Enthusiastic Reader > Recent Status Updates

p 23 - "the fact that totalitarian government, its open criminality notwithstanding, rests on mass support is very disquieting." TRUUUUTH.

p 21 - "the threats of today's policies in deeds and words bear a much more portentous resemblance to the deeds and verbal justifications that preceded the outbreak of World War I"

p 21 - "Imperialist rule, except for the purpose of name-calling, seems half-forgotten, and the chief reason why this is deplorable is that its relevance for contemporary events has become rather obvious in recent years." STILL TRUE TODAY.

Also I'm not sure how she's defining "totalitarian." She mentions "the totalitarian claim to global rule." So is the desire for a single nation-state the defining element? Or are there other facets that are equally important (according to Arendt)?

p 21 - "after two decades of massive help programs all the countries that had not been able to help themselves to begin with -- like Japan -- are poorer, further away from either economic or political stability than ever." Which two decades? And... "ever"? I mean, ever is a LONG time. For Japan, two decades is practically nothing.

p 20 - "The enormous gap between the Western countries and the rest of the world, not only and not primarily in riches but in education, technical know-how, and general competence, has plagued international relations ever since the beginning of genuine world politics." What caused (causes?) this gap? What does she see as "the beginning of genuine world politics" and why draw the line there?

p 17 -"For imperialism... was as different from national conquests in border-wars as it was from true empire-building Roman style." There is SO MUCH that she assumes the reader understand. HOW is imperialism different from national conquest and empire building? What is the Roman style of empire building? And what makes that the "true" form?

What makes the American form of government "less fit" for "imperialist power politics"?

p 20 - "Whatever the causes for American ascendancy to world power, the deliberate pursuit of a foreign policy leading to it or any claim to global rule are not among them. And the same is probably true for the country's recent and still tentative steps in the direction of imperialist power politics for which its form of government is less fitted than that of any other country." Really?

Response to "All Lives Matter" - "'Save the rainforest' doesn't mean 'f* all the other trees.'" ;D

REALLY liking this book so far. Ramsey's candid description of her own mistakes is so encouraging, especially after the day I had yesterday!

p 17 "St. Paul introduced, in the first century, a three-tiered hierarchy of slave relations -- heavenly master (top), earthly master (middle), enslaved (bottom)." This reminds me of the argument for the wife's subjugation for the husband - also from Paul.

"upgrading software is much less taxing than building positronic brains and limbs from scratch." Is it? Why? What are the limits of a replicator? For that matter, did Picard have to tinker with his tea the first time through? What if he wants a different brand of Earl Grey?

"the vast majority of the Federation's citizens are not nearly as driven or exceptional. Or rather they are, but in a more pedestrian way. They all go about their daily lives without much concern or worry, safe in the knowledge that they shall never want for anything."

I would bet a relatively large sum of money that these ordinary citizens don't piddle about. They have interests and the freedom to pursue them.

P 5 - “social distribution of these impressive technologies”

p 87 - "Companies that announced layoffs in the previous year paid their CEOs more and gave those CEOs larger percentage raises than companies that did not have at least one downsizing announcement during the previous year."

p 80 - "the benefits from reduced payroll costs go mostly to the companies doing the layoffs while the costs are incurred mostly by the broader society and the individuals affected."