I recommend Al Franken's most recent book, "The Truth". Seriously. It's fucking hilarious but it talks about a lot of important issues and makes a good point. But its funny as hell and an easy read. Maybe someone on this list who has a stomach for non-fiction can come up with a more "serious" source, but you should read this one anyway.
Ayn Rand's Anthem and Fountainhead are interesting takes on society. I happen to disagree with a lot of what she says, but still think her works are worth reading. "A Clockwork Orange" could be considered politcal commetary, at least in part.
Also, such works as 1984, Animal Farm, and Farhenheit 451 are fairly well politically charged. Gulliver's Travels and Uncle Tom's Cabin, too.
For non-fiction-
While sometimes infuriating, Fox News is an interesting source of a conservative viewpoint.
I sometimes scan WatchBlog to see what current opinion of issues is from several viewpoints.
Not sure if that helps too much, but maybe it's a place to start.
do not under any circumstances watch fox news. Conservative viewpoints are important to understand, but the problem with fox news is that it GETS THE FACTS WRONG/distorts them wildly. If you're worried that you aren't informed enough, you have to be sure that you're using reliable sources. Many conservative folk look at the same set of facts as liberal folk and come to different policy conclusions based on differing priorities or differing beliefs on what kinds of things succeed and what kinds of things fail. Fox news uses a different set of facts. Let me think for a while and I'll get back to you on a conservative alternative.
Also, Ayn Rand's a psycho. But you should read her works, they are astonishingly well written and make her points well. and then ask yourself why there are no children in her books. and why she only writes fiction. I don't remember if I read the fountainhead or atlas shrugged. it's all blurring together, but it doesn't really matter which you read.
I've read several of Ayn Rand's works, and enjoyed them immensely. To be honest, I find her philosophy very appealing, with its almost ruthless devotion to efficiency and competency and to being fully responsible for yourself. It would be a terrific philosophy to live by, if you start from the assumption that people are inherently benevolent and generous to each other and that therefore actions are taken with the conscious intent of not harming others and naturally result in a sense of compassion and kindliness to others.
Alas, people are by and large self-absorbed flakes who hate taking personal responsibility who rarely stop to think about what on earth they are doing and why. So, if you live by her philosophy, you automatically have to corrupt/contradict it to some degree (allow space for incompetence, assume a certain degree of responsibility for others in need of help/protection) if you want to maintain a sense of compassion and empathy towards the idiots people around you.
Yeah, I find some aspects of her philosophy appealing. Personal responsibility, effeciancy, doing what you're good at etc. However i think she takes it past its logical conclusion. If you're doing *everything* for selfish reasons and never give anyone weaker a leg up then you can never, for example, raise children (who are inherently helpless, at least at the start). Her philosophy only works if one assumes that everyone starts on equal footing, which is not a fair assumption to make. Ability levels are not the only things that vary from person to person, education, wealth, parenting, etc. all factor in significantly. So someone has to take responsibility for fixing those inequalities before her philosophy can even begin. But fixing those inequalities is inherintly counter to her philosophy.
Also, I find the violence of her sex scenes very very very disturbing.
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Ayn Rand's Anthem and Fountainhead are interesting takes on society. I happen to disagree with a lot of what she says, but still think her works are worth reading. "A Clockwork Orange" could be considered politcal commetary, at least in part.
Also, such works as 1984, Animal Farm, and Farhenheit 451 are fairly well politically charged. Gulliver's Travels and Uncle Tom's Cabin, too.
For non-fiction-
While sometimes infuriating, Fox News is an interesting source of a conservative viewpoint.
I sometimes scan WatchBlog to see what current opinion of issues is from several viewpoints.
Not sure if that helps too much, but maybe it's a place to start.
Reply
Also, Ayn Rand's a psycho. But you should read her works, they are astonishingly well written and make her points well. and then ask yourself why there are no children in her books. and why she only writes fiction. I don't remember if I read the fountainhead or atlas shrugged. it's all blurring together, but it doesn't really matter which you read.
Reply
Alas, people are by and large self-absorbed flakes who hate taking personal responsibility who rarely stop to think about what on earth they are doing and why. So, if you live by her philosophy, you automatically have to corrupt/contradict it to some degree (allow space for incompetence, assume a certain degree of responsibility for others in need of help/protection) if you want to maintain a sense of compassion and empathy towards the idiots people around you.
Man, I sound grumpy today. Good books, though :)
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Her philosophy only works if one assumes that everyone starts on equal footing, which is not a fair assumption to make. Ability levels are not the only things that vary from person to person, education, wealth, parenting, etc. all factor in significantly. So someone has to take responsibility for fixing those inequalities before her philosophy can even begin. But fixing those inequalities is inherintly counter to her philosophy.
Also, I find the violence of her sex scenes very very very disturbing.
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