Sharansky's Democracy Book

UC MOM · 01-05-2005, 06:17 PM

The Library called yesterday and I went to pick up the case for Democracy book last night. It was written by Russian Disident Natan Sharansky in 2004.

I spent the afternoon reading the first three chapters, and it is really interesting. I would love to chat with any of you who have read it, or who have read this interview with him

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...e.asp?ID=16319

I was particularly interested in how he defined fear versus free societies, and how we who live in freedom have such a hard time understanding how fear societies operate.

Please chime in, I would love for this to be a great discussion.

Jenny

Victorian · 01-05-2005, 09:24 PM

maybe you should post this is the media forum.

merpk · 01-05-2005, 11:15 PM

Not sure if it's appropriate for the media forum. It is a book, yes, but it deals with current affairs and philosophical questions related to politics, war, peace, and, well, activism. (Not that I've read it, but am familiar with Natan ... formerly Anatoly ... Sharansky.) So perhaps Jenny posted here to find people who are interested in a political/philosophical discussion, rather than those interested in a popular culture discussion.

You know?

Will do a search for it in my own library's database immediately after hitting "post" ...

**AdinaL** · 01-05-2005, 11:30 PM

Moving this to Books, Music and Other Media!

mama ganoush · 01-06-2005, 09:47 AM

I understand how fear societies work. I've lived in one for close to four years now.

merpk · 01-06-2005, 05:23 PM

Oh, well, so much for my previous post. It's been moved.

m'g, there is *no* analogy of Soviet system/American system.

Your 'fear' experience is not remotely comparable to Sharansky's experience of having spent a decade in a Soviet prison for the sole crime of having asked permission to emigrate.

UC MOM · 01-07-2005, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merpk

Oh, well, so much for my previous post. It's been moved.

m'g, there is *no* analogy of Soviet system/American system.

Your 'fear' experience is not remotely comparable to Sharansky's experience of having spent a decade in a Soviet prison for the sole crime of having asked permission to emigrate.

And that was his point and the one that struck me as I read the first couple of chapters. As he described what a fear society entails, he made the case that we in the west have absolutely no clue how a fear society works.

I will start this again in Current Events and see if we can get a good chat going. I think it is completely relevant to the current political scene and is completely tied into the news.

Jenny

***Cynthia Mosher*** · 01-07-2005, 04:55 AM

UC MOM please do not override a moderator's action by posting another thread. This does belong in the Books forum so if you're going to discuss the book this is the forum to do so.