Governments

I found some new information in this book... In situation when the topic like this (arms trade) is not so popular and very hard to find an information about arms transfers at the beginning of this century, this book looks very useful and informative... While there are some mistakes anyway book looks very fine and mistakes not so important... I'd like to recommend for those peoples who interested in military and politic history...

Very interesting and useful for researchers and historians... I found some new information in this book... In situation when the topic like this (arms trade) is not so popular and very hard to find an information about arms transfers at the beginning of this century, this book looks very useful and informative... While there are some mistakes anyway book looks very fine and mistakes not so important... I'd like to recommend for those peoples who interested in military and politic history...

It is a shame the publisher reportedly pulped the unsold copies of this seminal book instead of permitting the author -- and others -- to purchase them. This book gives the best account of the background to the NEA controversy and explains why the National Endowment for the Arts has been a bureaucratic mess since it was first set up in the Johnson administration. If anyone wants to know why there is still controversy about the subject, this book is the place to begin.

Finally, an objective and impartial history of the troubled National Endowment for the Arts. Fascinating to read, engrossing in its details, brilliant in its analysis, ART LESSONS is a "must read" for anyone who wants to understand why the NEA has gotten in the trouble it finds itself. A perfect 10

Dr. Zinn does a great job in this collection of essays letting a new generation understand that an untold section of American history involves, as Dr. King put it in his last speech, "our right to protest for right." This manifesto which urges people to speak out on what's going on no also includes historial precedents of this in his discussion of stories Hollywood doesn't tell (It$ not hard to gue$$ why). But in either case, read this book and then FIGHT THE POWER!

Where is our public debate about excesses of government? If the radical perspective in national affairs continues to be hidden, what then? Zinn deserves prizes and accolades for bringing the radical perspective to the fore in this book at this urgent time. Like sheep, our nation wanders, but nonetheless follows the well-oiled public relations machine of our American president who spins and grins his way into the projection of power that is his prime directive.

Zinn provides a very different, critically important lens through which we might view life in these United States and our impact beyond our shores. He calls for the artist in each of us to be voice of those who are "collateral damage," left behind or otherwise choose peace, while the genius-not at the helm chooses war.

He speaks to the impact of the US rushing pell-mell into the maelstrom of a consumerism that transforms our nation-state into a market-state with increasingly more losers and fewer winners, and a state of public affairs and policy determined by a smaller and smaller group of corporate and business imperatives in a global Realpolitik.

Zinn gives us a strong reminder of that separate, but critically important reality of everywoman and -man that is more arresting than the cable that brought W's plane to an abrupt stop on the carrier.

Had enough? Read this book and get active! Or, at the very least, let Howard remind you in his ever-passionate way that governments always lie.

John Cole is the former Political Editor of the BBC, before that he was a journalist, most notably with "The Guardian" newspaper. These memoirs span the time between Cole's brief meeting with Clement Attlee in 1948 and his retirement in 1995.

Cole was a labour correspondent for a large part of his journalistic career. It's not surprising that until the Thatcher government came to power in 1979, his knowledge of the Labour Party and trade unionism is far more detailed than his knowledge of the Conservative Party. Thereafter, of course, the Conservatives take centre stage in the book.

That's not to say that this makes the book any less interesting - far from it. Cole writes in a lively yet reflective style. His political preferences seemed to be for pragmatic politicians of the Harold Wilson variety rather than more ideological types such as Margaret Thatcher, whom he saw as too dogmatic and inflexible. He seems to regret what he saw as the damage done to his country by Thatcher's unbending adherence to her principles, the result of which was private wealth and public squalor. In particular, he is deeply uncomfortable with the acceptance of unemployment as a necessary price to pay in the bigger struggle to tame inflation.

My edition of the book dated from 1996. Thus it was written before the fall of the Major government in 1997. Yet Cole found space to make some perhaps prescient criticism of the way the Labour Party was then developing under Tony Blair's leadership.

Very enjoyable.

G Rodgers

I took this book on holiday as a last measure...you know, the book that you will try to read after you've read everything else. My initial judgement did it serious disservice. Cole manages to combine a panoramic view of British party politics with his own acerbic, unbiased and lucid commentary on the situation 'as it seemed to me'. It's as easy and pleasurable to read as any novel. I could remember the headline events of the late 60's and 70's. I was a teenager during the three day week of the Heath government, and remember the power cuts and blackouts. Cole's book gave me a political context to understand why all of this was happening. This represents only a small part of the book. Read it for yourself, and make sense of what was going on at the time;.

You need this book for your coffee table: if you're a conservative, to stimulate your liberal friends and spread the word, and if you're a liberal, to irritate your liberal friends and let them worry what word you're trying to spread. Face it, there aren't many conservative toon makers. Asay has to be the best. This little book has his toons grouped under 13 topic headings: Big Government, The Justice Department, The Presidency ... on down to World. Since it's 5 years old, it's dated, but then again, not out-dated.

Asay Doodles is possibly the best collection of editorial cartoons from a conservative point of view available today. The artwork is wonderful and the jokes are fresh and funny but the ideas really grab you. Very often I got a new insight on an issue I thought I knew very well. Whatever your political perspective I think you will both enjoy this book and find your thinking on our issues and culture challenged by it. Hey Chuck, isn't it about time for another book?

Aristophanes is at the top of his form here, despite what some critics say. His lampooning of several ideas floating around Athens at the time(women's rights, communism, free love, etc, to use modern terms) is hilarious, and this praise is coming from an avid supporter of everything he's satirizing. The raunchy sex jokes are just as entertaining and twice as intelligent as anything coming out of Hollywood these days, and the political humor teaches one a great deal about contemporary events in Athens. The actual political and social order depicted in the play is very reminiscent of Plato's Republic(written later); as the previous reviewer has stated, this play is excellent in conjuction with Plato's writings on the subject. A class dealing with both works was how I came across this play in the first place, and it provided excellent fodder for discussion.

In terms of this specific edition, Mayhew translates every joke with absolute faith to the witty, vulgar original. The footnotes are unobtrusive, but they provide just the right amount of explanation of obscure references and odd figures of speech. They even mention which sections were expurgated by uptight Victorian translators! Accept nothing less than this version. (PS: If you loved this play, Lysistrata is at least as good, if not even better.)

A specter is haunting Athens, the specter of communism.

This premise animates the plot of Aristophenes' comedy "Ecclesiazusae" (or "Assembly of Women"), wherein the heroine Praxagora leads a conspiracy of hags dressed as men to vote themselves into power. Fresh from her victory, Praxagora unveils her plan for a brave, new world where all property, children and sex are held in common. What follows is an uproariously funny, shockingly vulgar, tremendously insightful satire of communists and the logical consequences of their ideology.

Mayhew's translation and introduction would make for a perfect adjunct to any discussion of Plato's *Republic*, especially in an introductory Greek Lit & Civ course. First, Aristophenes has arguably innovated aspects of communism that would later influence Plato. Second, the play contains so many allusions to contemporary events (helpfully explained by Mayhew), that it provides a useful introduction to ancient history, political philosophy, and dramatic literature. Last, the comedy is funny enough for anyone (particularly sophomores!) to enjoy, and if it's the only play they actually read, they'll know something important about ancient Athens, thanks to the guidance of Robert Mayhew.

Excellent, informative reference guide. Clear and concise information. A must for your library!

This is the type of African-American history book I have been searching for! The Atlas of African-American History and Politics offers not only a detailed chronilogical narrative of the African-American's history from slavery to today, but also clean-crisp visuals to clarify. You will learn and see the actual routes that were taken during slave trades. Not only is this book great for African-American study courses, but every household in America should have a copy of this easy read, yet informative atlas.

Cultural studies have opened new horizons to researchers in the Humanities, but not every person working the field has offered a more comprehensive, transcultural, multidisciplinary and worthwhile contribution to knowledge. Prof. Anne Rubenstein has. Her latest eye opener (Bad language, naked ladies and other threats to the Nation...) achieves the double goal of making a reasonable point and supporting it with sound, real information, obtained from actual sources --it is easy to tell that she has lived in Mexico, and actually read hundreds of illustrated magazines, before writing her book. I may not agree with her conclusions totally, but I wholeheartedly support every page of evidence she presents. My warmest regards to her --¡Felicitaciones por su trabajo!--, and to every reader who shares in her joyful and amazing quest for truth: The making and remaking of PostRevolutionary Mexico through media, are well worth the reading!

Prof. Rubenstein is one to watch! This book is interesting on a number of levels and should be required reading for students and professors in the area of political science, multiculturalism, and anyone interested in the recent or historical blending of pop culture and politics.

"Ted Galen Carpenter's new book is an indispensable, up-to-date examination of 'Washington's futile war on drugs in Latin America,' as its subtitle states the topic. The author, a vice president at the Cato Institute, surveys the history of this policy, dissects the 'ugly American' tactics used to carry it out, and concludes with 'a blueprint for peace.'

"The title Bad Neighbor Policy cuts to the quick by twisting Roosevelt's 'Good Neighbor' phrase of the 1930s to fit the current reality of destructive buck passing that characterizes the U.S. drug war in Latin America today. Most Americans, including drug policy analysts, seldom take this international aspect seriously. Although U.S. policymakers since the Cold War have trumpeted U.S. support for legal, democratic, and market reforms in the region, the 'prohibitionist [drug] strategy works at cross purposes to all of these objectives' (p. 167). Indeed as Venezuelan American journalist Carlos Ball remarks, 'The war on drugs has done more harm to democratic institutions in Latin America than all the communist guerrillas of the last four decades of the twentieth century combined' (personal correspondence, Ball to William Ratliff, June 24, 2003)....

"Public and government 'hysteria' in America reached 'record levels' in 1986 after the death of basketball star Len Bias from an overdose of cocaine. This hysteria provoked passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act and the declaration that drug trafficking is a national-security issue that requires significant involvement by U.S. military and intelligence forces. The invasion of Panama to seize Manuel Noriega in 1989 was the most overt U.S. military intervention to date....

"The core of recent drug policy is the Plan Colombia, originally an integrated $7.5 billion project that was born dead during Clinton's last years. Little beyond the antidrug military component (about a quarter of the total) was delivered (by the United States), while the economic and other development aid depended in large part on nonexistent Colombian and seldom forthcoming European funds. Neighboring countries have become unwilling hosts to drug producers and traffickers driven out of southern Colombia by expanded eradication campaigns -- the inevitable 'push-down, pop-up' phenomenon.... Arrogant policies -- such as the potential annual 'decertification' of Latin American governments that are determined not to have 'cooperated' enough with the United States -- have weakened fledgling institutions, angered the public (who think the United States should be decertified), and driven peasants into the arms of narcoguerrillas. 'The bottom line,' Carpenter notes, 'is that, no matter what the specific configuration of tactics, the supply-side campaign against illicit drugs is doomed to fail. As long as there is a substantial global demand for those drugs, the supply will continue to flow' (p. 121). In the end, as The Economist has stated, 'by any reasonable measure, America's "war on drugs" is a disaster' (May 3, 2001, qtd. from the on-line edition).

"In his final chapter, Carpenter concludes that the only way out is drug legalization -- that is, 'treating currently illicit drugs as alcohol and tobacco are now treated' (p. 232). The book's strength, however, is its detailed dissection of U.S. drug policies in Latin America, not its summary statements (however much we may agree with them) on other matters that must be examined in detail when changing a complex, fundamentally flawed, decades-old policy with vast international repercussions. The monster the U.S. government has nurtured in Latin America and beyond is now on its own seeking whom it may devour....

" ...Rather than dodging this dilemma, we need to highlight it, pointing constantly to the baleful international consequences of the prohibitionist drug strategy and to the extremely difficult options it throws in the laps of American policymakers, who of course made the bad policies in the first place and are in a position to change them. Most Americans are moralistic about foreign policy, so one important tack would be to emphasize the moral abomination of this policy, abroad as well as at home.

"Some other recent studies touching on Latin America offer valuable supporting or contrasting perspectives. Ivelaw Griffith's edited volume The Political Economy of Drugs in the Caribbean (New York: St. Martin's, 2000) and Robert MacDoun's and Peter Reuter's coedited book Cross-National Drug Policy (London: Sage, 2002) touch on many of the broad issues. The latter includes a thoughtful essay by Francisco Thoumi. Robin Kirk's More Terrible Than Death (New York: Public Affairs, 2003) relates many examples of the horrors in Colombia and places great responsibility on the United States, but for the most part it targets users, not government policy. Russell Crandall's Driven by Drugs (Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner, 2002) provides considerable detail on how drugs drive U.S. policy toward Colombia. My essay co-authored with Edgardo Buscaglia, War and Lack of Governance in Colombia: Narcos, Guerrillas, and U.S. Policy (Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 2001), focuses on domestic as well as international factors affecting drugs and chaos in Colombia. Articles by Pamela Falk and Kenneth Sharpe in Stephen Thompson's edited volume The War on Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints (San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998) are useful, but their brevity illustrates how even books that bring together drug war specialists seldom look seriously at the problem's international aspects. Finally, a different twist in several ways is Walton Cook's Buzzword (Boalsburg, Pa.: Public Policy, 2001), a novel that discusses the possible control of narcotics-producing plants by the use of natural or enhanced organisms."

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Excerpted from a review by William Ratliff in "The Independent Review," Winter 2004.

"Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington's Futile War on Drugs in Latin America," by Ted Galen Carpenter is arguably the best book ever written on the American war on drugs in Latin America. This book is engaging and enlightening. Moreover, it is one of the most thoughtful and perceptive analyses we've ever had on Washington's campaign against drug production in Latin America.

This book is truly special. The "Introduction" exposes thirty years of American failure. From there the author explains policy from Presidents' Nixon, to Reagan, to Bush and to Clinton. He then goes on to focus on the dangerous implications of Plan Colombia and of many other flawed strategies that create an "ugly American" image. Finally, the author's narrative arrives at Mexico and the potential for disaster.

In conclusion, author Ted Galen Carpenter bravely outlines a blueprint for peace and for ending the war on drugs. This man has unique vision and this is a very worthy book. Hats off to a tier-one scholar! Highly recommended.

Bert Ruiz

When assigned to read a book that covered the history of the budget deficit crisis for my Grad school class I was less than overwhelmed with excitement. However, these authors make the complicated history of the budget so interesting and gripping, I couldnt put it down. Though a slow reader, i must admit, I was able to finish this off in less than a week. The discussions it inspired in class were lively and germane to the world today. I could not recommend this book more highly!

This is almost the same book as Mirage, published by the same authors in 1997. The only difference I noticed after a quick review in the bookstore is the addition of a 20-25 page epilogue that deals with the recent budget surplus and how it came to be. The epilogue is good, but I wish it were longer.

Mirage/Balancing Act is a great book. If you read David Stockman's The Triumph of Politics, and wondered how we got out of the budgetary hole in which we found ourselves about the time of Stockman's departure, Mirage/Balancing Act is an fascinating update. Happily, Mirage/Balancing Act is even more balanced than Stockman's work.

Hager and Pianin have a transparent writing style that is a pleasure to read. As a result, the reader effortlessly absorbs the detailed information that they present.

Perhaps Mirage/Balancing Act will receive the attention it merits when Congress and the President face up to the still-considerable budgetary issues that remain to be resolved on a more permanent basis than they have been to date. Read this book and stay tuned.