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World Without Mind

the Existential Threat of Big Tech
Sep 16, 2017StarGladiator rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Update: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-18/washington-post-disciplines-writer-negative-article-jeff-bezos [Correction to author: Thorstein Veblen was NOT a sociologist, but one of the greatest economists who ever lived, probably the greatest. Recommend the book on him by Rick Tilman, The Intellectual Legacy of Thorstein Veblen - - outstanding!] The way this author glosses over stuff reminds me of the effusive enthusiam of Fake Newsies for George Gilder during the Reagan Administration - - and not a single one ever mentioned that one important fact that Gilder was the adopted son of David Rockefeller! Foer does cover several important - - albeit safe topics - - Thurman Arnold's excellent work during FDR's administration and his epochal work, The Folklore of Capitalism [should be mandatory reading for one and all] and the origin of the term // gatekeepers \\ as well as three excellent pages on Amazon and Bezos and tax evasion and avoidance, but thoroughly botches - - or spews disinformation - - with his recounting of the founding of the Washington Post. He only lightly touches upon Larry Lessig in the negative - - Lessig attended quite a few of those Federalist Society lunches? On p. 169 Foer makes a most lucid and cogent comment on his discovery, but a real reporter or journalist would have exhibited curiousity and posed the obvious question: Does this just apply to book reviewing journalists, or does it equally apply to other occupations and jobs? ? ? [I personally would have tied it to the action of the largest temp agency back in 2003, Manpower, who closed 1,000 offices across America, while opening up over 900 offices in China.] He glosses over Peter Thiel's success with Palantir - - which enjoyed three full years of CIA-financing thanks to Thiel's connections - - wonder what we'd discover if someone looks even closer at Thiel's other so-called successes??? Essentially, the author from the New America Foundation cherry picks his way through the book - - the same criticism I have leveled against ALL the books written by New America Foundation-affiliated authors. When Steve Coll wrote about ExxonMobil, does he ever mention who owns it [majority shareholder]? No, of course not, none of those corporations are owned by anyone - - it's all a mirage according to the New America Foundation spinners! I do recommend you read this interesting book - - there are several intelligent points made by the author [I counted three of them] - - just make sure your Spidey sense is in high gear.