Tag: politics

Reading the World Challenge – Israel

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ISRAEL nonfiction

Around the World in 60 Seconds: The Nas Daily Journey-1,000 Days, 64 Countries, 1 Beautiful Planet by Nuseir Yassin with Bruce Kluger, 2019, 272 pages

How I found it- Gage and watched some of the Nas Daily videos during our homeschooling days and I snatched this up when I saw it in Michigan bookstore. It’s been sitting on my shelves ever since just waiting for this challenge.

About the author- Nuseir grew up an Arrabas, an Arab city in Israel. It’s a middle class small to middling size city where he stayed until a visit to Ohio when he was 19. After graduating from Harvard and working for Venmo for a few years his idea for this epic adventure became a reality.

Nuseir, or Nas, decided to travel around the world and post a 60 second video of wherever he was in the world EVERY DAY for 1,000 days! He mentioned from the beginning that because he was an Israeli with an Israeli passport he was prohibited from going to a majority of the Arab world. Even though he was Arab. Right at the beginning he talked about money, politics, and religion so he could get them out of the way. He didn’t want his videos to be about any of that, he wanted to bring people together. And they did! I was amazed that he was able to acquire such a worldwide following as he traveled. He started doing meetups where he’d arrive in a country and tell his viewers where he’d be and when and people would show up. Amazing.

I was impressed with the introspective way he did talk about religion and politics. While it did come up in different places for the most part, it was kept to a minimum. The one strictly religious experience with a Jewish brother and sister who confronted him in Jerusalem was shocking to me, but given the current climate maybe it shouldn’t have been. There were countries, like Senegal, where he highlighted that all religions lived side by side and there was nothing but love.

The book doesn’t follow his journey from beginning to end, rather he groups countries and people by categories like Fun & Adventure, Getting Personal, Conflict, and Humanity. I loved getting to read about his preconceived ideas versus what he found when he got there. I loved so many of the stories, even the one that didn’t end well. I learned about new countries like Seychenelles gained some insight into countries I’ve always wanted to visit.

This was the perfect book to begin this challenge. There are lots of pictures and the book is well laid out and colorful, but the stories are the main draw. It gives me hope for our planet. I love it!!!

And where did he end up after traveling the world? He now calls Singapore home.

Women Who Won: 70 Extraordinary Women Who Reshaped Politics

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Women Who Won by Ros Ball. 4.25 stars. YA Bios, 272 pages, 2023

Such an inspirational book. These are some amazing women! Geared to YA, but great for adults too.There are amazing women in here and reading their stories is powerful. Each woman had a portrait page and 2 pages of bio with addition room for sources used for each one. Loved it!

Though some disregarded her, she had an inner confidence, saying, ‘I’ve never underestimated myself. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious.’ —Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany

When asked what qualities have underpinned her leadership, Jacinda singled out being ‘really driven by empathy… when you think about all of the big challenges that we face in the world, that’s probably the quality we need the most’. —Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand

“I hear it all the time, it changed everything…Women thought, if she can, I can.” —Vigdis Finnbogadottir, president of Iceland

And, since I’m reading these stories, some showing how fragile democracy can be, this has been the most powerful statement so far by a woman whose own husband was killed by the previous president…

Cory served only one term, and, when President Fidel Ramos took over, Cory said it was ‘one of the proudest moments of my life… This was what my husband had died for… This moment is democracy’s glory: the peaceful transfer of power without bloodshed, in strict accordance with law.’ —Corazon Aquino, president of the Philippines

Agathe Uwilingiyimana, in 1993 became 1st woman to serve as prime minister of Rwanda. She was raped and killed along with her husband in their own home by Hutu soldiers.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Belarus. Her story is ongoing. Look her up and push back on anyone still romanticizing dictators.

Constance Markievicz, in 1918 was the 1st woman elected to British Parliament. She was elected from jail! And refused to swear allegiance to the king. What a story she has.

Diane Abbott, in 1987 she was the 1st black woman to be elected to the Uk House of Commons. “The thing that enabled me to go further and higher was entirely my education. Education is a liberating force.”

Berta Pipina, in 1941 she was the 1st woman elected to the Latvian Saeima. There was a coup from an authoritarian regime and she was sent to a Siberian gulag where she died. Between 1930-1953 1.5 million died in those Soviet camps.

Golda Meir, in 1969 she was the 1st woman elected prime minister of Israel. “There is a type of woman who cannot let her husband and children narrow her horizon.”

Dilma Rousseff, in 2011 she was the 1st woman to serve as president of Brazil. “The fact that I was the first woman president was a factor in what happened to me…I think it will be easier for the next woman president.”

Lessons- don’t vote for anyone who has attempted a coup, don’t vote for anyone calling for violence for political opponents, don’t vote for anyone who doesn’t think you have autonomy over your own body. And, if you’re living in one of the 70% of countries that have still have only been run by men, go forth and elect women.

Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney

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Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney, 4/5 stars (but everyone should still read it), Memoir, 372 pages, 2023

I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. Until Liz Cheney, third in Republican Party leadership, stood up for truth unlike the vast majority of her party, I would have considered my view of her to be negative. But when a woman has the courage that Liz has shown, I respect her. Her work on the January 6th Committee was such a show of intelligence, strength and resolve. In this book she tells the story of the 2020 election from day one through what’s happening in our country right now.

This is the story of the moment when American democracy began to unravel. It is the story of the men and women who fought to save it, and of the enablers and collaborators whose actions ensured the threat would grown and metastasize. It is the story of the most dangerous man to inhabit the Oval office, and of the many steps he took to subvert our Constitution.

Since 1797, when George Washington voluntarily handed the power of the presidency to John Adams, every American president has fulfilled his solemn obligation to guarantee the peaceful transfer of power- until Donald Trump. (first paragraghs)

This is will be hard for Republicans to read, but those Republicans who rely on Fox News and other far right media are the ones who need to read it most. One of the more conservative of her party she was shown the door because she refused to stand for Trump’s election lies. They all knew it and she brings the receipts.

How we got to this point where a majority of Republicans believe the stolen election lies is frustrating. I encourage everyone to read this book because democracy really is on the ballot in the next election.

“If Trump is on the ballot, the 2024 election will not just be about inflation, or budget deficits, or national security, or any of the many critical issues we Americans normally face. We will be voting on whether to preserve our republic. As a nation, we can endure damaging policies for a four-year term. But we cannot survive a president willing to terminate our Constitution.

…This is more important than partisan politics. Every one of us-Republican, Democrat, Independent- must work and vote together to ensure that Donald Trump and those who have appeased, enabled, and collaborated with him are defeated.” (closing paragraphs)

A few thoughts I had while reading. You can listen to someone you disagree with. Cheney is reporting facts and opinions in this book. I can appreciate her first hand knowledge on what was happening in Congress at the time (fact), but still disagree with her love for Ronald Reagan (opinion). Just as I can dislike Dick Cheney as a politician, but love him as a supportive father for her during this time. Just as Cheney said this about Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “She did not try to micromanage the work of the January 6th Committee, but she was there whenever we needed her. And over the next 18 months, every time I went to her with a concern, a proposed approach, or a request that she intervene with Democrats to help guide things in the right direction, she backed me up. Every time. A relationship that had been unimaginable just a few months earlier would now become indispensable.” (p 201)

I think everyone should read it, especially if you didn’t watch the January 6 public presentations, which are still to be found on YouTube 🙂 The people that helped sell the lie are still in Congress and waiting to aid and abet once again if called upon.

The Residence:Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower

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The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White HouseThe Residence. Finished 4-20-15, rating 4.5/5, history/politics, 320 pages, pub. 2015

Thanks to Trish at TLC Book Tours  for inviting me to be a part of this book tour.  I received the book in exchange for my thoughts (and thankfully my thoughts are good :))

America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.

These dedicated professionals maintain the six-floor mansion’s 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases, and prepare everything from hors d’oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners. Over the course of the day, they gather in the lower level’s basement kitchen to share stories, trade secrets, forge lifelong friendships, and sometimes even fall in love.  from Goodreads

I like keeping up with current politics, so reading this book that spans 50+ years of White House inside information was fun for me.  The stories from the full-time and part-time workers who make  the first family’s time in the White House run smoothly were told with pride.  I loved hearing about the bullying Johnson, the warm Bushes (the first ones there), the partying Clintons, the domineering Nancy, and secret scene of the Obamas first night in America’s house.

I had no idea that the White House was designed by James Hoban, who won a competition planned by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and that it was built on the backs of slaves being paid in pork, bread and whiskey.  In 1941 the annual budget was $152,000 and today it comes in around $13 million.  That’s a lot of inflation!  I was surprised to learn that with all that money in the budget the first family is still required to pay for their move into and out of the White House and pay for all the food that they and their friends  eat (I always assumed we were feeding them).  President Carter didn’t think so much tax payer money needed to go to flowers (in other administrations $50,000 for state dinner flowers was the norm) so he sent the staff out to parks to find flowers, with one staffer even being arrested.  It was stories like these that had me chuckling.

The staff does their best to make each and every family, regardless of party, feel at home.  They take pride in serving not only the first family but representing the United States at state dinners and when taking care of the dignitaries from around the world.  I loved these behind-the-scenes looks at the best and worst of times.  I was shocked at the complete chaos on 9-11.

I was struck by how Brower wrote about the discretion of the workers on one page and then included unflattering tidbits about the children a page or two later.  I felt like the Chelsea and Secret Service story was disrespectful in a way that she tried to avoid in the rest of the book. There was another story of some bong-loving sons that I felt didn’t need to be included either.  She went out of her way to paint them in a positive light later, but I wish she could have saved the unflattering stories for the President and First Lady.

Definitely worth reading for anyone with an interest in history, the White House, or even current politics.

Oh, and there’s still a few days to enter the Goodreads giveaway.

Man of the Year (2006)

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Lots of people get their political news from comedians these days, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Saturday Night Live.  I happen to be a Stewart fan myself.  What if a glitch in the voting system gave Jon Stewart the presidency?  Would chaos ensue or would it be much-needed kick in the pants?  That’s just one obvious question that never gets answered in this film, but there were plenty of others.

Robin Williams plays the comedian Tom Dobbs and does a good job with the humor.  When he decides to actually hit the campaign trail he drops the jokes, sticks to issues and the movie starts to become something like a drama.  Laura Linney is an employee of the computer company handling all the voting in the country and she finds a surprising glitch in the system.  She alerts the CEO who promptly ignores her.  Dobbs is elected Linney’s character is drugged and fired so she has no credibility and the film then turns into more of a conspiracy thriller than a comedy or a drama.

The movie was a bust for me.  Some parts were good but the stupidity of Linney’s character was hard to watch.  And once Williams wasn’t cracking jokes he became about as interesting as last week’s newspaper.

The movie did halfheartedly attempt to tackle some real issues.  The most compelling part of the movie for me was Jeff Goldblum’s speech about the people thinking their vote counted was more important than their vote really being counted.  It didn’t matter if the right guy got the job.

“Perception of legitimacy is more important than legitimacy itself. That’s the greater truth.”

No matter where you come down on this it still generates good discussion.  Once Williams gets the nomination he and Linney both have to make a choice on whether he should keep quiet and accept the honor of being the president of the United States.  I thought this was also an interesting dilemma and one Jason and I didn’t quite see the same way.

The humor and the thought-provoking situations had potential but the movie was too scattered to be good.

Any political movie recommendations for next week?

Ohio, Ohio, Ohio

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I don’t know if any of you have heard but we have a presidential election coming up.  As a proud Buckeye I admit that I like the attention that comes our way every four years.  I like the fact that we do not always elect politicians from the same party year after year after year.  I actually take an interest in politics.  I’ve written a few posts over the years about how I think everyone should vote and if possible, work the polls (given the state of unemployment it pays well for a day or so of work), and try to make an informed decision.

Don’t worry I’m not going to endorse a candidate (but I do see that Roseanne Bar has made it onto the ballot in a state or two ;)) but I am going to take the next 6 Fridays and review 6 political movies.  There are 2 (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939 and State of the Union, 1948) that are on my Top 100 list and they will be re-runs for me.  Otherwise I’d like them to be new-to-me movies.

If you have a fun political movie that you’d like to recommend, I’d love to hear about it, but there are a few requests-US politics only, no bashing of one political party (it’s okay of both parties are victims) and, honestly, the funnier the better.  In the past few years I’ve seen Swing Vote (2008) and The Ides of March (2011), both of which I liked but am not interested in seeing again.  Other than that I am open to recommendations.  I have The Candidate (1972) with Robert Redford and The Contender (2000) on my radar.  Any thoughts?

At the library yesterday I picked up Man of the Year (2006) with Robin Williams and am halfway through.  Check back tomorrow to see what I think.

The Appeal, by John Grisham

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The Appeal by John Grisham: Book CoverFinished 10-14-09, rating 3/5, fiction, pub.2007

“There are two fees.  First, a million as a retainer.  This is all properly reported.  You officially become our client, and we provide consulting services in the area if government relations, a wonderfully vague term that covers just about anything.  The second fee is seven million bucks, and we take it offshore.  Some of this will be used to fund the campaign, but most will be preserved.  Only the first fee goes on the books.”

Carl was nodding, understanding.  “For eight million, I can buy myself a supreme court justice.”

Wes and Mary Grace Payton have been fighting a huge chemical company in the courts for years, trying to get justice for a small Mississippi  town decimated by years of poisoning by Krane Chemical Corporation.  Carl Trudeau doesn’t take this lawyers seriously and is shocked when the jury sides with the plaintiff for $42 million and decides that it is time to put his money to work and buy an election. 

This story has a bit of courtroom drama and lots of the ugly side of politics.  There was a clear contrast between the haves and the haves nots, the rich and the poor, the power players and the powerless, and it was easy to root for the Davids as they battled Goliath.  Most states still elect state supreme court justices and this books shows how easily these elections can be bought.  And it is only the voters who suffer from the manipulation. 

This was a cynical and probably very accurate look at the election process we have in place and it will anger you.  Many of you know that I have been working at the elections the past few years and I encourage everyone to vote, but more than that I want people to vote with knowledge.  This book shines a spotlight on this problem.  I could go on for a while about this, but that’s a whole different post.

I really liked the first half of the book with the environmental focus, thought the middle was slow with way too much detail on the campaign play-by-play, and really hated the end.  If you are interested in politics or are a Grisham fan you may like this more than me.  Although, I’m interested in politics and I didn’t love it.

This came from my own library.

Authors on politics

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I saw this quote today and couldn’t help but pass it along.  I’m also including a quote from the insightful Douglas Adams which I also find fitting during this election season.  It is important to vote and I hope you have all voted or will be voting on November 4 – even if your vote isn’t the same as mine.  It’s so easy to get discouraged by all the lies being told this late in the campaign, but I’m hoping we voters can prove that we care about the truth and we care enough to vote.

“I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it? To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.”  – Author David Sedaris, on undecided voters

“Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”   – Douglas Adams, author

Ohio Primaries

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This will be my first and only non-book blog, but so many of you have asked me about being a poll worker that I thought I’d share my experience today working at the Ohio primaries in the Cleveland area. 

This was my second time being a poll worker, but our first time using paper ballots.  My alarm went off at 4:30 am and I was at my polling station at 5:25 am.  Those of you who know me might be chuckling at this improbable feat.  By 6:30 when the polls opened we had a line of people waiting to vote.  The Democrats outvoted the Republications at my precinct by a ratio of 5 to 1.  I voted and I had a favorite, but it was so great to see so many first time voters and people voting for a candidate they never thought they’d see (be it a woman or an African-American).  It was heartwarming really and I was glad to be a part of it. 

Things were steady and smooth until about 7 pm when the lights went out.  People were using their cell phones for light to complete their ballots.  Everyone was so happy to be voting that there was good humor all around.

Now at 7:30 pm when the polls closed and we started adding up signatures and ballots we were all tired.  We all had a one hour break in the middle of the day, but were were starting our 13th hour of work.  It took us another 2 1/2 hours to reconcile our numbers, so it was 10 pm when we all went out to our cars to get the ice off our cars and go home. 

I think that working at the polls is something everyone should do once.  You will get to see how the democratic process really works and you get to make a little money too.  I will do this again because I can and and so should you  if you are able.

I’ve been home for an hour and see that they have called Ohio for Hillary.  I know this may be short on details (my mind is a little fuzzy right now 🙂  If you have any questions just leave a comment and I’ll answer it here.

Thanks Marilyn for taking care of Max while I was gone today 🙂