Post by bertokhadafi on Feb 12, 2009 1:26:48 GMT -5
I don't remember the title of this book. I read parts of it while loitering at the Barnes and Nobles. The Author is Country music singer Trace Atkins, It was in with the current events/political books. And its really bad.
Part of being a celebrity is that its perfectly acceptable to shoot your mouth off about politics without doing the research. Trace Atkins is just one of millions of rednecks that think the Islamic world hates us because of our freedom, that we invaded Iraq as some sort of pre emptive self defense, that the US is only aggressive in the cause of spreading democracy etc.etc..
I always thought it was understood as a sort of unspoken rule that writers who write books about politics somehow owe it too the reader to have done some research on the subject. Not necessarily the traditional rout through College (speaking as a tenth grade drop out myself) , but something a little more substantial than just watching the news on tv (or more likely just commentary by pundints) . The absolute minimum requirement should be hours and hours at the library (its free).
But thats the thing , the target audience doesn't want the eggheaded opinion of book learnin' types. These are the same people who bought Charlie Daniels epic tome of extreme ignorance disguised as down home wisdom. They buy the image, the back of the book describes Atkins as a roughneck patriot or something like that. They want to hear how good we are and how bad Al Queida is. They want to cheer their local team which is how they view the US military.
So how fucking stupid is this book? I'l give you a couple paragraphs . A sample of his wisdom.
He also has some criticism of Canada, Namely that they are a country of pussies who don't pull their own weight as far as kicking ass around the world
Obviously he misses the obvious point that Canada doesn't need a big military because they don't fuck with other countries the way that the US does. I didn't read the whole thing. I think I did somehow stumble across the more comical parts of this very stupid book. Sometimes I wish idiots like Atkins could be sent to death camps or something. Maybe the book isn't worth noting on its own merits. its just revealing because people all over this country have the same fucking stupid views. There just isn't any hope for them. And they vote, and they have a say.The demographic is not necessarily rural folk. Its a nation wide culture of ignorance and the elevation of the ignorant as having some deep simple wisdom.
Part of being a celebrity is that its perfectly acceptable to shoot your mouth off about politics without doing the research. Trace Atkins is just one of millions of rednecks that think the Islamic world hates us because of our freedom, that we invaded Iraq as some sort of pre emptive self defense, that the US is only aggressive in the cause of spreading democracy etc.etc..
I always thought it was understood as a sort of unspoken rule that writers who write books about politics somehow owe it too the reader to have done some research on the subject. Not necessarily the traditional rout through College (speaking as a tenth grade drop out myself) , but something a little more substantial than just watching the news on tv (or more likely just commentary by pundints) . The absolute minimum requirement should be hours and hours at the library (its free).
But thats the thing , the target audience doesn't want the eggheaded opinion of book learnin' types. These are the same people who bought Charlie Daniels epic tome of extreme ignorance disguised as down home wisdom. They buy the image, the back of the book describes Atkins as a roughneck patriot or something like that. They want to hear how good we are and how bad Al Queida is. They want to cheer their local team which is how they view the US military.
So how fucking stupid is this book? I'l give you a couple paragraphs . A sample of his wisdom.
"If I was the president and Hugo Chavez flew to the United Nations and insulted me like he did President George W., That bastards plene would not make it back to Venezuala from New York. And the same thing would apply to Mahmoud Ahmadinwjad, that loudmouth president of Iran. The minute he landed on U.S. soil I would make Mahmoud our hostage. And you know what? Everybody else in the world would breathe a sigh of relief that both of them were gone"
He also has some criticism of Canada, Namely that they are a country of pussies who don't pull their own weight as far as kicking ass around the world
"They've been sucking on our tit for so long now, and thats another thing I would do as president. I would make a phone cal to the Canadians and say, "look, fellas the only reason the Russkies didn't come over and kick your ass is because we're your neighbor"" How can a country so large get away with a military that only has fifteen thousand active members"
Obviously he misses the obvious point that Canada doesn't need a big military because they don't fuck with other countries the way that the US does. I didn't read the whole thing. I think I did somehow stumble across the more comical parts of this very stupid book. Sometimes I wish idiots like Atkins could be sent to death camps or something. Maybe the book isn't worth noting on its own merits. its just revealing because people all over this country have the same fucking stupid views. There just isn't any hope for them. And they vote, and they have a say.The demographic is not necessarily rural folk. Its a nation wide culture of ignorance and the elevation of the ignorant as having some deep simple wisdom.
