Author Topic: The Fifth Risk  (Read 7909 times)

deepmud

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #15 on: February 13, 2019, 09:50:21 PM »
Micheal Lewis - quick, clear - WELL documented - and insightful. Makes me want to listen to Undoing Project a 3rd time through.

Pono I missed this thread originally - I'm intermittent online and less frequent on the Zone - but I do appreciate your insights in stuff SUP and non. I figured it made more sense to addend your thread when a search pulled it up than to start anew - besides I get to ride the coattails of your cred :D and I really do want everyone to read this. Does someone want a gift certificate? I would buy one copy for anyone here, put my money where my mouth is - even if you plan to tell me it's bullshit point by point, chapter by chapter, as long as you read it through.

it sort of IS a anti-Trump book - but with the facts it presents - OVER AND OVER  - perhaps it's just anti-Trump because it's absolutely unavoidable. Like Fear - it's full of stuff that scares the shit out of me and no one has said "oh, that's not true" - this is all old-school interviews of the insiders and actual research here. Perhaps someone wants to tell me why Rick Perry isn't the worst idea for head of DOE? I mean, it's a done deal, I can't call my senators and urge them not to approve - so what about him in there is good?  He has since said he was wrong to say it (DOE) should be removed,that he didn't know what it did.....but shouldn't we have a Republican with a good resume in there? Plenty of smart Republicans, even some scientists. Heck an oil-field petroleum engineer would at least have the background to understand what was being taken apart and de-funded.

Don't get me started on NOAA :( :(

RideTheGlide

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #16 on: February 14, 2019, 05:03:22 AM »
Wow, talk about slow burns. I started this thread back in November. I just have oooonneee question. Did anyone read the book other than deepmud? Class? Class? Anyone. Bueller?
I reacted more to the recent posts than the title. I am fairly well informed on the administration but have not done a deep dive on particular appointments and the book is not one of my sources of information. I like to think my sources of information are centrist and largely unbiased, but I admit i don't read much that puts a positive spin on the Trump administration.

I do find it interesting that the Obamas bought the right to The Fifth Risk to use on their upcoming Netflix series on government.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/arts/television/obama-michael-lewis-fifth-risk.html
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Tom

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2019, 04:25:14 PM »
PB, so, are you going to read The Threat? I've resisted the 3 you've listed, but am very tempted  with this one.

PonoBill

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2019, 04:57:02 PM »
I've been heading deeper into history, anthropology, and physics. When I finish reading a political book I feel like I've been slimed.
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stoneaxe

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2019, 05:34:43 PM »
Hard reading....so many slimeballs on so many fronts. I don't think slime is limited to Trump or the republicans but Trump has established a new low on the right. My fear now is that the pendulum swings from left to right are killing us as a country. Do we have an identity anymore? If we do it's bi-polar, multi-personality.....or just plain crazy.
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eastbound

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #20 on: February 21, 2019, 03:00:06 AM »
read first 75pp on the train last night---appalling

check that this freak just got a key climate appointment

https://www.vox.com/2019/2/20/18233378/william-happer-trump-climate-change-panel

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eastbound

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #21 on: February 21, 2019, 02:47:24 PM »
we do have an identity stoney--like, a majority of americans support single payer health care--most americans support a woman's right to choice--most americans are very unhappy with the wealth redistribution UP UP UP that has resulted from tax and other policy over the last 40 years--i could go on--but the problem is that our political system is completely corrupted by money to the extent that policy doesnt reflect the will of the people--it reflects the will of the wealthy and powerful--and it's a vicious cycle, if money is allowed in politics

gotta get money out of politics--lobbying, dark pacs, citizen's united--this shit has trashed "democracy" in our system

used to be ivy league kids who prioritized making money went to wall st, investment banking, hedge funds etc----now they go to DC! that's where the fast easy money is!!! lobbying, media production, PR, campaign crisis management, PACS,  all that slimeball crap

DC area real estate didnt even blink during 08/09--the money just kept on raining down............
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PonoBill

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #22 on: February 21, 2019, 04:03:21 PM »
PB, so, are you going to read The Threat? I've resisted the 3 you've listed, but am very tempted  with this one.

I'm listening to it on Audible. Comey's book is more compelling and interesting, but it's worth a listen.

What's most odd to me about the current polarization of the US in politics is that virtually every american is in fundamental agreement with most of the important elements of government--they disagree on what almost amounts to trivia. People believe in liberty, equality, and the rule of law. That's a very big deal. A political scientist who didn't mind explaining themselves every time they said the word would call this "liberalism". We've redefined this term to mean snowflake lefties, but every redneck calling someone a libtard is simply displaying the depths of their ignorance--because they are a libtard. Yeah, liberals kind of co-opted the name, in the same manner they co-opted "political correctness", but the definition remains: "A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual and favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority." You could look it up. I might go a little light on the natural goodness bit, but the rest is fine with me. And I'm really slightly to the right of Genghis Khan.

We entered the 20th century shaking off feudalism with three main choices: Fascism, Communism and Liberalism.  Fascism died an unmourned death in 1945 with rare throwbacks in isolated "shitholes". Communism was largely toast by 1990. Liberalism borrowed a bit from both, mostly social safety nets from the commies and a little hyper capitalism from the Fascists, and was fairly resilient until now. It's been a little shaky lately with the rise of nihilistic nationalism, but it's still reasonably healthy and will probably recover, though it needs some tweaks to remain relevant.

So yeah, we're all liberals, meaning we all believe in liberty. Get used to it, snowflake.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2019, 04:39:39 PM by PonoBill »
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eastbound

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #23 on: February 21, 2019, 05:28:49 PM »
how do you sit still and listen to books on audible PB?

either you listen at chipmunk speed, or you are reading text of something else at the same time!

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PonoBill

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #24 on: February 21, 2019, 06:13:09 PM »
Anytime I can't read I listen. In the car, walking, working in my shop. If the book is complex enough I read it as well, but I pick up the general points by listening. I'm working on a bunch of internet of things (IOT) sensors for Fritz, which involves a lot of wiring breadboards that I can do without concentrating. I find I can write Arduino code and listen to lightweight stuff at the same time. My Apple watch lets me control the player, so I can pause when I need to concentrate or skip back if I missed something. "Threat" has a lot of blah-blah so it's perfect to code to. Oddly enough, the only books that require my full attention (and therefore are OK for driving-YIKES) are Nero Wolfe mysteries. Even odder, Carlo Revelli's physics books are like poetry, or maybe opera. I can listen to them while I'm doing almost anything. I don't worry about missing anything because I know I'll listen to them again.
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deepmud

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #25 on: February 22, 2019, 08:40:01 PM »
Driving:

Oddly enough, I can listen to "bubble gum" (for me, sci fi) or really in depth complex books and driving is fine. I use a different portion of my brain for driving - it has avoided moose, erratic drivers, a dall sheep jumping out from an cliff....the audio shuts off and I have no idea what was said when the emergencies occur - so real attention is required to deal with real driving but the switch is automatic and instantaneous.

So I get 2 hours Audible a day at least. I try to listen to stuff that improves the mind at least half the time. And - it makes my commutes way way way less stressful :D

eastbound

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #26 on: February 24, 2019, 06:49:22 AM »
i find, with audio, i am often distracted, and miss sections---where i know i wont return to the piece, and want all of the message

radio is designed to be consumed with intermittent attention, and it loops

if/when i retire, i plan to try a paperwhite--no links to breitbart and other excellent news sources that pull me away from reading

ha
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RideTheGlide

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #27 on: February 24, 2019, 07:45:14 AM »
i find, with audio, i am often distracted, and miss sections---where i know i wont return to the piece, and want all of the message

radio is designed to be consumed with intermittent attention, and it loops

if/when i retire, i plan to try a paperwhite--no links to breitbart and other excellent news sources that pull me away from reading

ha
I agreed with you until you threw away your credibility at the end. Although I guess we aren't that different; fantasy is my favorite genre also.  ;D

I read on my phone a lot. I thought I never would, but once I get drawn in the medium doesn't matter that much unless I am somewhere I just can't read it. The nice thing about the phone is that I always have it with me, so I can pull something up when I have an unplanned wait. A dual mode screen that could switch to paperwhite would be really nice.
« Last Edit: February 24, 2019, 07:47:12 AM by RideTheGlide »
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eastbound

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #28 on: February 24, 2019, 08:37:52 AM »
rtg--that was a joke--i am the known left of communist guy here on the zone--figured it would be safe, coming from me

which misstates--i believe in capitalism--make my living trading capital markets, in fact

"i'm a centrist"
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eastbound

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Re: The Fifth Risk
« Reply #29 on: February 24, 2019, 08:39:58 AM »
hp lovecraft?

woops i think he proved to be antisemitic

like ts eliot, whose work i loved as a young student, before i had antennae for that kind of crap
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