One of my fellow Ravelry Bunker mates, TravelingGal, posted about an item earlier this week about a new book about ObaMao (as if there weren't enough of them already).
"Why a little blue book", I initially wondered? "Shouldn't it be a "little red book"?? "
Well, it may as well be a "little red book" but blue is the new color of communists progressives after all, so it kind of makes sense, I guess.
Why do I think the current day's little red .. er .. blue book could be a problem? Well, unless the authors have their tongues firmly on the inside of their cheeks, it has all the makings of something that could go from "an unofficial requirement for every citizen to own, to read, and to carry this book at all times", as the editors of The History Company say about their new book "Pocket Obama", to an official requirement. With the way President ObaMao keeps showing clear signs of trying to edge us closer and closer toward "democratic socialism", can you think something like this could be far behind?
Pocket Obama (10 copies)
Printed
in a size that easily fits into pocket or purse, this book is an
anthology of quotations borrowed from Barack Obama's speeches and
writings.
POCKET OBAMA serves as a reminder of the amazing power of oratory and
the remarkable ability of this man to move people with his words. His
superb and captivating oratory style has earned comparisons to John F.
Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and this historic collection presents
words that catapulted his remarkable rise to the American Presidency.
It is an unofficial requirement for every citizen to own, to read, and
to carry this book at all times.
The little blue book includes themes of democracy, politics, war,
terrorism, race, community, jurisprudence, faith, personal
responsibility, national identity, and above all, his hoped-for vision
of a new America. POCKET OBAMA is a portable, everyday primer for
readers who want to examine the substance of his thought and reflect on
the next great chapter in the American story.
SAVE $10.00 on the purchase of this exclusive 10-copy pack.
For single copy purchase of POCKET OBAMA go to Amazon.com
As one friend's husband said when he heard about this and the editors' comment: "Papers, please?"
If you want to buy the book from the History Company, you have to buy them in quantities of 10. If you want to buy single copies, you can order them from Amazon.com ... but you might want to read the comments first. As of this posting, there are currently seven (7) pages of comments.
A couple of my favorites:
and
and
The preface/description could be viewed as being parody. Or, if the publisher actually is an Obamaton and zealot, it could be serious. I've certainly heard many Obama supporters, from the regular person off the street all the way to Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann, espouse far more extreme embracements of Obama. So this could very well be serious.
I certainly hope it is a joke. If it isn't, this is not a good sign of things to come. With the cultish behavior of Obama supporters all across the country, though, it has become very hard to discern what is a joke and what is actual idol worship.
Why do I compare it to Chairman Mao's "little red book"?
Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (simplified Chinese: 毛主席语录; pinyin: Máo zhǔxí yǔlù), better known in the West as The Little Red Book, was published by the Government of the People's Republic of China from April 1964 until approximately 1976. As its title implies, it is a collection of quotations excerpted from Mao Zedong's past speeches and publications. The book's alternative title The Little Red Book was coined by the West for its pocket-sized edition, which was specifically printed and sold to facilitate easy carrying. The closest equivalent in Chinese is 红宝书 (hóng bǎoshū), literally "The Red Treasured Book", which was a term popular during the Cultural Revolution. "Little Red Book" in Chinese would be 小红书 (xiăo hóngshū).
The most printed book in history, Quotations had an estimated 5 to 6.5 billion copies printed during Mao's attempt to transform Chinese society. The book's phenomenal popularity may be due to the fact that it was essentially an unofficial requirement for every Chinese citizen to own, to read, and to carry it at all times during the later half of Mao's rule, especially during the Cultural Revolution.
During the Cultural Revolution, studying the book was not only required in schools but was also a standard practice in the workplace as well. All units, in the industrial, commercial, agricultural, civil service, and military sectors, organized group sessions for the entire workforce to study the book during working hours. Quotes from Mao were either bold-faced or highlighted in red, and almost all writing, including scientific essays, had to quote Mao.
To defend against the theory that it would be counter-productive, it was argued that understanding Mao's quotes could definitely bring about enlightenment to the work unit, resulting in production improvement to offset the time lost.
During the 1960s, the book was the single most visible icon in mainland China, even more visible than the image of the Chairman himself. In posters and pictures created by CPC's propaganda artists, nearly every painted character, except Mao himself, either smiling or looking determined, was always seen with a copy of the book in his or her hand.
After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 and the rise of Deng Xiaoping in 1978, the importance of the book waned considerably, and the glorification of Mao's quotations was considered to be left deviationism and a cult of personality. The original books now became a collector's item and some editions are highly sought after. [1]
Mao's quotations are categorized into 33 chapters in the book. Its topics mainly deal with Mao's ideology, known in the West as Maoism and officially as "Mao Zedong Thought."
Somehow I don't think we're that far off the mark on this one. God forbid this should become required reading ... but if it were to, I'd say study up and be able to tell 'em what they want to hear. They've been doing it to us for so long they won't recognize it when it's reversed, will they?
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