June 2, 2022 — It’s book report day! Did you know I read about 50 books a year? I didn’t think so. I don’t have a TV, never have, even as a child, so reading is what I do. And I like to read our best authors.
I can’t get to the studio today (Thursday) as I’m invited to attend an outdoor function in Mt. Shasta tomorrow and Friday. So, it’s book report day. The book I’m reading now is Monkey Boy, shortlisted for the Pulitzer in fiction this year. Finishing the book, I should say. Wow, the US coup to depose the President of Guatemala… history like this makes me so unproud, crushing my normal proud feeling for my country, like a flimsy car in an accident. At this point in my knowledge, my pride needs a experienced body shop. I do know as an “empire” we are better than most, try China, Japan, Germany, any other superpower and we are arguably better, more humane. I just wish we could be better than we ARE. Even more noble. There’s much room for improvement. As noble as our founders imagined us at our finest. Heck, as noble as I can imagine us. I think we would be even stronger if we were.
So Guatemala: Carnage worse than Vietnam. And aftershocks still affecting the instability of the region. For what, somebody’s banana profits?? It makes me sick. I’m going to learn more. Looks like the BBC did a program on it. Here’s their logline: How America overthrew Guatemala’s reformist president
In June 1954 President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala became the first Latin American leader overthrown in a coup organised by the US government. On taking power, President Arbenz had proposed land reforms that were considered a threat to the interests of the powerful United Fruit Company in Guatemala. He was labelled a communist by Washington and the US company lobbied for his removal.
Book report day continues: Reminds me of Confessions of an Economic Hitman, the tell all, or tell some, of a former CIA operative in Latin America working for the interests of the American rich wanting to get richer at the expense of entire GNP’s and the generational murder of the finest, fieriest, most thoughtful, youthful citizens of these countries.
And A Brief History of Seven Killings by Jamaican author Marlon James. Man Booker Prize winner, among many other awards. Brilliant dark book on the same fight, the same CIA-organized molding, murdering, addicting, whatever ugly work needed to be done to make sure the business interests of America’s richest were able to prosper unhindered. Lots about Bob Marley, as well. Amazing book, incredible writing.
On a lighter note, Don’t forget to sign up for the Art Giveaway!
