UPC’s Vital Links: Books & Docs & Movies, Oh, MY!
1. W e b C l i p s (a sampling)
* Q&A showdown between Pres. Obama and leading Republicans; Obama eviscerates the GOP’s cynical (knowingly false) talking points — huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/29/obama-goes-to-the-gop-lio_n_442331.html
* Jeff Sharlet exposes “The Family,” the ultra-secretive, Christian-Dominionist organization and sugar-daddy behind the debauching of (primarily Republican) politicians, including Tea Party favorite Sen. Jim DeMint (SC) — democracynow.org/2010/10/21/anti_gay_fervor_in_uganda_tied
* Mahmood Mamdani obliterates the myth of “genocide” in Darfur, revealing Western interests behind an amazing propaganda campaign (3/20/09 at Howard University) — c-spanvideo.org/program/285331-1
* Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser stands up to thuggish Monsanto; excellent report reveals how Monsanto’s genetically-modified “terminator” seeds (breeding sterility into corn crops) threaten pure strains of corn. — democracynow.org/2010/9/17/percy_schmeiser_vs_monsanto_the_story
* Harold Pinter’s scathing indictment of U.S. foreign policy in 2005 speech, accepting Nobel Prize — democracynow.org/2008/12/30/harold_pinter_1930_2008_on_art
* Expose reveals how an ambitious, young Republican framed the community group, ACORN — mediaite.com/online/rachel-maddow-compares-bogus-acorn-scandal-to-made-up-climategate/
* Prof. Alfred McCoy exposes the CIA’s long history of torture; the evolution of the agency’s methods– democracynow.org/2006/2/17/professor_mccoy_exposes_the_history_of
2. I m p o r t a n t B o o k s (just a few)
Non-Fiction: Naomi Wolf’s The End of America, Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine, Mahmood Mamdani’s Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, Antonia Juhasz’ The Tyranny of Oil, Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s Imperial Life in the Emerald City, George Packers’ The Assassin’s Gate, John Perkins’ Confessions of an Economic Hitman and The Secret History of the American Empire, James Risen’s State of War, Bob Woodward’s Bush at War and Plan of Attack, Marc Reisner’s Cadillac Desert, Noam Chomsky’s Hegemony or Survival and Letters from Lexington, Philippe Sands’ Torture Team, Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed, Chalmers Johnson’s Blowback, Tom Fenton’s Bad News, Amy Goodman’s Static and Exception to the Rulers, David Brock’s Blinded by the Right, Thomas Ricks’ Fiasco, James Bamford’s A Pretext for War, Vali Nasr’s The Shia Revival, Ron Suskind’s The Price of Loyalty and The Way of the World, David Halberstam’s The Fifties…
3. D o c u m e n t a r i e s I R e c o m m e n d
Taxi to the Dark Side * The Corporation * The Power of Nightmares * Sicko * Roger & Me * Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room * Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial * Flow * Hacking Democracy * The Human Behavior Experiments * The Trials of Henry Kissinger * Capitalism: a Love Story * The Most Dangerous Man in America * Inside Job * Why We Fight * Iraq in Fragments * No End in Sight * Bush’s War…
4. J u s t a Few N o v e l s and M o v i e s I H a p p e n to A d o r e
NOVELS: The Bros. Karamazov * Lord of the Flies * Slaughterhouse Five * The Caine Mutiny * In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex * Watchmen * Joseph and His Brothers * Jane Eyre * A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court * Bless the Beasts and the Children * Maus * The Jungle * Animal Farm * All the King’s Men * Lilith: A Snake in the Grass * The Sirens of Titan * The Great Gatsby * Hamlet…
MOVIES: Star Wars * His Girl Friday * Lawrence of Arabia * Enchanted April * Singin’ in the Rain * Dr. Strangelove * Hedwig and the Angry Inch * Network * Spirited Away * Hobson’s Choice * Avatar * A Man for All Seasons * Harold and Maude * Gandhi * Pulp Fiction * Rashomon * Do the Right Thing * Holiday * American Beauty * Dodsworth * The Ruling Class * Ninotchka * Being John Malkovich * The Princess Bride * Lord of the Rings * Top Hat * A Touch of Evil * Aliens * Crimes and Misdemeanors * Little Children * Rear Window * The Player * South Park (movie) * Election * Blazing Saddles * The Lion in Winter * Hannah and Her Sisters * Michael Clayton * Me & You & Everyone We Know * Pillow Talk * The Matrix * Dinner at Eight…