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Mara said:
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I've never made it completely through a Neil Stephenson book before. His tendency to go off on descriptive tangents pages long continually befuddles his narrative arc and I'd frequently get too frustrated to keep slogging through. But this book seemsI've never made it completely through a Neil Stephenson book before. His tendency to go off on descriptive tangents pages long continually befuddles his narrative arc and I'd frequently get too frustrated to keep slogging through. But this book seems different and I find I'm especially liking the hint of "aesthetic(spirit) + mathic(logic) = human" equation I think he is driving at. However, I'm only about 200 pages into a nearly 1000 page book, so this might still end up in the tossed pile at some point. Stephenson--tell me it ain't so....more
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Mara said:
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I feel bad that this interesting book from Mickey Kaus (a favorite Slate blogger of mine) probably disappeared soon after it was published in 1992 because it lamented the inability of Democrats to get elected. Anyone remember what happened in 1992? AI feel bad that this interesting book from Mickey Kaus (a favorite Slate blogger of mine) probably disappeared soon after it was published in 1992 because it lamented the inability of Democrats to get elected. Anyone remember what happened in 1992? Anyway, it deserved to get a reading. Mickey is liberal Democrat wanting to revive his party ideals by putting to rest an unfortunate liberal trope: insisting on monetary equality in the U.S. Monetary equality is not possible under capitalism, he writes, because capitalism relies specifically on inequality to create opportunity and wealth. What Mickey wants to aim for is "social equality" instead, the kind of equality where, to paraphrase the founding fathers, "all men are created--and treated--equal" and intends to make his case for social welfare and national healthcare programs that will promote this more attainable type of equality....more
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