As mentioned in my previous post, I recently finished reading Howard Zinn’s, A People’s History of the United States. Within the boundaries of the book lie seven hundred pages describing the struggles of America’s women, factory workers, African Americans, Native Americans, working poor and immigrant laborers. It is a seemingly never ending account of the ongoing power struggle that exists between these muted masses and the powerful elite (taking the form of government, monopolists, corporations, etc.). It is an eye-opening read and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in American history.

That being said, I am not here to write a book review.

I am curious instead about the seemingly incompatible nature between a more left-leaning-social mind and that of a right-leaning-capital based one. I am interested on how these mindsets are established and decided upon. So what I proceeded to do upon the completion of A People’s History was start reading The J-Curve by Ian Bremmer. Its underlying premise suggests that countries like Iraq (until 2003), North Korea and Cuba are stable only because their dictatorial governments rely heavily on censorship, population oppression, and propaganda. These countries are placed on the left side of the J-curve as a result.

On the right side of the J-curve, you will find open societies such as the United States, Western Europe and others that rely on democratic institutional reform, freedom of speech/information, and so on. The bottom of the curve is left for unstable governments that find themselves in a period of transition.

It is suggested that for any government to switch from left to right, or vice versa, this transitional period is necessary. A popular example of this is what has been taking place in Iraq since the removal of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Only time will tell which side of the curve Iraq will find itself on after America’s inevitable departure. (continued on pg. S4…)

Racism is something that exists so to discriminate, further stereotype, and construct prejudice onto any number of peoples that originate from different ethnic backgrounds. It has been used through the ages by the ruling class as a mechanism of control and as a means to manipulate the unfortunate masses. It places unjustified negative characteristics onto certain peoples based on physical attributes entirely independent of their capabilities as human beings.

It is something that has existed during the entire stretch of Western colonialism, and undoubtedly in prior ages. Racism is something that still exists today, albeit in a muted resemblance to what it once was.

(continued on pg. S3…)

Tyler: My dad never went to college, so it was really important that I’d go.
Jack: Sounds familiar.
Tyler: So I graduate, I called him a long distance and asked: “Dad, now what?”, he says “Get a job”.
Jack: Same here.
Tyler: When I turned twenty five, my yearly call again “Dad, now what?”, he says “I don’t know, get married!”
Jack: I can’t get married, I’m a thirty-year-old boy!
-Fight Club

Growing up, I was always aware of a something called the mid-life crisis. (continued on pg. S2…)