Does anyone have any suggestions about what we could do for an exciting chat session since Al Franken isn't going to join us? Maybe there is another liberal we can invite that has similar views?

Chris

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,for there you have been, and there you will always want to be."

Chris,

It's too bad Al can't make it to our Chat session, but it's a good thing a Liberal/Progressive voice will be gaining a larger Radio audience...which is a good thing for America, thus the World too.

I would like to recommend Michael Albert of ZNet and Z Magazine www.zmag.org/ as a voice to replace Franken.

Michael Albert is the author of many books, his latest of which is Parecon: Life After Capitalism www.parecon.org/pelac.htm .

Albert's work with Participatory Economics www.parecon.org is a comprehensive answer to the question posed by Establishment critics: "So, you don't like the way the System works- well, what are you goning to replace it with?"

He is Left of Ralph Nader and a former student of Noam Chomsky, and a formidable challenge to any who repeat the deadly mantra "There Is No Alternative" to capitalism or communism.

He has his finger on the pulse of the Anti-Globalisation movement, and a terribly well informed critic of American hegemony and its accompanying militarism.

I'm not certain how he will feel being offered up as a replacement for Al Franken, but I'm certain he will be a great challenge and education for all of us here at Book Talk.

Another thing you might want to consider is inviting someone from Howard Dean's campaign. There's really no chance you'd get Dean himself, but I bet someone from his campaign staff would be happy to join a chat here at BookTalk.

Michael Albert is an interesting liberal, but he's a different sort of liberal than Franken and probably won't take positions like those seen in Liars. Also, wouldn't it be a bit rude to invite one author during a month we read another's book? Perhaps this is a good time to have a guest that isn't an author at all, but instead one that is simply representative of "the democratic wing of the democratic party" (which Dean and his campaign claim to be). Someone like that would be a better replacement for Franken than Michael Albert.

I have no problem with inviting Michael Albert at some point, but I think we should read one of his books before we do. Perhaps Parecon: Life After Capitalism is something Dissident would like to suggest for a future reading. I would only ask that he nominate either that or Chomsky's book, not both; room should be left in the polls for fair competition.

Anyway, my suggestion is to invite someone from Howard Dean's campaign staff to our chat as a replacement for Franken. I'm fairly sure they have someone who's read his book, supports his positions, and is willing to discuss them here at BookTalk.


S

Better still, get someone like Bill O'reilly.
It would be interesting.

Great idea, sandor. Or the DNC.

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If you make yourself really small, you can externalize virtually everything. Daniel Dennett, 1984