“Writing is pretty isolated,” Barry said. “I enjoy the action. I like to fight.” // More coders should feel this way when it comes to issues about which they're passionate. In other words, more of us should consider becoming hacktivists -- at least on the side. As hacktivists, a wise first step towards making a difference is to treat political science as continuing education. Yes, articles like this should pique your interest. Read them. But also pick up some books and get serious.
To that end, as an alternative to "Rising Tide" by John Barry (from the linked article): I highly recommend reading (as did Aaron Swartz)[0][1] "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York". It is a brilliant, Pulitzer-prize-winning case study of the forces at play in broken/corrupt governments (and how opaque the processes which formulate and execute the policies of governance truly are).
In Aaron's own words:
"For nearly forty years, Robert Moses controlled New York. Controlled it almost absolutely, overruling every mayor, governor, president, and public pressure group. He did it all without anyone ever knowing: the press, when it did cover him, covered him only in the most glowing, reverent terms. He did it all without winning a single election: the two times he did dare run for office, he was defeated so soundly as to become a joke.
"_The Power Broker_ is the story of how our "democracy" really works. How men gain power and how it corrupts them. How cities get built and how real people suffer for it. How we became a nation desperately dependent on the car."
I will add that Robert Moses was the pioneer of eminent domain (a massive blow to the philosophical underpinnings of property rights in the USA) and modern public authorities (highly insular entities which are hybrids bodies corporate & politic -- receiving money from the public with zero effective accountability to taxpayers -- hard to summarize implications, but they have been enormous).
Next I'd consider: "Hacking Politics" (about SOPA/PIPA) or "Understanding Power" - a collection of talks by Noam Chomsky -- not for his ideological insights but for his manner of making observations and thought-provoking perspectives.
I'm 3/4ths through the audio book of the Power Broker and second your recommendation. I started it while doing the 100 mile NYC Century last month (the only all-urban century), and it has changed the way I think about New York City, democracy, power, and journalism.
Comments
“Writing is pretty isolated,” Barry said. “I enjoy the action. I like to fight.” // More coders should feel this way when it comes to issues about which they're passionate. In other words, more of us should consider becoming hacktivists -- at least on the side. As hacktivists, a wise first step towards making a difference is to treat political science as continuing education. Yes, articles like this should pique your interest. Read them. But also pick up some books and get serious.
To that end, as an alternative to "Rising Tide" by John Barry (from the linked article): I highly recommend reading (as did Aaron Swartz)[0][1] "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York". It is a brilliant, Pulitzer-prize-winning case study of the forces at play in broken/corrupt governments (and how opaque the processes which formulate and execute the policies of governance truly are).
In Aaron's own words: "For nearly forty years, Robert Moses controlled New York. Controlled it almost absolutely, overruling every mayor, governor, president, and public pressure group. He did it all without anyone ever knowing: the press, when it did cover him, covered him only in the most glowing, reverent terms. He did it all without winning a single election: the two times he did dare run for office, he was defeated so soundly as to become a joke.
"_The Power Broker_ is the story of how our "democracy" really works. How men gain power and how it corrupts them. How cities get built and how real people suffer for it. How we became a nation desperately dependent on the car."
I will add that Robert Moses was the pioneer of eminent domain (a massive blow to the philosophical underpinnings of property rights in the USA) and modern public authorities (highly insular entities which are hybrids bodies corporate & politic -- receiving money from the public with zero effective accountability to taxpayers -- hard to summarize implications, but they have been enormous).
[0] - http://www.amazon.com/review/RXOVNQ3JLY6GF
[1] - https://zolabooks.com/list/aaron-swartz-reading-list/1
[2] - for those who'd prefer to listen, an excellent narration is available on Audible -- http://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/The-Power-Broker-Audi...
Next I'd consider: "Hacking Politics" (about SOPA/PIPA) or "Understanding Power" - a collection of talks by Noam Chomsky -- not for his ideological insights but for his manner of making observations and thought-provoking perspectives.
I'm 3/4ths through the audio book of the Power Broker and second your recommendation. I started it while doing the 100 mile NYC Century last month (the only all-urban century), and it has changed the way I think about New York City, democracy, power, and journalism.