R. MacDonald

Sometimes you need to fully stake the vampire

Revisado: 02-23-25

Anyone who participated in any of the movements Bevins discusses or similar ones shpuld already know and agree with the conclusion. But someone still needs to present the information make the argument and say it. Bevins is that man. And its enjoyable and informative for all. I knew a little about all these movements but not nearly as much about anyone.

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Essential Reading

Revisado: 12-31-24

Dubois' loving depiction has extreme utility to the 2020's as America is presented with another Freedom Fighter/Terrorist case in the person of Luigi Mangione. The details of Browns life and the tone of Dubois' century old perspective provide fruitful contrast. Of particular note to me was Browns unswerving patriotism I. the face of the reality of slavery a view that was at odds with the slaves he emancipated. He called America a guilty nation from the gallows making me wonder if he became swayed to the slave perspective before martyrdom but more importantly what this relationship to patriotism did for the propaganda of his actions.

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Predictably Outdated

Revisado: 12-22-24

Global warming is a rapidly evolving issue in its real effects but also the politics surrounding it. The authors naivete about capitalism militarism and nationalism clang against the facts he's describing, particularly as we live in a future more real than anything he can possibly speculate on. A reasonable attempt at the time from a center left perspective. Big takeaways are invest in boats stay away from coastal real estate and don't eat Tyson chicken.

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Rich Work, Must Relisten

Revisado: 06-21-24

Painter is an excellent researcher. These details she brings out just pop. The analysis is very convincing although her arguments hew towards conventional politics. I feel the young American socialist movement has arguments and points which could deepen and nuance some of these things but I also am sensitive to the possibility that she might lose chunks of her older audience. I do wonder though, what age group is her audience?

The History of White People was deeply influential to me so it's a pleasure to hear the personal details as she shaped much of my thinking.

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Single Worst Reading of My 93 Title Library

Revisado: 06-21-24

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The guy literally gives up on the last chapter. He is in the booth screwing up and just starts clapping out of frustration and reading faster to get through it. Like a kid in high school like he's just blatantly plowing through to get it over with. He gets sick of reading on the audiobook lmao. Audible should pull this honestly, they never should have released it. That isn't where the issues begin either the illiterate can't pronounce a slew of the vocabulary most jarring one for me was 'jacobin.'

Trotsky has some good analysis but you know that already.

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Very thought provoking

Revisado: 06-08-24

Need a 2nd listen but I think he might really have something here. Which is really saying something given what this book aspires to. Accent isn't that bad as others say but it is a bit distracting.

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solid advice that I didn't need and can't use

Revisado: 01-29-24

my Dad read this a long time ago and he is financially independent. I was curious and gave the book a shot as I am now also embarking on taking my financial life seriously and becoming financially independent. I read the whole thing and know for certain it's not useful right now. My dad taught me the fundamentals of good financial practice and raised us as Throeauvian minimalists growing up so the first six chapters of the book I'm already on top of. I have a budget and do monthly check-in and review of all finances to the penny and document my analysis.

The next three chapters are about what to do with your excess income. Like most millennials I don't have any excess income. I will be fixing that soon by getting the credentials I need for my industry and I don't wish to condone or promote the stereotype often truth of millennials pitching a fit over the financial realities of our condition. To millennials: nobody else gives a shit so get your shit together.

I took one star off (which might not be fair) because the book seems to be speaking to a reality which most people my age do not face. Like nods to this reality were included and the book feels updated but simply put if everybody's living paycheck to paycheck what the hell are we talking about? it's a finance book though so this is for the exception not the rule. however that brings me to the next issue.


I took another star off just because for a few brief passages at the end I realized the author is that variety of annoying guilt ridden delusional liberal Boomer landlord who can't face up to the inherently unjust nature of capitalism and will trip over herself to pretend that the working class is not of course and obviously a victim. Been that way for millennia, long before capitalism I don't know why these people need to pretend otherwise. like you're not on the hook. the boomers had their self-esteem destroyed by burgeoning advertisements their hopes crushed with multiple assassinations and repression like at Kent State and then seduced with Reaganomics. In despair they sold out the future for horseshit we will have to pull out of their attics and toss in a dumpster when they keil over. Too many did it to really judge this must just be how humans are. So stop pretending there's anything fair about this. They ruined the world but only as an inert instrument of a larger historical process. so I'm not judging the least they could do is return the favor to people working longer hours and having a far harder life than they ever did.

so use the book to build your life raft. if it works though don't pretend everybody else isn't drowning or that this is actually the way it ought to be. Especially if your a landlord. You are robbing the drowning people before paddling away.

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Witty and accessible

Revisado: 12-09-23

Absolutely devoured this book. I am not super familiar with Amber as she left the podcast by the time I really started listening but occasional appearances gave me the impression of a woman of ferocious faith. She once claimed she would not hesitate as a suicide bomber while the other. The probable daydream popped up again here. Before I read it I hoped as I do with many of these socialist figures that she takes care of herself. These people likely have more in store for their lives than they realize. After though I'm more concerned for her own sake than the movements. Her honesty was charming.

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Don't buy this

Revisado: 11-01-23

The book is fine it's sort of a center left perspective on how to respond to global warming and full of facts. The problem is this is actually somewhere between a true almanac and a popular non fiction work. Meaning the text is arranged to be perused on the page not read aloud. Additionally the book is full of graphs and illustrations. This is just a bad format for this. Book seems fine.

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Brookings Institute Slop

Revisado: 07-04-23

Could not make it through the propaganda past the 3rd chapter. I expected a humbled work that accounts for the train wreck of the last at least 20+ years that blew up Fukuyama's consensus. I don't need it to sing The International but Jesus Christ these liberals are as delusional about capitalism as they were in Russiagate.

Ultimately the insult to my intelligence or perhaps their genuine fanaticism is what made me call it quits but it seems like the author wasn't going to say anything anyways. Religion and the Rise of Capitalism is a good title and you can imagine as I did all kinds of interesting connections that might await assuming a certain degree of criticism can be broached. Without that willingness you just have this dork being like "You know actually even though it was the enlightenment religion was still really important in the 1700s so they had to have thought about it!" Like that isn't the single most trite crap they could have made a book about. Embarrassing, but people like this only have their prestige and power for the service they render to power, not brains.

Second time the New Releases wall at Barnes and Noble got me. There will not be a third.

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