz from Rakovica, City of Belgrade Serbia on Friday, January 26, 2007

Book has arrived safely today.
I hope I’ll read it before Shanna’s (therubycanary) back from Nepal …