Top twenty books and movies for me in the last 6 years

Since September 11, 2001 I have been on a quest. I do not have much of a formal education. My high school education was kind of a joke and that's another whole story and I'm not going there. I took a few community college classes. A bachelor's degree seems like just another of my parent's unrealistic expectations for me.

The quest has been for knowledge. I know I'm not he only American who wondered "Why do they hate us so much?" during the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center. I was pretty sure I had a clue about why the attack on the Pentagon.

Obviously I'm not well traveled. A few trips to Mexico does not a world traveler make. Until 2002 I had seen very little of my own country. That's not to say I hadn't met and developed working relationships with immigrants from many different countries. It's amazing how poorly we treat our immigrants. I worked with people with advanced skills and experience who were forced to work in unskilled labor jobs in this country because their English skills weren't sharp enough to pass the licensing exams here. I've never been to New York but I've heard the New York cabbie stories.

I've been reading, watching documentary DVDs and trying to find out why they hate us enough to blow us up every chance they get made me wonder which ones that every jr. high kid should watch or read. I started out with a list of ten, which quickly grew to twenty, with a regular TV show thrown in for maintenance purposes.

Top twenty media sources that helped this American pull her head out of her butt, and not be such an ignorant clown.

1. The Corporation (DVD documentary)

2. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the book, but it was a book on the modern history of Israel. Something striking to me was one page that had four maps on it that showed the growing territory of Israel, the shrinking Palestinian territories. You know, shit that ain't on the six o'clock newz here in Murika. Like most of these, it was available through the City Library system.

3. The Arms of Krupp 1587-1968: The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Dynasty That Armed Germany at War by William Manchester.

4. Planet of Slums by Mike Davis (along with realistic sex education of course, this book will make the little shits think before they start breeding)

5. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins

6. Guns Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond (the book, I never saw the PBS special)

7. The Prize by Daniel Yergin (yeah, I missed the PBS special on this one too)

8. Killing Hope by William Blum

9. The End of Suburbia (DVD documentary)

10. Secrets of the American Empire by John Perkins

11. Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD by Michael Moore

12. Why We Fight a documentary by Eugene Jarecki

13. The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast

14. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

15. The Opium Wars The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another
by W. Travis Hanes, Frank Sanello

16. The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson The trilogy is important, but if you only can buy one of the three, this is the one.

17. The Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond

18. Armed Madhouse by Greg Palast

19. Breaking Rank by Norm Stamper

20. And finally, save Friday night (oh Tivo it fer chrissakes) for PBS NOW , and Bill Moyers Journal.