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John Wilson's avatar

I'll have to read this. Great write up on someone new to me.

I'm slowly making my way through Tyranny Inc. which is depressing and mediocre writing. But the thought (somewhat Marx-like, I think) occurred to me that one of the functions of the working class is to restrain the upper classes from excesses that harm the common good, through unions and pitchforks and the like. It's tragic to see the categories at play in such horrific fashion in 1848, but it should stand out as an object lesson to anyone in charge. For example, I just watched an interview with Suzy Welch, the final wife of GE's famous CEO Jack Welch, and it was striking how ignorant of her wealth she was, all while trying to understand some of the uncooperative motivations in Gen Z. I would posit that Gen Z's desire to work where their values are aligned and if not that then to at least have a work/life balance are a perfect examples of the peasant classes' warning light flashing. Unfortunately, the well-heeled such as Ms. Welch will miss this and reap what they sow.

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Tom Barson's avatar

I loved this book! Clark seems to think that the only people who read 1848 right were the "professional revolutionaries" (by which he means the Russians not the Germans) who learned that revolution was first and foremost a power-grab and not a program. (He made a 'Talking Politics' appearance that underscored this theme.)

If 1848 is your thing, I recommend (as Clark does) Jonathan Beecher's "Writers and Revolutions", which is (French) 1848 seen through the eyes of eight or nine contemporary writers.

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