Recent comments in /f/books
An_Old_Big_Tree wrote (edited )
I don't know how, but I'm going to try to read this whole thing today.
Hooray for new theory!
ziq OP wrote
Reply to comment by !deleted14121 in George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview by ziq
Which is a small area like the freefolk's lands or the lands Arya is trying to reach, with authority waiting to strike in every direction. Yet they persisted despite that authority.
existential1 wrote
Reply to comment by !deleted1196 in George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview by ziq
Interesting indeed, though Ziq's critique still holds true. This one tiny place did this. And it was of no consequence to the billions of people to be born and die under capitalism, state authority, or both. The masses remained as they always have. We can point at the Zapatistas and Rojavas of the world, but the reason they are so few and far between is because Ziq's critique again is factual for 99% of the human population.
ziq OP wrote (edited )
Reply to comment by ziq in George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview by ziq
[GOT finale spoilers ahead]
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This is why I'm so satisfied with the ending of the show. Because certain characters removed themselves from the authority loop and are free now.
People can call it a liberal ending all they want, but the reality is civilization will always be wrapped in authority. Feudalism begets Oligarchy begets Fascism begets State Socialism begets Liberalism begets Neoliberalism. Society doesn't go from feudalism to anarchy, the rich don't loosen their grip on the world that easily. The poor don't suddenly collectively realize they can just say no to the rich.
The only way to escape authority is to remove yourself from it entirely, after witnessing first-hand its many failures and realizing the system is bullshit. And the characters who got out (Jon, Arya, to a lesser extent Greyworm who turned down lands and title to sail away) learned to stop obeying authority after witnessing its destruction. Drogon destroyed the iron throne because of what it did to Dany, possessing her with the thirst for power and resulting in her much deserved death. A dragon might realize the throne is bullshit, but the average character in Westeros is still weighed down by generations of authoritarian brainwashing telling them they can't free themselves.
ziq OP wrote
Reply to George R.R. Martin: The Rolling Stone Interview by ziq
Interviewer: We talked earlier about your unwillingness to fight in Vietnam. The Ice and Fire books are shot through with the horrors of war. As Ygritte says to Jon Snow, “We’re just soldiers in their armies, and there’s plenty more to carry on if we go down.”
GRRM: It’s true in virtually all wars through history. Shakespeare refers to it, in those great scenes in Henry V, where King Hal is walking among the men, before the Battle of Agincourt, and he hears the men complaining. “Well, I hope his cause is just, because a lot of us are going to die to make him king of France.” One of the central questions in the book is Varys’ riddle: The rich man, the priest and the king give an order to a common sellsword. Each one says kill the other two. So who has the power? Is it the priest, who supposedly speaks for God? The king, who has the power of state? The rich man, who has the gold? Of course, doesn’t the swordsman have the power? He’s the one with the sword – he could kill all three if he wanted. Or he could listen to anyone. But he’s just the average grunt. If he doesn’t do what they say, then they each call other swordsmen who will do what they say. But why does anybody do what they say? This is the fundamental mystery of power and leadership and war through all history. Going back to Vietnam, for me the cognitive dissonance came in when I realized that Ho Chi Minh actually wasn’t Sauron. Do you remember the poster during that time? WHAT IF THEY GAVE A WAR AND NOBODY CAME? That’s one of the fundamental questions here. Why did anybody go to Vietnam? Were the people who went more patriotic? Were they braver? Were they stupider? Why does anybody go? What’s all this based on? It’s all based on an illusion: You go because you’re afraid of what will happen if you don’t go, even if you don’t believe in it. But where do these systems of obedience come from? Why do we recognize power instead of individual autonomy? These questions are fascinating to me. It’s all this strange illusion, isn’t it?
JumpMan wrote
Reply to comment by startrek in How many of you use e-readers? by startrek
Cheap kindles literally show adverts on standby. It also requires a certain amount of technical knowledge to add books that aren't from the kindle store. As well as that you are directly supporting Amazon.
startrek OP wrote
Reply to comment by heckthepolice2 in Science fiction novels by female authors by startrek
I'm almost through her book Dawn. It's a great read.
An_Old_Big_Tree OP wrote
Reply to comment by !deleted7213 in Does anybody know of good private torrent trackers for books that will have theory or other radical-relevant stuff not found elsewhere? by An_Old_Big_Tree
Thanks. Libgen is already in our wiki w/List_of_Free_Online_Libraries - right now I am looking for those parts of the internet I don't yet have access to that might have books I need.
An_Old_Big_Tree OP wrote
Reply to Does anybody know of good private torrent trackers for books that will have theory or other radical-relevant stuff not found elsewhere? by An_Old_Big_Tree
I'm not even necessarily looking for an invite, just information so i can work towards access, because books are fucking expensive and I have some unusual theory needs.
An_Old_Big_Tree OP wrote
Reply to comment by existential1 in Sure, you could buy that book online for $15. But here’s what that book really costs us. by An_Old_Big_Tree
You can steal from them without feeling bad.
mxdominoes wrote (edited )
Reply to comment by !deleted1759 in Sure, you could buy that book online for $15. But here’s what that book really costs us. by An_Old_Big_Tree
the most important thing is that I'm sick of them complaining about how unfair the big bourgeoisie's advantages over them are.
existential1 wrote
Reply to Sure, you could buy that book online for $15. But here’s what that book really costs us. by An_Old_Big_Tree
Are there even any positive things that small bookstores do that libraries don't?
n_n wrote (edited )
Reply to comment by mxdominoes in Sure, you could buy that book online for $15. But here’s what that book really costs us. by An_Old_Big_Tree
Me too, literally all the SocDems here are whining about that, and they are considered the "left".
Edit: here in my country I mean.
mxdominoes wrote (edited )
Reply to Sure, you could buy that book online for $15. But here’s what that book really costs us. by An_Old_Big_Tree
Small capitalists get bitten by big capitalists, blame consumers and not the system they're a part of
I am literally so sick of small businesses whining about how unfair economies of scale are and why people should subsidize them
dice OP wrote
Reply to Contagion Press - formed by creators of baedan - are having a "Death of God sale ... until midnight April 23rd, all books and all pocketbooks are 666¢ in celebration of the burning of Notre Dame." by dice
learned it was from the baedan ppl here: https://anarchistnews.org/content/creators-baedan-announcing-contagion-press
heckthepolice2 wrote
Reply to Science fiction novels by female authors by startrek
Anything by Octavia E. Butler
asg101 wrote
Reply to Science fiction novels by female authors by startrek
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, and the rest of the trilogy, along with Handmaids Tale. Atwood doesn't like having it called "science fiction" though.
I liked The Dispossessed also by Ursula Le Guin
startrek wrote
Reply to by hasbrochem
If you look long enough, all your faves are problematic.
startrek OP wrote
Reply to comment by !deleted30 in How many of you use e-readers? by startrek
Have you tried using those online converters? PDF to MOBI, for example.
startrek OP wrote
Reply to comment by Fossidarity in How many of you use e-readers? by startrek
Why do you think people shouldn't buy Kindles? I've been nothing but happy with mine.
Fossidarity wrote
Reply to How many of you use e-readers? by startrek
I have an old Kindle Touch which I jailbreaked and put KOReader on. If you have a Kindle (please don't buy them) I would recommend doing this, it allows you to read ePubs and the interface has way more options than the default one.
I use it for reading most material as I don't like to buy paper books, but if someone has a zine to distribute I'll take it.
An_Old_Big_Tree wrote (edited )
Reply to comment by An_Old_Big_Tree in A Billion Black Anthropocenes Or None (Book, PDF) by PostsBookLinks
What a fuckin' pipe dream this was.