Comments on: Bovard Book Title Contest

By: Brad Smith

Brad Smith — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 16:03:49 +0000

Right on!

By: Vassili

Vassili — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:01:17 +0000

Yes, sorry for my reaction – but I’ve mostly heard that joke in response to saying any (ANY) critique about something in the US, while I lived there. In fact though – back in the USSR that I remember, nobody got prosecuted for being critical about Brezhnev in private setting. But of course doing that in mass media would cost that person a job. Now, I remember another joke, that seems very appropriate now – when all of a sudden Bush was not so good, but Obama is just The One.

Kid talks with his grandmother.
- Grandma, was Lenin good?
- Yes, my dear grandson.
- Grandma, was Stalin bad?
- Bad, my dear.
- Grandma, was Khrushev bad?
- He was, my dear.
- Grandma, is Brezhnev good or bad?
- It’s not known yet. We’ll know after he is dead.

So, in a similar way, we’ll know about Obama some day :-)

By: Brad Smith

Brad Smith — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:42:41 +0000

Actually I was thinking that it may apply more towards the US media than it does to modern Russia. It seems to be the direction we are headed in and you are headed away from. It won’t get you thrown in prison for making fun of the president of the US but you can definately loose your job if your working for FOX or any number of other media outlets. Critisizing the US government get’s you labeled as either unpatrioitic or as a consiracy nut. I’m glad to see your country becoming more free every day. However, it’s very disheartening to see mine slipping into fascism. Socialist democrats and Fascist Republicans fighting it out to see who gets to destroy our freedoms the fastest.

Peace!

By: Quixote

Quixote — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:54:57 +0000

Can foreigners play too? If so I suggest:

Guns, Bumbs and Political karaoke.
Subtitle:
Washington. Power and the American polity.

Luck with the book James,
Q

By: Timothy Kelly

Timothy Kelly — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:29:19 +0000

How about this title: ‘Principles & Power: How Politics Corrupts and Kills’

By the way, I’m a big fan. I think a read about half dozen of your books.

By: Vassili

Vassili — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:46:49 +0000

For some reason 10s of Americans have told me this joke. Of course I don’t like it. Well – maybe I liked it before 1985, I don’t remember, but then Reagan was the President since 1981 – so, probably, during the years of 1981 to 1984 that joke was of merit to me.
Then, collective “complaining” of all Soviet people brought Gorbachev to power in 1985.

Since then – that joke does not reflect anything, but firm American belief that they have more freedom that anybody on this planet. This is not true.

By: abraham

abraham — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:11:14 +0000

How about: “Bovard the Bloviating Blowhard”? Alliteration AND rhyming.

By: Ray Kelly

Ray Kelly — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:10:05 +0000

Lost in America: Limited Government Disappears in the Land of the Free

Democracy in AmeriKa: Why De Tocqueville wouldn’t recognize us

By: richard vajs

richard vajs — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:38:24 +0000

Of course the invasion of Iraq was all about what Israel wanted and nothing to do with “liberation” or any other almighty bullshit. Even the oil is curiously ignored anymore. It was slaughter of Arabs for the sake of slaughter of Arabs. (Iraqis, Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians – who cares?) Arabs of every nationality are fungible objects of Israeli hatred; the category even includes Iranians.
Right after 9-11, I inquired of the Ruffin Flag Company (in Georgia) if they could sew me an American flag, 3′x5′ with 6 pointed stars instead of 5 pointed stars. Now that would be a flag suitable for what this country has become. I would fly it high, every day.

By: Brad Smith

Brad Smith — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:44:55 +0000

Nice joke Vassili. I remember one from the Reagan era. A man was sitting on the corner in New York and complaining about Reagan. He looks over at a Russian man and says I’ll bet you can’t do that at home. The Russian man says “sure I can, I can complain about Reagan all I want”.

Peace!

By: Brad Smith

Brad Smith — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:40:05 +0000

Seems like it to me also, pretty scarry.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:50:30 +0000

Is it just me or is the U.S. beginning to resemble the USSR in its last days? We are stuck in Afghanistan for several years, are spending massive amounts on the military, running the economy into the ground and have lost any sense of moral or ideological direction.