On the Campaign Trail 72' being my favorite Thompson's book, I really wanted to know more about his politics and this read revealed fascinating detailOn the Campaign Trail 72' being my favorite Thompson's book, I really wanted to know more about his politics and this read revealed fascinating details and put his life between 1960 and 1974 in full context.
The 64' republican convention His trips to South America How he settled in Colorado His times in California with the Hells Angel's and the Chicano mouvement His run for sheriff of Aspen The Vegas book The Nixon impeachment hearings
''Jean Chrétien had not one or two significant legacies but four. 1. Canada went from financial basket case to an international role model of economic''Jean Chrétien had not one or two significant legacies but four. 1. Canada went from financial basket case to an international role model of economic management. 2. He kept Canada out of the Iraq war. 3. He dealt a fatal blow to Québec separatists with the passage of the Clarity Act and by his reforms to federal-provincial arrangements. 4. He transformed Canada's intellectual infrastructure, turning what had become a brain drain into a brain gain (...) by establishing the Canadian Foundation for innovation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canada research Chairs and the Canada Millenium Scholarship Foundation''.
This book is really about politics AND policies during the Chrétien years (1993-2003). I found it very illuminating as Plamondon chronicles all relevant issues on the 90's and early 00's : NAFTA, the recession, Indian and northern affairs, national unity, the rise of the Reform Party, 9-11, the Iraq war, the Paul Martin rebellion in the liberal caucus to name a few.
Without being apologetic about Chrétien (the sponsorship scandals, Shawinigate and the defense budget are covered at length), Plamondon sheds a light on his political skills and his knack for policies and finance, challenging the conventional opinions that he was just an unsophisticated prime minister who just got lucky
If you're a political junkie (as I am), that baby is for you.
Woodward's book, in my opinion, is better written than Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury. TheIf you're a political junkie (as I am), that baby is for you.
Woodward's book, in my opinion, is better written than Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury. The veteran Post's journalist is clearly in the loop and offers a unique narrative. He writes a great deal about palace intrigues involving people closest to Trump. Peter Navarro, Steve Bannon, John Kelly, Gary Cohn, Rob Porter, Ivanka Trump, Hope Hicks, H.R. McMaster, James ''Mad Dog'' Mattis, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pence, Reince Priebus are recurrent characters throughout the chapters . But Woodward's analysis goes beyond the gossips and focuses heavily on the priorities of the White House: Tax cuts, North Korea, Afghanistan, trade, NATO and the Mueller Investigation to name a few.
It's a fascinating and frightening read about power and the chain of commend during year 1 and 2 of the Trump era.
Consider these few gems.
On Tariffs:
In another discussion with the president, (head of Economic Council) Cohn unveiled a Commerce Department study showing the U.S. absolutely needed to trade with China. ''If you're the Chinese and you want to really just destroy us, just stop sending us antibiotics. You know we don't really produce antibiotics in the United States?'' The study also showed that nine major antibiotics were not produced in the United States, including penicillin. (...) Trump looked at Cohn strangely. ''Sir, so when mothers' babies are dying of strep throat, what are you going to say to them, ''Trade deficits matters''? ''We'll buy it from another country,'' Trump proposed. ''So now the Chinese are going to sell it (antibiotics) to the Germans, and the Germans are going to mark it up and sell it to us. So our trade deficit will go down with the Chinese, up with the Germans.'' U.S. consumers would be paying markup. ''Is that good for our economy?'' (adviser to the president) Navarro said they would buy it through some country other than Germany. Same problem, Cohn said. ''You're just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.''
On Afghanistan:
''We need to put a company in there,'' Trump said. ''Put it for bid.'' This was a giant opportunity, capitalism, building and development at its best. ''Why aren't we there taking it?'' ''Who's we? Cohn asked. ''We should just be there taking it,'' Trump said, as if there were a national mining company to move into Afghanistan. At a subsequent meeting in the Oval Office, Trump asked,'' Why hasn't this been done?'' ''We're running it through the NSC process,'' McMaster said. ''I don't need it through a fucking process!'' Trump yelled. '' I need you guys to go in there and get this stuff. It's free! Who wants to do this?'' (...) The State Department assessed the mineral rights. Analysts concluded this would be a great propaganda boon to worldwide extremists: The United States is coming to rape your land and steal your wealth from the ground. They sought legal opinions in hopes of slowing it down.
Ambitious in scale, this is the first of a 3 volume long Stalin biography. I came across the book because I watched lectures from professor Kotkin on RAmbitious in scale, this is the first of a 3 volume long Stalin biography. I came across the book because I watched lectures from professor Kotkin on Russia and instantly got hooked on the subject of this book.
Not being that familiar with Russian history, I appreciated Kotkin's approach which is to tell Stalin's life as it was through the developments of relevant world events of his time (in parts of the book, he is often completely omitted and the focus is usually about geopolitics or communism). The author often gives his thoughts on other Stalin scholars and questions some popular and accepted truth about his early years such as the so called Lenin's testament.
I definitely recommend that book if you are interested in Soviet Russia. ...more
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