MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Kaufman links e-book trend to bookburning, Nazis

Kali Yuga · 12-03-2009, 11:29 AM

Y'know, I was thinking the other day about how many different social changes have been branded as Pure Evil that will destroy Life As We Know It during my lifetime. At the risk of dating myself and/or superbly derailing the thread,

here goes....

International communism and socialism • Wall Street and unregulated/unfettered capitalism • inflation • tight monetary policies • the deficit • The WTO and IMF • Anti-WTO and anti-WTF protestors • monopolies • monocultures • religious cults • Mormons • Catholics • Islamic extremists • atheists • Hippies • radical Leftists (e.g. Weather Underground) • radical Rightists (e.g. Timothy McVeigh, hate groups, armed militias) • totalitarianism • anarchism • "Big Government" • "Women's Lib" and feminism • gay rights / gay marriage • cancer • "Big Pharma" • genetically modified food • food shortages • "Peak Oil" and other Malthusian nightmares • global warming • economic catastrophe due to environmental regulations • nuclear power plants • weapons of mass destruction • illegal immigrants • the Puerto Ricans (a big "threat" in the 50s) • the Mexicans • the Japanese (in particular Japanese imports) • cheap Chinese goods • WalMart • video games • disco • rock & roll • punk rock • "gangsta" rap • drugs • the War on Drugs • contemporary art • burning the flag

And now, on top of all that, now I have to be afraid of the Internet and ebooks, because Amazon and Barnes & Noble are run by Nazis. That's just swell.

P.S. -- a few *cough* paper books to add to your reading list, Mr Kaufman, if you are so inclined....

Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives

The Science of Fear: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn't--and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger

Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur (to remind you that genocide has no logical connection to technology)

And if you want to read theories on how the mechanisms of Control existed and functioned long before the recent technological innovations, go read some Foucault (especially History of Sexuality Vol 1).

12-03-2009, 11:29 AM	#261
Kali Yuga Professional Contrarian Posts: 2,045 Karma: 3289631 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 4 No Touchie	Y'know, I was thinking the other day about how many different social changes have been branded as Pure Evil that will destroy Life As We Know It during my lifetime. At the risk of dating myself and/or superbly derailing the thread, here goes.... International communism and socialism • Wall Street and unregulated/unfettered capitalism • inflation • tight monetary policies • the deficit • The WTO and IMF • Anti-WTO and anti-WTF protestors • monopolies • monocultures • religious cults • Mormons • Catholics • Islamic extremists • atheists • Hippies • radical Leftists (e.g. Weather Underground) • radical Rightists (e.g. Timothy McVeigh, hate groups, armed militias) • totalitarianism • anarchism • "Big Government" • "Women's Lib" and feminism • gay rights / gay marriage • cancer • "Big Pharma" • genetically modified food • food shortages • "Peak Oil" and other Malthusian nightmares • global warming • economic catastrophe due to environmental regulations • nuclear power plants • weapons of mass destruction • illegal immigrants • the Puerto Ricans (a big "threat" in the 50s) • the Mexicans • the Japanese (in particular Japanese imports) • cheap Chinese goods • WalMart • video games • disco • rock & roll • punk rock • "gangsta" rap • drugs • the War on Drugs • contemporary art • burning the flag And now, on top of all that, now I have to be afraid of the Internet and ebooks, because Amazon and Barnes & Noble are run by Nazis. That's just swell. P.S. -- a few cough paper books to add to your reading list, Mr Kaufman, if you are so inclined.... Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives The Science of Fear: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn't--and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur (to remind you that genocide has no logical connection to technology) And if you want to read theories on how the mechanisms of Control existed and functioned long before the recent technological innovations, go read some Foucault (especially History of Sexuality Vol 1).