Thomas Frank on How Conservatives Rule-1/3

The Wrecking Crew: Thomas Frank on How Conservatives Rule

Columnist and author Thomas Frank joins us to talk about his latest book, The Wrecking Crew. Frank writes, "Fantastic misgovernment of the kind we have seen is not an accident, nor is it the work of a few bad individuals. It is the consequence of triumph by a particular philosophy of government, by a movement that understands the liberal state as a perversion and considers the market the ideal nexus of human society. This movement is friendly to industry not just by force of campaign contributions but by conviction."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• conservatives
• neoliberal
• bush
• cheney
• obama
• democracy
• now

[mvies77]

Conservatives rule. Are you kidding. Even when a Republican president was in, he was a moderate to liberal. When the one time we had a centrist to right Pres with Reagan, the congress was totally controlled for 30 years by the Dem's. So please do not tell me conservatives ruled anything. If we did we would not be in the fiscal mess we are in today with an incompetent pres and totally corrupt congress.

[ERROLCUSTERFLYNN4EVR]

@ERROLCUSTERFLYNN4EVR ..........HOW'S THAT HOPE AND CHANGE WORKIN' OUT FOR ALL YOU WITH GAS, ENERGY AND FOOD PRICES THRU THE ROOF,,,,,,,,but you can get a real deal on an I Phone and made in china computer gadgets,,,,,i hope you can play the stock market and all the other wall street casino games to keep the DREAM ALIVE..........?

[tristramshandy3]

@EternalRhyme I'd be happy to. You might as well start with the greatest book ever written: the complete essays of Montaigne. If that book doesn't improve your life, I worry about you.

Then, it is STILL worthwhile to read the Greeks- Plato and Aristotle. Aristotle's The Politics still might be the best book ever written on the subject.

Then, I recommend one of two directions. You can get into metaphysics and read Kant and Hegel, or you can study politics by reading Locke and de Tocqueville.

[EternalRhyme]

can you give me some tips on which philosophical books to read? i'd be grateful if you could give me a list of some kind. Perhaps a list of ten?

[MarkFFHH]

Why isn't this program offered Russian, Chinese and (North) Korean Languages.

[tristramshandy3]

@SWGutto I'm well rounded- perhaps not as much as I could be. I have no interest or passion for math or science. My intellectual passions are for sociology, history, philosophy, literature (the best!).

Beyond reading over 1,000 books, I have lived in 6 countries and traveled the world extensively.

I have also been everywhere in the USA.

Franklin is a utilitarian fool.

If you MUST read Americans, thoreau and emerson are FAR more edifying.

Adios.

[SWGutto]

@tristramshandy3 Are u well-rounded, yourself? Do u engage in physical activity? Have u studied any applied sciences? Do u engage in intellectual curiousity? Or do u read old French essays & then somehow claim the work as your own, imagining everyone else as inferior & droll to your enlightened standards? I have read Homer in the original Greek, but prefer Twain & Franklin & even Louis L'amour (for escape). I will try Montaigne, of course, but then you will have no intellectual leverage.

[tristramshandy3]

@SWGutto Montaigne is neither obscure nor English. He was a Frenchman- he was probably the wisest man to ever live, and if you choose not to read him out of some anti-intellectual spite, you harm yourself, not me.

It's a shame you work so much.

You sell yourself short when not providing adequate time for leisure- both physical, as well as intellectual.

I think it's great you can understand quantum physics- but it's a shame you would struggle to get Montaigne.

Try being well rounded.

Adios.

[SWGutto]

@tristramshandy3 Read Montaigne? Sure. After my 60 hour day, I would love to spend my free time reading obscure English lit so that English Teachers would finally consider me "intellectual." I am the ultimate artist scientist - I am an engineer. We study the sciences & liberal arts, & then create useful products for humanity. I'll read Montaigne. You read some Faraday or Franklin (yes, ole Ben) or Otto. Don't lecture me about easy, English professor, until u have passed Quantum Physics.

[tristramshandy3]

@SWGutto Please spare me the pity. I am happier than you will ever be.

I wish people like you understood the INCREDIBLE benefits of intellectual curiosity and study.

The world would be a MUCH better place if dumb ass americans weren't so anti-intellectual.

Now, silly freak, turn off your computer and go read Montaigne's complete essays.

I hope you can understand it.

Give it a shot.