Better Off Without 'Em
A Northern Manifesto for Southern Secession
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Narrated by:
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Oliver Wyman
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By:
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Chuck Thompson
About this listen
Let’s talk about secession.
Not exactly the most suitable cocktail party conversation starter anywhere in the country. But take that notion deep into the heart of Dixie, and you might find yourself running from the possum-hunting conservatives, trailer-park lifers, and prayer warriors Chuck Thompson encountered during the two years he spent traveling the American South asking the question: Would we be better off without ’em?
The result is a heavily researched, serious inquiry into national divides which is unabashedly controversial, often uproarious, and always thought-provoking. From a church service in Mobile, Alabama, where the gospel entertainer announces, "Islam is upon us!" to a store selling Ku Klux Klan memorabilia on a quaint little street in South Carolina - Thompson lifts the green velvet drapes on a South that would seem to belong more to the time of Rhett and Scarlett than the dawn of the twenty-first century.
By crunching numbers, interviewing experts, and roaming the not-so-former Confederacy, Thompson - an openly disgruntled liberal from the Northwest - makes a compelling case for southern secession. What would the new nations look like if Virginia governor Bob McDonnell was elected as the first President of the Confederate States of America? If a southern electorate was left to fend for itself while the North did damage control on an economy decimated by cut-rate southern workers who operate as a rival nation within its own borders? If the BCS championship football game were replaced by a North vs. South Coca Cola/ Starbucks Blood Bowl? If Florida went to the South and Texas to the North in the most complex land-and-population grab in American history?
Better Off Without ’Em is a deliberately provocative book whose insight, humor, fierce and fearless politics, and sheer nerve will spark a national debate that is perhaps long overdue.
©2012 Chuck Thompson (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Blackballed
- The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses
- By: Lawrence Ross
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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From Lawrence Ross, author of The Divine Nine, Blackballed is an explosive and controversial book that rips the veil off America's hidden secret: America's colleges have fostered a racist environment that makes them hostile spaces for African American students. Blackballed exposes the white fraternity and sorority system, with traditions of racist parties and songs and assaults on black students; and the universities themselves, who name campus buildings after racist men and women.
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Very insightful
- By Rupe on 11-09-16
By: Lawrence Ross
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Beyond the Messy Truth
- How We Came Apart, How We Come Together
- By: Van Jones
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In Beyond the Messy Truth, Jones offers a blueprint for transforming our collective anxiety into meaningful change. Tough on Donald Trump but showing respect and empathy for his supporters, Jones takes aim at the failures of both parties before and after Trump's victory. He urges both sides to abandon the politics of accusation and focus on real solutions. Calling us to a deeper patriotism, he shows us how to get down to the vital business of solving, together, some of our toughest problems.
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I never hated anyone before
- By Joanna Bugajska on 11-17-17
By: Van Jones
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Rush Limbaugh
- An Army of One
- By: Zev Chafets
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
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Do you remember your first time? People tend to remember the moment they first heard The Rush Limbaugh Show on the radio. For Zev Chafets, it was in a car in Detroit, driving down Woodward Avenue. Limbaugh's braggadocio, the outrageous satire, the slaughtering of liberal sacred cows performed with the verve of a rock-n-roll DJ-it seemed fresh, funny and completely subversive.
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Enjoyed it, despite poor narration
- By David on 06-02-10
By: Zev Chafets
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Disintegration
- The Splintering of Black America
- By: Eugene Robinson
- Narrated by: Alan Bomar Jones
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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The African American population in the United States has always been seen as a single entity: a "Black America" with unified interests and needs. In his groundbreaking book Disintegration, longtime Washington Post journalist Eugene Robinson argues that, through decades of desegregation, affirmative action, and immigration, the concept of Black America has shattered.
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Written for Popular Consumption
- By Catherine S. Read on 06-03-11
By: Eugene Robinson
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The Big Sort
- Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart
- By: Bill Bishop, Robert G. Cushing
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2004, journalist Bill Bishop coined the term "the big sort". Armed with startling new demographic data, he made national news in a series of articles showing how Americans have been sorting themselves into alarmingly homogeneous communities - not by region or by state but by city and even neighborhood. Over the past three decades, we have been choosing the neighborhoods (and churches and news shows) compatible with our lifestyles and beliefs.
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Build the Wall?
- By Amazon Customer on 01-23-19
By: Bill Bishop, and others
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Bannon
- Always the Rebel
- By: Keith Koffler
- Narrated by: William LeRoy
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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To understand the Trump White House, you need to understand Steve Bannon: what's driving him, what his true role is, and what he's trying to accomplish on behalf of the American middle class. White House reporter Keith Koffler penetrates the fog surrounding the mysterious senior White House advisor, tracing Bannon's wild and distinctly American path to the White House in this first-ever honest biography of the controversial figure.
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The "real" Steve Bannon! Great read!
- By Amazon Customer on 12-20-17
By: Keith Koffler
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God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy
- By: Mike Huckabee
- Narrated by: Mike Huckabee
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In Mike Huckabee's new book God, Guns, Grits and Gravy, he asks the question, "Have I been taken to a different planet than the one on which I grew up?" The New York Times best-selling author explores today's American culture, drawing from his travels as a presidential candidate to present average, small-town people and families, and their optimistic resilience in the face of hard times.
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Review
- By Dorothy Ella on 02-13-15
By: Mike Huckabee
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The People Are Going to Rise Like the Waters Upon Your Shore
- A Story of American Rage
- By: Jared Yates Sexton
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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The People Are Going to Rise Like the Waters Upon Your Shore is a firsthand account of the events that shaped the 2016 presidential election and the cultural forces that powered Donald Trump into the White House. Featuring in-the-field reports as well as deep analysis, Sexton's book is not just the story of the most unexpected and divisive election in modern political history. It is also a sobering chronicle of our democracy's political polarization - a result of our self-constructed, technologically assisted echo chambers.
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Undercover in Trump's America
- By David Larson on 09-06-17
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The Obama Diaries
- By: Laura Ingraham
- Narrated by: Laura Ingraham
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Popular conservative radio host Laura Ingraham discusses President Obama's first year in office. Informative and hugely entertaining, The Obama Diaries will inspire both laughter and critical thinking about the future of the nation and the man currently at the helm.
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Almost Not Funny -- Almost!
- By Dan on 07-14-10
By: Laura Ingraham
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Moyers on Democracy
- By: Bill Moyers
- Narrated by: Bill Moyers
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Abridged
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People know Bill Moyers mostly from his many years of path-breaking journalism on television. But he is also one of America's most sought-after public speakers. His appearances draw sell-out crowds across the country and are among the most reproduced on the Web. Richly insightful, and alive with a fierce, abiding love for our country, Moyers on Democracy is essential listening.
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You can't help but think critically
- By Ida F. on 09-29-09
By: Bill Moyers
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Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right
- What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas
- By: Erica Grieder
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Texas may well be America’s most controversial state. Evangelicals dominate the halls of power, millions of its people live in poverty, and its death row is the busiest in the country. Skeptical outsiders have found much to be offended by in the state’s politics and attitude, and yet, according to journalist and Texan Erica Grieder, the United States has a great deal to learn from Texas. In Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right, Grieder traces the political history of a state that was always larger than life. From its rowdy beginnings, Texas has combined a long-standing suspicion of government intrusion with a passion for business.
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Loved this book!
- By ccarp on 06-04-14
By: Erica Grieder
What listeners say about Better Off Without 'Em
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jo Green
- 07-14-15
This was so funny, and sadly accurate.
This book was so entertaining and on the money. The narrator was perfect for this book; his voice was definitely an easy listen and really gave this book some personality. I grew up in Texas, and live in Memphis so I can attest that, for a huge part of this population, the beliefs of some simply cannot be swayed with facts.
Chuck Thompson really has captured the essence of the south in a humorous and thought provokingly manner. As a southerner who appreciates science and fact, I could not be offended by what he presented, though I know quite a few that might be. I actually laughed aloud in public places while listening to his encounters. This is definitely not a wasted credit. I'm really not sure how to fix what's wrong with this place, but succession could be a plan!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Raised by Wolves
- 12-01-17
As a White Native Texan...
I found it to have lots of insight into southern cultural and politics and plenty of snarky humor. If you take offense to this book, well that's the point. It was inevitable that you would.
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- Amazonian Noir OG
- 04-09-18
I only wish it was just not a book title
Everything in my head about the South was put in writing. Absolutely loved the book. Let em go!
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- H. Kapherr
- 08-04-16
Five Stars from a reluctant Southern belle
Loved every word. So much truth. So much snark. Thompson is a joy to read, even in the midst of this election where so many of his predictions in this book have come true. I'm a born and bred Floridian, the daughter of a Yankee and a Southern belle, and have struggled with Southernness for my whole life. This book was fun to listen to and dared to go where few have gone before. And major BRAVO to the voice performer. Excellent reading.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Brian Welch
- 02-06-23
Awesome
I love this book. It is without a doubt one of the most compelling, well-written and researched, relatable, humorous books that I have ever read (or listened to). I was hooked from the start. The author backs up his stance with myriad facts and illustrative examples, resulting in a rock-solid argument for the South as a cancer that is holding back the rest of the nation from achieving its true ideals. I could listen to this book again just for the entertainment factor. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. This book is phenomenal.
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- Blake
- 03-02-14
What can I say? I loved it.
Not exactly the height of scholarship, but hilarious. And informative. It's like taking a trip to a fantasy world where things like this are actually possible. A nice follow up to the more serious book called "American Nations" whose author's name slips my mind at the moment. The reader is perfect, and almost turns the book into a stand up comedy ruitine. It's a joyride that is more than worth the price of admission.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Nathan
- 10-26-15
5 stars
A must "listen to" for anyone who ever wished we would have just let the South secede 150 years ago.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Gift Card Recipient
- 08-27-17
Absolutely
Way over due, that deadbeat on your couch... yep needs to go, years of "you'll miss me when I'm gone..." fall hollow in practice. The next THREAT will be matched by, "Ok...bye"
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- Buretto
- 11-19-17
On the money, and exceedingly fair to southerners
Despite the bluster of the introduction and the cartoonish look of the cover, this book is very insightful, and increasingly astute as it goes along. It starts, as the sample provides, with a spleen-venting screed about the the various ills of southern influence on American culture. While not exactly losing any of that fervor, the author methodically, and civilly when civility is due, lays out the problems which are evident to anyone who lives in the country, and even those who don't. He allows for rebuttal from his subjects, and gives kudos to legitimate counter-arguments. It is loud, sarcastic and opinionated, but it is ultimately fair.
If there is anything to criticize, it would be that it may oversimplify the issue, dividing it into north/south, blue/red, liberal/conservative, when it's clearly more complex. There are detours into what to do with Texas, Ohio and how to affect a workable divorce. But the root causes of the divisions, beyond the obvious culprits of religion and socio-economic factors (not the least of which being the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow), is not the focus of the book. More comprehensive histories can be found in books like *American Nations* by Colin Woodard. This work is more a fanciful investigation of how we can dig out of the mess we've allowed be created.
One of the more interesting sections was the look into the southern black church, where the author does not give any quarter, lest anyone think the book was meant to bash southern, redneck, white men only. He lays out the fact (clear to anyone who's lived there) that while whites and blacks are thoroughly segregated in their worship, their religious zeal links them together in their shared hatred of homosexuality. Ironically (or hypocritically) so, as often turns out, the author is quick to note, as well. Churches in general get the boots put to them in the book, with good reason.
There are times when it may be best to take the book in smaller chunks. Not because of the writing or the performance, but because the gobsmacking truths of the idiocy in the country need time to settle in, if only to avoid your head exploding.
Once again, don't be fooled by the cover and the seemingly frenzied presentation of the sample and introduction. It's a humorous, well-researched, and highly entertaining presentation.
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- Collins A. Ezeanyim
- 03-20-16
Provocative but illuminating
Even after finishing the book I'm still not completely convinced of the author's treatise. But this is a well-researched exquisitely written treatise for southern secession.
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1 person found this helpful