The next meeting of the Ypsi-Arbor Progressive Reading Group is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, June 9, and the book we will be discussing is “The Conscience of a Liberal: Reclaiming the Compassionate Agenda” by college professor and Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone. If you’d like to attend, just send me a note and I’ll add you to the distribution list so that you’ll know once we’ve decided on a location.
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Wellstone was a great guy even if he was a professor from one of my alma mater’s nemesis, Carleton. There is a great story about him when he was a freshman in the Senate. You know that bus that he drove around when he was campaigning? I heard that his first days in the Senate he would come and park that thing sideways taking up like 5 parking spots, of course putting quarters in all the meters. This apparently pissed off many other members of the Senate and their emloyees, in part because it indicated that he was there before them.
But wait a minute, maybe its all urban myth as wouldn’t that sucker not be very fuel efficient. I guess we’ll never know. I envy the members of your book group.
One of these days, if I ever get around to it, I think it would be neat to put together a little website on how to start a progressive reading group. I think, with a little work, it could be quite good. We could even have a suggested reading list, discussion guides, sample questions to facilitate conversation, templates for flyers that could be distributed, etc. (All things we should do for our own group anyway.) It’s just a matter of having the time… and energy.
Be sure to include these on the reading list
Communist Manifesto
Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels
Mao’s little red book (quotations of the chairman)
Mao Tsetung
Mein Kampt
Adolf Hitler
The Republic
Plato
Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith
John,
Why do you hate America so much?
I bet he doesn’t even support the troops.
you can’t have a proper “progressive” reading group without including the classics
Where, exactly, is Hitler considered a “clasic”?
My logic there is that you want to start a “progressive” book club. The term “Progressive” is usually just a cover for socialist or communist ideaology. Hitler was a national socialist who transformed Germany into a socialist state.
I can see that you’ve got a pretty firm grasp of history there, buddy.
As for labels, you can call yourself anything you like. Bush says practices “compassionate conservativism.”
It’s all about marketing.
As for our book club, we don’t “want” to start it. It’s been up and running for four months now. You might want to read a little more closely from now on.
oh, my bad I didn’t realize you’d already read it.
John,
Why do you hate America so much?
Hmm — many fascist and white supremacy groups call themselves “Christian.” Does this mean that “Christian” is just a cover for fascist ideology, or is there a flaw in the Galt logic?
Fake name? Check.
Faulty logic? Check.
Personal attacks? Check.
Runs away and hides when he’s called on things? Check.
Holy Crap, Just saw this book list on fark. This would be great for you “progressives”
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=7591
john, the 1950’s called.
They want their McCarthyism back.
well brett, I just had sex with your wife.
That’s funny, because my wife’s been taking a nap in the same room as me for the last two hours, so apparently your cock is small enough that it didn’t wake her up.
ah, so boring, You see I could have said 1830 is calling, they want their manifesto back.. But I thought I’d go with a Seinfeld joke, figured you’d get it since all you do is deliver pizza or something. You win! There’s no point debating with you, your massive cluelessness renders any sort or wit moot. You have defeated me with your terrible ignorance. “and the clueless shall inherit the earth”
john, what is it with you and the communist obsession? seriously.
as for delivering pizza, i actually did that for a living years ago, which provided me with one of many opportunities to see the sorts of bullshit in the modern ‘service economy’ which is the result of the capitalism you seem to be so fond of.
Go ahead and make fun of low-wage jobs, and the people that are forced to work them. That does wonders for your credibility.
..and sorry I missed the seinfeld joke, since that appears to be your primary method of gauging intelligence. You win. I lose. Boo-hoo.
…and i just realized you refer to the 1830’s and the communist manifesto, which was actually published in 1848.
Coincidentally, that’s the year we doubled the size of the U.S. by engaging in an imperialist war against mexico.
My favorite part, in case anyone cares, is the part where Mr. Galt, falling behind in the battle of wits, suggested that he’d fucked Brett’s wife. That was certainly unpredictable. Very clever, indeed!
Careful, mark. As I understand it, that was a seinfeld reference I failed to get, and so I was forced to feel the wrath of mr. galt’s rapier wit.
I don’t wish for you to suffer the same fate.
Good God Galt’s an idiot. Because everyone knows that the “sex with your wife” is a “Raging Bull” reference. But I am sure that he did not watch it once he found out it wasn’t in color…know THAT’S a Seinfeld joke.
But why are you guys still engaging him? I am starting to wonder if Galt is really Mark or better yet…BRETT! Brett, I know its really you. How could he have done your wife? Because she is your wife!
Now this is the point in the comments thread where you all start squabbling over who has the better credentials to be Galt. Teddy Glass had a good one reg. the correspondence course.
No, I’m Spartacus.
Well if you’re Spartacus, and he is Mike Bell, then who is Mark Felt?
I go on vacation, come back and find I missed a full blown episode of Revenge of the Troll happening in real time.
So how did it end? Did they die?
FBI Documents on Senator Paul Wellstone Raise Questions about His Death 8 Years Ago
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/29/8_years_later_fbi_documents_raise
Minnesota Public Radio has obtained the FBI record of the late Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, who died in a plane crash eight years ago this week. The records show the FBI first tracked Wellstone in 1970 after he was arrested at an anti-Vietnam War protest. The records might also raise new questions about the plane crash that killed Wellstone, his wife, his daughter and three staffers. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the crash was caused by pilot error, but the FBI documents reveal for the first time that specific criminal leads were pursued by investigators.