Sunday, January 23, 2011

"Going Postal" by Mark Ames

Carsten from Aahus commented on  my last post.  I took his recommendation and ordered "Going Postal" by Mark Ames, published in 2005. Thank you Carsten. The book arrived Friday and I started reading it after work. It is Noon on Suday and I just finished it. One of the reviews on Amazon (my local independent bookseller could not order it) said something to the effect: "don't just recommend this book, buy it for all your friends and put it into their hands. NOW." I can't say it any better.

I had most of the pieces before I read Ames' book, but his research pulled everything together for me into much clearer pictures. I am a Social Work Supervisor so I have literally seen the actual physical effects of 1% of America stealing everyone else blind since the 1980's thanks to Reaganonics and the robber barons he fronted. I also learned some new pieces because of the excellent research in this book.

Thank you Carsten and especially thank you Mark Ames.

The subtitle is: Rage, Murder and Rebellion:
From Reagan's Workplaces to Clinton's Columbine and Beyond.

And thank you, Mr. Ames,  for including the small connection to 9/11. I had already got that and was hoping you would say something.

A blog I read everyday from Denmark, had a post where the educator casually remarked that she had never even witnessed a fight in her new Danish high school all year and when she was a principal in America, she had to deal with fights daily. She was deluged with responses. This book answers the American side of the question. I would recommend this book to every member of the Danish Parliament also so they do not even think about going down the road America has let happen. Reagan alone cut education by 20%. The devastation has been far greater than 20%.

The Irony: "Fleece America" and the resulting insane "dog fight capitalism" has come back to bite the robber barons in the ass. The violence at Saratoga High School in California was at the #1 rated high school in America.

I still say: Toss the deranged lone gunman theory.
It is not the worker. It is the workplace.
It is not the student. It is the school.
Follow the money trail. Follow the trail where the money used to be. Follow the meanness. 

1 comment:

Kelli Nørgaard said...

What a great recommendation! While I am here in the US this week, I will see if I can find it... it definitely looks like something that I would find LOTS of good stuff inside of!