DCJ's Book club and reviews.

[Bosco]

I thought I would get a book club going here, I know I like to read, and am always looking for new information in all areas of History or Politics.

So here is my first review which I think is "required reading" for anyone who wants to play in the political arena.


Propaganda. By Edward Bernays.

Great book, real easy read. I would give it a 3.5 stars out of 5. SUPER easy read, finish it in an afternoon.

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“Bernays’ honest and practical manual provides much insight into some of the most powerful and influential institutions of contemporary industrial state capitalist democracies.”—Noam Chomsky

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”—Edward Bernays, Propaganda

A seminal and controversial figure in the history of political thought and public relations, Edward Bernays (1891–1995), pioneered the scientific technique of shaping and manipulating public opinion, which he famously dubbed “engineering of consent.” During World War I, he was an integral part of the U.S. Committee on Public Information (CPI), a powerful propaganda apparatus that was mobilized to package, advertise and sell the war to the American people as one that would “Make the World Safe for Democracy.” The CPI would become the blueprint in which marketing strategies for future wars would be based upon.

Bernays applied the techniques he had learned in the CPI and, incorporating some of the ideas of Walter Lipmann, became an outspoken proponent of propaganda as a tool for democratic and corporate manipulation of the population. His 1928 bombshell Propaganda lays out his eerily prescient vision for using propaganda to regiment the collective mind in a variety of areas, including government, politics, art, science and education. To read this book today is to frightfully comprehend what our contemporary institutions of government and business have become in regards to organized manipulation of the masses.

http://www.amazon.com/Propaganda-Edward-Bernays/dp/0970312598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325626812&sr=8-1

[Bosco]

Here is another good one, I just finished, its called:

They thought they were free:Germany 1933-45

Now pay attention to the text I highlighted at the end of this review, now keep in mind this book was written I believe in 2008, and so much has already changed for the worse.

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Mayer, a Jew on Sabbatical in post-WW-II Kronenberg, sets his goal as that of better understanding the life-story of the ordinary German under National Socialism.

As he tells the story, Nazism was not just a political system or just an ideology it was a worldview peculiarly suited for and congruent with the German Post WW-I temperament and mentality. In the aftermath of the much-hated Versailles Treaty, Nazism arrived on the scene just in time to not just conquer the minds of both little and big Germans but to overwhelm them. Mayer's phrase has described it nicely: German enthusiasm for Nazism was clearly a case of "little men-gone wild."

The true value of this book and hence Mayer's most valuable contribution has been to draw a graphic conceptual picture of how the system of Nazism worked as seen at ground level by ten ordinary Germans and from the interior of German society: To a man, they all agreed that it brought them untold economic success, bound them patriotically and politically into a coherent cultural unit, restored the nation's pride and gave all Germans renewed reasons for hope in the future.

Given this rosy and very much interior and insulated backdrop, it is no wonder there was no basis for ordinary Germans to see (or even to be able to perceive) Nazi excesses, or to see Nazism itself, as an inherently evil system until it was too late.

This was true in part because all Germans already had community permission to hate Jews. The excesses, reserved mostly for Jews, thus seemed normal and in any case were always introduced in carefully orchestrated, slowly escalating, but easily digestible bites. This was done specifically to stay below the radar of the everyday German conscience -- so as to never assault German sensibilities too abruptly. Even the most alert of Germans and the least anti-Semitic Germans were lulled to sleep by this strategy.

But more importantly, because all Germans were wedded to the Nazi worldview thorough its benefits, both tangible and intangible, there were few incentives for them to "rock the boat" by pointing to its excesses. Dissension was left for victims and outsiders to engage in. However, being identified as an outsider or as a dissenter, at a minimum, could ensure social exclusion and a slow social death; and if one were very unlucky, it could mean disappearance into a concentration camp, or even a swift bullet to the temple.

Ordinary Germans thus were willing contributors to their own self-imposed trap: They needed the community's approval on its own terms. Sometimes this meant turning a blind eye to community sanctioned criminal activity, such as was the case in the event that set off a cascading sequence of pogroms against Jews, Crystal-nacht. Ordinary Germans did not want to approve of the criminal behavior involved, but was it not the community to which they were bound that decided what was criminal and who should be rewarded and punished for community-defined criminal behavior? It is easy enough for outsiders to exaggerate the actual relationship between man and state under tyranny, but from the inside, it is always made to seem normal and seamless.

Like a thief in the night, tyranny always descends upon sleeping societies in a cloak of patriotic conformity. It attacks when one is unguarded psychologically and least wary of an assault. By the time the citizen is prepared to raise a dissenting voice, in the name of state security, his throat (and presumably his vocal cords) have already been cut and he has been rendered mute. Once the national conscience has been drugged, sedated, or put to sleep, it is difficult to reawaken it.

Since there are no political systems that are entirely insulated against criminal activity, corruption or evil, only healthy, timely, vigorous and authentic dissent can act as an antidote to the evil inherent in tyrannical political systems like Fascism and Nazism.

Without drawing too fine a distinction, it is difficult to miss the many parallels between contemporary American society and 1933-1939 German society.

http://www.amazon.com/They-Thought-Were-Free-Germans/dp/0226511928/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325628818&sr=1-1

[Bosco]

Another REALLY GOOD BOOK, called "Tragedy & Hope: A History of the World in Our Time" By Carroll Quigly.

This guy was a mentor to Bill Clinton when he was in college at Georgetown

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Review:

The late Dr. Carroll Quigley, professor was a professor of history at the Foreign Service School of Georgetown University. He was, as his book reflects, brilliant, egotistical and opinionated. He also was a confirmed socialist who believed the world could be a better place if the educated elite ruled.
Former President Clinton said in 1992: "...As a student at Georgetown, I heard that call clarified by a professor named Carroll Quigley, who said to us that America was the greatest country in the history of the world because our people have always believed in two things: that tomorrow can be better than today and that every one of us has a personal, moral responsibility to make it so."

Unfortunately, Dr. Quigley revealed the game plan of the elite when the elite (a shy group by nature and not at all given to republican government) didn't want it publicized. Far from wanting to hide this "network" (as he called it), Quigley was proud of it.

"I know of the operations of this network because I have studied it for twenty years and was permitted for two years, in the early 1960's, to examine its papers and secret records. I have no aversion to it or to most of its aims and have, for much of my life, been close to it and to many of its instruments. I have objected, both in the past and recently, to a few of its policies...but in general my chief difference of opinion is that it wishes to remain unknown, and I believe its role in history is significant enough to be known."

Thus, unfortunately, Tragedy and Hope was pulled from bookshelves nationwide and recalled faster than an exploding Easter Bunny, never to be published again, except for a highly abbreviated edition. But if you can pick up a copy of this book, you'll find how things often worked behind the scenes of government and the worldwide ambitions of "the network."

If you simply want to know about the network and how it operated up until this book was published, I recommend Dr. W. Cleon Skousen's "Naked Capitalist," which I believe is still in print.


Review:

I have read this book three times! It never ceases to surprise me. Quigley traces the evolution of the Establishment in the 20 century via his access to restricted documents in several countries including the USA. He mentions the roles played by foreign policy think-tannks such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the Royal Institute of International Affairs influence in shaping the respective policies of these countries ie:USA and UK and their failures such as the Great Depression, appeasement of Hitler, their successes such as the domination of the executive government of USA, the foundation of the UN by using socialists and communist spies like Alger Hiss - Machiavelli at work- Here, he elaborates that the Elite seeks a Globalist Government divided along regional lines. More over Quigley sees the Elite as a Clear and Present Danger to Americans and the world at large , this propels him to write the book in question. A more systematic reference can also be found by reading the Bertram Gross' Friendly Fascism which corroborates Quigley's view on the Elite's need for a Globalist government via International Institutions and Agencies like UN, IMF, World bank etc.For information is available even as we apeak from THE COMMISSION ON GLOBAL GOVERNANCE at http:www.cgg.ch/ and the growth industry of GLOBALIST ISSUES.Read also in tamden with Foundations:their power and influence by rene wormser and a series of monographs by sociologist G. William Domhoff to further corroborate Quigley's view of the 20th Century. - to the tragedy, we are the hope-

http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Hope-History-World-Time/dp/094500110X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325629064&sr=1-1

[Bosco]

This is a "must have" in your informational arsenal for todays world. uber important.

Even if you dont buy this book, just "watch it" on Amazon, they take this book down all the time, then re-list it so the comments go away. I have seen this countless times already. It will raise alot of questions for any thinking person, trust me, just watch it.

The Controversy of Zion

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Douglas Reed has written a 600+ pages monument in which he objectively and precisely describes the history of Zionisme over almost 3000 years.

Douglas Reed shows how a small international group of coordinated ideologists instrumentalize religions, countries, wars and even supranational organizations in order to reach their power and control objectives.

Douglas Reed shows how, by ways of deceptions, threats, manipulations and lies, millions of humans beings, Jews, Christians and Muslins have been sacrificed on the altar of domination.

And the cherry on the pie is Douglas Reed style. You will discover a fluid, synthetic and sharp way of writing backed up with tons of sources and quotations.

Do you want to get an objective perspective on the history of mankind ? Don't wait any more, buy " The Controversy of Zion", I can tell you, you will not regret it.


http://www.amazon.com/Controversy-Zion-Douglas-Reed/dp/0958760225/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325665030&sr=1-3

[Bosco]

Probably THE SINGLE BEST BOOK EVERYONE SHOULD READ, not matter what your opinion is. :thumbsup:

End the Fed

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Book Description
Publication Date: September 16, 2009
In the post-meltdown world, it is irresponsible, ineffective, and ultimately useless to have a serious economic debate without considering and challenging the role of the Federal Reserve.

Most people think of the Fed as an indispensable institution without which the country's economy could not properly function. But in END THE FED, Ron Paul draws on American history, economics, and fascinating stories from his own long political life to argue that the Fed is both corrupt and unconstitutional. It is inflating currency today at nearly a Weimar or Zimbabwe level, a practice that threatens to put us into an inflationary depression where $100 bills are worthless. What most people don't realize is that the Fed -- created by the Morgans and Rockefellers at a private club off the coast of Georgia -- is actually working against their own personal interests. Congressman Paul's urgent appeal to all citizens and officials tells us where we went wrong and what we need to do fix America's economic policy for future generations.

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
At first glance, abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to the gold standard seems a quaintly eccentric idea, but Texas congressman Paul presents a plan to eliminate our country's central bank, and return to a private banking system, that's both serious and plausible. The questionable aspects involve Paul's predicted results: not only will ending the Fed eliminate inflation (the government cannot print more money than it has gold reserves), but also business booms and busts, wars, income inequality, trade imbalances and the growth of government. Further, and perhaps most important, it would "disempower the secretive cartel of powerful money managers who exercise disproportionate influence over the conduct of public policy." Paul tends to gloss over those periods in history, including the Panic of 1907, in which private banking and the gold standard were law: "the bad reputation of nineteenth century American banking... is largely the result of... propaganda agitating for the creation of the Fed." With respect to "secretive cartels," Paul takes up the interesting question of whether J.P. Morgan is in fact preferable to Ben Bernanke. An engaging response to big-government solutions for the financial crisis, this knowledgeable and opinionated look at U.S. economics, from a firebrand public servant, should provoke much thought.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Rarely has a single book not only challenged, but decisively changed my mind. "
--Arlo Guthrie

"Everyone must read this book--Congressmen and college students, Democrats and Republicans--all Americans."
--Vince Vaughn

http://www.amazon.com/End-Fed-Ron-Paul/dp/B004IEA4DM/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_1