Taibbi writes “This book is intended to help start a conversation about how much of our disdain for each other is real and how much of it is a product of the media machine.” Taibbi takes a very critical look at the current political media atmosphere in this book.
The book samples several ways that the media divides us. The book outlines the 10 rules of hate. For example rule number three is “Hate people not institutions.” The book also argues that political media has been set up to mimic a sporting event where you must always root for your team.
Taibbi notes “People need to start understanding the news not as the news but as just such an individualized consumer experience. Anger just for you. This is not reporting it is a marketing process designed to create rhetorical addictions and shut any non consumerist doors in your mind.”
The book contains information regarding sources, polling, Russia gate, Donald Trump and much more. He notes how the media typically distracts us from the important stories and notes “as people the more separate we are the more politically impotent we become.”
The book contains several entertaining stories. It also contains profanity throughout. Taibbi warns us “Today pockets of media consumers demonize each other calling for dueling crackdowns. We have become our worst enemies and the longer the cycles play out the more authoritarian our future will look.”
At times the book seemed long and some of the chapters could have been shorter but overall an interesting read. I rate this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Hefei, China Thursday 6:00AM
The rising sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. The darkness of night was about to give way to the light of day. The sleeping city would soon be bustling with activity completely unaware of what had occurred while it slept.
Zhao Kai stood outside a small warehouse looking building. For all of the modernization that had been occurring in China this building had been skipped. At least on the outside. It appeared old and nearly abandoned but the inside told a different story. Before Kai entered the building he glanced at the rising sun. This was his favorite moment of the day. The blinding light of the sun was a weapon that he used literally.
On numerous occasions he would take a prisoner to a spot where there was an unobstructed view of the rising sun. Then he would bind them in such a way that they had to stare directly into the sun. If he did his job right they would not be able to close their eyes and would return to their prison cells blinded for life. If he didn’t just kill them. That punishment would not be on the table today but perhaps tomorrow. He liked ...
