Less book learning, more book burning!

[elbee]

Frakin books,

t'hell with 'em!

[MV/Liberace!]

at first i thought this thread probably belonged under politics.

[Sardondi]

Ehm.....wha? Did I miss a link? Or is it just a "no more teachers, no more books" protest against going back to school (which some folks are already doing - damn those US school districts which force kids back before Labor Day). I'm so slow to get stuff these days I never know if I've missed something - like the latest meme which struck 17 minutes ago and has made it around the world twice.

[ChewMouse]

Ehm.....wha? Did I miss a link? Or is it just a "no more teachers, no more books" protest against going back to school (which some folks are already doing - damn those US school districts which force kids back before Labor Day). I'm so slow to get stuff these days I never know if I've missed something - like the latest meme which struck 17 minutes ago and has made it around the world twice.

He either means "fracking books" which is just silly, not to mention messy, or "freaking books". Either way, the need for those very books is obvious.

[coaster]

you're the devil's mouthpiece.

[McPhallus]

Frakin books,

t'hell with 'em!

Earn your books and learn your books, but don't burn your books.

[Eddie Coyle]

 
        I generally abhor the practice of book burning...

          But goddamn if "Worker in the Light" didn't deserve a toss into a bonfire.

[Zircon]

Have any of you ever looked at a book written say 200 years ago ... like Common Sense by Thomas Paine? Hard to read as they didn't write books geared to the lowest common denominator like today (with Comic Books and Illustrated Comics).

Like most of you, I consider myself to be rather literate. Reading a book like that is a hard read. And he was writing for the ordinary citizen. Today, a publisher might have a difficult time agreeing to publish a work that uses a very rich portion of the English language since so few would be able to focus well and long enough to glean a lot from it.

[Sardondi]

        I generally abhor the practice of book burning...

          But goddamn if "Worker in the Light" didn't deserve a toss into a bonfire.

It's after midnight and once again I've waked the house up laughing at the computer thanks to you...

[HAL 9000]

Have any of you ever looked at a book written say 200 years ago ... like Common Sense by Thomas Paine?

Anyone can download and read this book free in HTML, ePUB, Kindle, plain text, etc. here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/147

[Eddie Coyle]

It's after midnight and once again I've waked the house up laughing at the computer thanks to you...

They have my apologies. At least there was no beverage-spitting. That's a workplace specialty of mine.

[BobGrau]

Have any of you ever looked at a book written say 200 years ago ... like Common Sense by Thomas Paine? Hard to read as they didn't write books geared to the lowest common denominator like today (with Comic Books and Illustrated Comics).

Like most of you, I consider myself to be rather literate. Reading a book like that is a hard read. And he was writing for the ordinary citizen. Today, a publisher might have a difficult time agreeing to publish a work that uses a very rich portion of the English language since so few would be able to focus well and long enough to glean a lot from it.

Funny how books were a lot more long-winded when printing costs were higher.

[Sardondi]

    They have my apologies. At least there was no beverage-spitting. That's a workplace specialty of mine.

Yep. The old coffee-out-nose reaction. My problem is I'm usually at the computer with headphones on, so because I can barely hear myself, I assume nobody else hears me talking or laughing. Wrong.

[onan]

Some books should be burned, as well as the publishers that put those books on a shelf.

David Barton's Jefferson Lies comes to mind. Finally pulled from shelves due to irresponsible and inaccurate information. Yet at last look still a number one seller.

These kind of behaviors in the long run do more damage than a criminal stealing from a convenience store. Yet the book deal is a no harm no foul kind of thing. David Barton should do time. So should the publisher.

[Sardondi]

I cannot understand how anyone can't see the terrible danger inherent in justifying or advocating the burning of any book. When you do so, you are conceding that Nazi and Communist governments have the right to have burned books, as do current and future governments. What was and will be burned then becomes a mere difference of opinion.

[onan]

I cannot understand how anyone can't see the terrible danger inherent in justifying or advocating the burning of any book. When you do so, you are conceding that Nazi and Communist governments have the right to have burned books, as do current and future governments. What was and will be burned then becomes a mere difference of opinion.

In a perfect world.

I agree with you. I also have to consider that in today's world where no one has the responsibility to get it right, so many are getting it very wrong. And yeah that scares me. It is so much easier to not have to critically think. It is so much easier to run with hate based fear than to consider one's personal beliefs may not be best.

So when people intentionally get it wrong I do consider burning to be reasonable. Does that make me an early 60's Beatle's record burner... no it doesn't. Today we have colleges that are not accredited graduating students that then permeate professions with inaccurate knowledge.

It seems like the gate keepers of accuracy have died off and now it is anything goes.

I dunno what the answer is. But status quo doesn't seem to be working.

[stevesh]

I don't think there ever were any 'gatekeepers of accuracy', nor could we have trusted them if there were. Everybody has an agenda.

I think the status quo is fine - don't burn or prevent the publication of anything. Some long ago Supreme Court justice said that the only remedy for bad speech is more speech. True, I think, and never truer than now, when everyone can make his/her speech heard.

If you don't like Barton's work, don't buy his book and disparage it when and where you can. Preventing me from reading it is pompous and self-obsessive.

Nothing personal, onan. I usually look forward to your posts here, but I don't think you've thought this through. Barton's book today, someone's book you agree with tomorrow. Slippery slope.

[onan]

I don't think there ever were any 'gatekeepers of accuracy', nor could we have trusted them if there were. Everybody has an agenda.

I think the status quo is fine - don't burn or prevent the publication of anything. Some long ago Supreme Court justice said that the only remedy for bad speech is more speech. True, I think, and never truer than now, when everyone can make his/her speech heard.

If you don't like Barton's work, don't buy his book and disparage it when and where you can. Preventing me from reading it is pompous and self-obsessive.

Nothing personal, onan. I usually look forward to your posts here, but I don't think you've thought this through. Barton's book today, someone's book you agree with tomorrow. Slippery slope.

I know you are right. I know everyone should have the right to their own thoughts. I also know that freedom of speech is sacrosanct.

There were gate keepers however. At one time in the not so distant past non-fiction meant that. Fact checkers made sure that facts were facts. Barton's book would not have been printed as non-fiction. But today that doesn't happen. Opinion has replaced truth.

Yes more speech does seem to be the remedy, but then again today's world is generating information at such a fantastic speed that what is learned today will in many ways be obsolete in 2 - 4 years. The English language has (IIRC) 5 times the number of words that it did during the life of Shakespeare. OK what does that have to do with book burning... not a frikken thing. Of course book burning is not the answer. If anything that would make erroneous information all the more sacred.

I guess my point was I am scared of what is happening with our discourse and our value of education.

I am angry. I am disappointed with our information systems. I am frustrated that many seem more interested in protecting their anger than truly coming to an understanding of euphemisms that are used to manipulate.

Would I burn a book? only if it were the day after tomorrow.

[Eddie Coyle]

 
  Regarding David Barton's "The Jefferson Lies", I actually saw it on display at a Barnes and Nobles(unaware of it's author or contents) and briefly looked at the cover. Proving that you can judge a book by it cover, I immediately put it down( like a searing charcoal briquette) when I saw the magic phrase "Foreword by Glenn Beck", the noted historian, hemorrhoid victim and morning zoo DJ(well 2 out of 3 ain't bad)

          Glenn Beck, at this point his theme song should be "King Midas in Reverse", really is a parody of a parody. Anybody even remotely connected to him is tainted( I said "taint" heh heh) and I can't imagine anybody(with serious aspirations or a slight bit of integrity) even thinking about appearing on his program.

[The General]

Weren't they chanting this during the Arab Spring?

[ziznak]

you're the devil's mouthpiece.

"HOW DAAAAAARE YOOOOOU MR BELL!!!"