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The War on Guns Audiolibro Por John R. Lott Jr. PhD arte de portada

An Armed Society is a Polite Society

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
2 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-25-25

You know John Lott, the Republican/conservative commentator with the odd eyebrows.

This book is a very quick listen. Lott does an excellent job of demonstrating how the mainstream media is hostile to gun ownership. He also points out extensively how gun legislation, background checks, and other agenda items do little to drop the crime rate. He also shows how stand your ground laws have benefitted everyone, and even blacks.

My issue with the book is that it spends so much time showing how gun laws are not effective, don't lower crime, don't stop criminals, yada yada...that he never really gets to the essential problem with all federal gun control efforts:

They are ALL unconstitutional.

2nd Amendment:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

This means that any and ALL laws passed by Congress that have anything to do with limiting, restricting, regulating gun ownership are 100% unconstitutional. Amazingly, this fact is NEVER mentioned in this book. Perhaps he acknowledged that fact in his other gun books. But he didn't make it here. And that is incredibly disappointing.

Those who defend gun ownership don't need to spend time arguing with liberals and other statists about whether their gun control efforts work to stop crime, lower crime, prevent mass shootings, etc. They need only argue that no matter what the motivation, the general government has no authority to regulate gun ownership. That is an issue left to the states, and the people.

Also, Lott makes the obvious statement that police often arrive at a scene after the crime has been committed, and that armed citizens can often stop crimes, and assist the police in protecting the community. Never once does Lott mention the outrageous number of times the police shoot the wrong person, or shoot a suspect under questionable circumstances, or shoot someone's dog, or any other number of dastardly acts the police commit in this society.

A decent book for what it does, but it doesn't satisfy those who are tired of having to explain why we choose to own guns. The simple answer is: we want them.

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Overthrow Audiolibro Por Stephen Kinzer arte de portada

They want to overthrow it

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 04-23-25

I'm not interested in preserving the status quo...I want to overthrow it.
- Machiavelli

Interesting book detailing the legacy of regime change the United State government has engaged in since the capture of Hawaii in early 1890s.

The lands discussed are Hawaii, Cuba, The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama, Chile, Vietnam, Grenada, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan. Probably forgot a few...there have been so many damned places the US government has overthrown the ruling government, it is hard to keep track.

The author makes the case that the US government is rare in the fact that they think their system of government...democracy based on the rule of law and rights for the individual...makes them uniquely qualified to intervene in places around the globe that do not have ample supplies of these qualities in their society.

It is somewhat unclear what the author means by Americans. I assume he means the government, but he could mean that the American public supports these actions. To this I would say that is highly debatable. To the extent the public supports such actions, it is usually based on some lie:

The government is a tool of the Soviet Union and international communism (Chile).
The government is a threat to our safety (Iraq).
The government is harboring terrorists who attacked us (Afghanistan).
The government is nationalizing natural resources and threatening the global economy (Iran).
The government is not complying with our demands and can't achieve our objectives (Vietnam).

The book is very well researched, and I learned quite a bit about older regime changes. I would certainly take issue with the chapter on Iraq and the war on terror. While it is often correctly pointed out, and is so here, that Iraq did not have WMDs and thus there was no justification for invading the country in 2003...especially since there also was no proven link to Al-Qaeda...the author simply quotes Richard Haas as saying he had no idea why the war was fought. But we know why the war was fought...and it's the same reason why Libya was overthrown (taking place after this book came out) and now Syria. What is never discussed is the Greater Israel Project, and the ongoing effort by successive American administrations to rid Israel of its enemies. The radical nature of the American government, and its slavish devotion to the Zionist agenda, is never even introduced. This is a serious shortcoming, as it has been the main motivating factor of American policy in the Middle East for over a century.

A worthwhile book to listen to...but as with all too many books critical of or questioning the American government, it misses the main motivation. The US government is run by sociopaths hell bent on furthering a globalist, interventionist agenda...without regard for the people in foreign lands who are simply pawns to be played. These aren't misguided nationalists who want to spread freedom, capitalism and the American way of life around the globe. These are criminals...determined to subjugate and control as many Earthlings as possible.

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Hell to Pay Audiolibro Por Barbara Olson arte de portada

You tell em I'm comin', and Hell's comin' with me

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-13-25

Barbara Olson was a partisan Republican hack before her death during the false flag 9/11 attacks. While often entertaining, this prevented her from being a truly reliable commentator on political issues. One such topic her partisan biases intruded upon was Hillary Clinton.

It is difficult for anyone but the most loyal Clintonista to view Bill and Hillary Clinton as anything other than repulsive vermin. "Hell to Pay" focuses more on Hillary, and does a solid job of showing her for the blatant political creature she is. Whether it is her naked pursuit of raw power, or her transparently disingenuous attacks on her supposed political enemies, this book rarely shows Hillary in a good light. There is good reason for that. No amount of disinfectant could ever clean up the scum that is the Clintons.

The book does an excellent job of making the case the Clinton marriage is one of convenience...made not for love, but to further political ambitions. There is very little discussion on why anyone would want to marry Hillary Clinton, other than she was smart and an asset to achieving power. Hillary and Bill promoted their co-presidency and as a "buy one, get one free" deal for the American people, who, despited being dumb enough to elect Bill, still somehow found this arrangement a bridge too far. Her disastrous overreach on health care, and countless scandals (Filegate, Travelgate, Whitewater, Chinagate, campaign finance skirting, etc) are discussed briefly, as is the Lewinsky affair. Some discussion is given to Hillary enabling Bill through all this sex sideshows, and again this is used to make the case the marriage is a sham. Well, duh.

Lacking from the book is any true investigation into who and what the Clintons actually are. No mention of the well known "Clinton Body Count". Sparse mention of the outright murder of Branch Davidians at Waco. Nothing on Somalia. Nothing on bombing the shit out of Serbia. We could chalk this up to Hillary not being involved in any of these decisions, but that undermines Olson's case that Hillary was deeply involved in everything during Bill's presidency. I would instead conclude that Olson is simply avoiding deep truths because she was working within the acceptable talking points of partisan division.

On that same note, she never even entertains the notion of Vince Foster or Ron Brown being murdered (no doubt in this readers mind of both cases). This is probably because Olson was planning on many years of arguing on CNN and FOX, and if you go accusing the president and First Lady of being involved in murders, that might marginalize you. Or perhaps she was warned, like so many of Clintons trysts were (don't talk about this or else). On a side tangent, the narrator keeps pronouncing Kathleen Willey like Wile E Coyote. Has she never heard of this person? Will-e. Will-e.

All in all, a solid, unspectacular book that is a by-the-numbers Republican Party diatribe about the Clintons. Many good points are made, but in the end it is gatekeeping and a limited hangout.

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The Case Against Education Audiolibro Por Bryan Caplan arte de portada

The world is full of signals

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 03-04-25

Compelling book that will make you realize what education really is - a signal to employers that you are likely to be a good worker. Essentially, going through school and graduating makes you more likely to get a good job. Going to a good school makes it more likely you will meet a quality mate, and thus increase your likelihood for future wealth. Caplan's contention is that much of education in today's system is students learning things they will never use in their work life, or post-graduate life, and that it is a waste of time for them to learn data that they will just forget as soon as they pass a test.

Learning useful skills...reading, writing, math...is worthwhile. But poetry or biology or social studies? Not so much. Caplan argues that a better education system would be to teach students those things that would be more useful in their post-graduate life. And most of education is just signaling...sending out signals to employers that you would be a good investment.

It is an interesting book, if a bit dry and slow in places. It will make you realize that much of the time students spend in school is rather worthless for actual knowledge, and is really only beneficial for the signal that it sends. And is this really the best way to run an education system? He delves into government investment in education, and how much money is spent. One thing I would say to differ...it isn't government investing in education, it is taxpayers. Government has no resources it does not first steal from taxpayers...either directly or through inflation.

A book worth listening to, about a topic that really does need to be reformed.

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All the Presidents' Bankers Audiolibro Por Nomi Prins arte de portada

All wars are bankers wars

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 02-15-25

Very long book chronicling the relationship of elite bankers and banking institutions with presidents over the past 100 or so years in the United States, up through Obama. As with any book delving into a mostly singular topic, the information is overwhelming. There are so many bankers discussed and highlighted that it is really difficult to remember names or details. Suffice it to say, Prins goes pretty soft on them.

Prins' general theme seems to be that bankers were more altruistic in the past, and have now degenerated into creatures that no longer have any allegiance to their countrymen. I would contend that elite bankers have historically been repulsive scumbags, and their principal aim was to fool Americans into driving themselves further into slavery and debt. See the Rothschild emissary JP Morgan. To this end, the Federal Reserve was created, and wars were funded.

Interestingly enough, Prins tries to show the different relationships various presidents had with banking elites. She is a thorough apologist for FDR, and somehow sees him as a quality leader. Also, she seems to want to praise LBJ, falsely claiming his War on Poverty was a success. And some of her history is screwy. Like when talking about WW2, she claims in 1941 the world was horrified by Nazi atrocities. Sorry sweetheart, but that particular hoax was going to have to wait until some years later.

Curiously, Prins obsesses on "deregulation", though how someone can look at incestuous relationships wherein legislation is created or repealed to please bankers, and screw ordinary people, as any sort of "deregulation" is beyond me. Bankers push legislation, or its repeal, to enhance their power. The government does their bidding. This is not "deregulation". This is a cartel. When bankers run your country, and control your assets and leaders, there is no free market. Central banking is a cartel, and these vultures work together to dominate and abuse ordinary citizens.

All in all, a very long book, and often quite boring. If you want a really great book on banking, I'd recommend "The Creature from Jekyll Island". Prins' book is chocked full of details, but in the end the attempt is paint the bankers as ambitious men who seek to use government and power to achieve their objectives, but in a decent way. "Jekyll Island" will show you that instead, this is a criminal syndicate which does not have your best interests at heart.

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"Cause Unknown" Audiolibro Por Ed Dowd arte de portada

There are Known Knowns

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-28-25

This book is a very short narrative that highlights the fact that the mortality rate of young adults exploded after the introduction of the bioweapon, clot shot injections falsely called "vaccines" in reaction to the fake pandemic of "covid-19".

Dowd will not come out and say it, but I will.

Covid-19, which does not in fact actually exist, is supposedly caused by a virus that has NEVER been isolated. The whole world was sold on a false narrative, and the narrative was that this novel virus was unusually deadly (lie) and that the Operation Warp Speed produced "vaccines" were the only way to save lives (lie).

In reality, a far larger book would be needed to examine the entire scam of lockdowns, flattening the curve, masking, social distancing, etc...but Dowd does a good job of proving his point that death rates among young people in the time period after the "vaccinations" were introduced could only be caused by those "vaccinations".

To argue against this fact is to deny reality.

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Legends of Syracuse Basketball Audiolibro Por Mike Waters arte de portada

A Clockwork Orange

Total
5 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
5 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-08-25

Mike Waters delivers a really wonderful book. Any lifelong Syracuse fan will find this trip down memory lane quite enjoyable...and frustrating. Given that Syracuse basketball is now in a dismal condition, and has been trending downward for a decade, this reminder of how great they once were was bittersweet.

Waters is a longtime Syracuse writer, and really loves the program. He writes from the heart, and his affection for the players and legendary coach come through in every chapter. I could find only three glaring errors (though perhaps there were more, and experts can better dissect). Derrick Coleman was not national player of the year in 1990. Lionel Simmons won both the Wooden Award and Naismith Award. So I am not sure what award Waters might be talking about, Syracuse did not blow Mississippi State out in the 1996 Final Four. The game was tied at half and was a 4-point game with 8 minutes left. The final score was a comfortable 8, but it was never a blowout. And in 2004, Syracuse was a #5 seed when they played and beat Brigham Young, not a #6 seed. But truly, only three errors that jumped out at me listening.

The book traces the long path of SU basketball, from the early days of Lew Castle and Billy Gabor, through the Dave Bing era, to the 1975 unexpected Final Four run featuring Rudy Hackett and Jim Lee, through the rise of the Big East, and the electrifying "Pearl" Washington, and culminating with 2003 national title team led by Carmelo Anthony.

Waters nailed his analysis time and again. The "Pearl" did put the Big East on the map. Sherman Douglas was the greatest alley-ooper of all time. Carmelo Anthony was Billy Owens only with a better jump shot. And Lawrence Moten and Hakim Warrick rose to unexpected prominence. The book is outdated, and was written before Boeheim's first losing season, and the downfall of this once mighty program into mediocrity.

I could go on and on about this book and the program it celebrates. But if you love Syracuse, or even just the glory days of the Big East and college basketball, do yourself a favor and listen to this outstanding book!

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FDR's Folly Audiolibro Por Jim Powell arte de portada

Nobody's Fool

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
3 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 01-01-25

There are many problems with this book. First, the author misdiagnoses what caused the Great Depression. It was caused by the Federal Reserve's expansionist monetary policy that led to the inevitable bust, what Austrians refer to as the Boom/Bust cycle. And the depression was extended by government and the Fed doing everything they could to extend it, not to end it, as court historians would have you believe.

The author also incorrectly calls the reaction to the Great Depression, FDR's program called The New Deal, a folly. It was not a folly, as it wasn't misguided and it wasn't a mistake. FDR, controlled agent of the moneyed elite, was brought in to wreak havoc on the free market, demonize private businesses, and remake the American economy into a more controlled centralized one. Where authors like Powell err is in assuming because the New Deal didn't end the Great Depression, and in fact made it worse, that they just screwed up. And since they are smart men, the Ivy League and Wall Street and lawyer elites, these same authors are somehow flummoxed to explain why they did what they did. Never in this book is it once hinted at that the New Deal was an orchestrated plan, not to help Americans but to hurt them. Not to save capitalism, but to destroy it. Not to follow the Constitution, but to butcher it. And not to fix problems, but to create new ones.

This book is very dry, and filled with much information. It comes at you very fast, and it's obvious the author is well researched. It correctly criticizes programs and labor unions and activist government. And he admirably skewers what a scam Social Security was and is. Never as it was sold, and FDR and his allies knew it. And Powell correctly points out time and again there was no consititutional authority for Social Security or anything else in the New Deal. But again, without acknowledging that this whole charade wasn't meant to improve the situation in these United States, but to make things much worse, it is a book not worth much to listen to.

Hanlon's Razor states "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.". This is exactly backwards. For anyone to think all these educated men, having gone to the best schools and having decades of experience in banking, government and law, could mismanage the government and economy so badly by mere accident, and mistake, is an insult to the intelligence of anyone listening to this book, or doing historical research.

To paraphrase James Forrestal..."if it wasn't a giant conspiracy, once in awhile they would make a mistake in our favor...".

Unfortunately, the legacy of FDR is a gargantuan, entrenched octopus-like government involving itself in every facet of our lives. Until we can admit and recognize this was always the plan, and not a mistaken byproduct, we are doomed to live under it.

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The Twilight Zone Companion, 2nd Edition Audiolibro Por Marc Scott Zicree arte de portada

All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone

Total
4 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
5 out of 5 stars
Historia
4 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-29-24

The title of Rod Serling's legendary television series has always seemed to have a dual meaning to me. At its best, "The Twilight Zone" was about taking people out of their comfort zones, and making them question what they think and feel. Analyze the assumptions in their life. Debate their preconceived notions. Think about whether or not they are close-minded, and need to rethink how they see the world.

"Zone" was obviously a wonderful, groundbreaking show, which entertained millions of people. This book is a highly entertaining overview of the series, complete with summaries of each episode. There are some broadcasts that receive more attention than others, which is understandable. The fabulous writers from the show, like Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont, are also written about. Serling himself is discussed at great length, as well as the legacy of the series.

It is also interesting to note how difficult it was for this show to exist. A weekly science fiction/fantasy/horror series was not an easy sell in the late 50s, and CBS was always looking to save money producing it (including those visually horrible videotaped shows from season 2). This also explains why there have been no real successful attempts to resuscitate the show in the decades since. Networks just don't want to put this stuff on the air. The 1980s revival is discussed some. Given when this version of the book was produced, there was no mention of the Jordan Peele production from a few years back (and maybe less said the better about that mostly woke trash the better).

All in all, if you love the original series, and you watch reruns every year on Syfy Channel like I do, you will enjoy this book. Submitted for your approval, a mostly worthwhile journey into discussing a wondrous landscape.

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The Sorrows of Empire Audiolibro Por Chalmers Johnson arte de portada

Harvester of Sorrows

Total
3 out of 5 stars
Ejecución
4 out of 5 stars
Historia
3 out of 5 stars

Revisado: 12-16-24

It is undeniable that the United States government and its military are imperialistic. It rules over vasts areas of the world it has no legitimate business controlling. Johnson spends much of the book discussing military bases, imperial ambitions, and actions taken by this empire to expand its control over the globe. Having been written right after the September 11th false flag, the book is somewhat outdated.

Johnson belongs to the school of critical thinkers (such as former congressman Ron Paul) who are critical of the actions of the American government, without really ever touching on the actual motivations or driving forces behind it. The notion of "blowback", which really means unintended or unforeseen reactions from the enemies of the US, is one that gains much traction in libertarian or paleoconservative circles. It looks at Al-Qaeda, funded to oppose the USSR and turning on the USA, as a prime example of this reaction. However, this analysis is erroneous.

For "blowback" to be a reality, one would have to think the US government...the military and CIA...are naive do gooders who have, through their good or bad actions, opened the American populace up to reprisals at the hands of "our" enemies. This, of course, is absurd. Americans only have one enemy: the Anglo American Zionist banking establishment which controls international finance, western governments, and the deep state permanent bureaucratic control system. This deep state works day and night to spy on, subjugate, destabilize, pillage and rape one foreign country after another, as well as American citizens. Johnson is definitely a critic of this overt behavior, but as I say, he chalks it up to imperial ambition and hubris on behalf of the American state, when in reality the American state is a subsidiary of organized financial elements. When seen through this lens the recent overthrow of Assad in Syria looks clearer. The Wesley Clark warning of the overthrow of 7 countries in 5 years crystallizes. When we realize actions taken by the government and military of the US are not done to benefit Americans, but in ALL cases the deep state and ruling elite, things make more sense.

Johnson never mentions the Greater Israel Project. This project, as Professor Michel Chossudovsky states, "consists in weakening and eventually fracturing neighboring Arab states as part of a US-Israeli expansionist project in the Middle East". To discuss the War on Terror, the Bush administration lies about WMDs, PNAC, the neoconservatives, and a myriad of other elements of post-9/11 American foreign policy and NOT discuss the Greater Israel Project, seems to me gatekeeping.

Most of these books critical of the American empire (really the American/Zionist empire) simply whitewash the main driving force behind American Middle East policy: Zionism and Israel. It's like talking about the New England Patriots and failing to mention Tom Brady. You're omitting the most important part.

Johnson writes quite a bit like Peter Dale Scott. These are very intelligent men, who nevertheless stuff their books with so much information that the books just don't flow well. What you can digest is very useful, but it comes at you fast and furious so don't daydream. It's a shame these intelligent men cannot see that the US empire is a tool of international, malevolent forces intent on controlling the world, its resources, and ultimately enslaving all of humanity in a technocratic tyranny. That aspect is worth exploring in print. I hope I find a book soon that does so.

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