Bob Gould on the evolution of revolutionary thought since 1905. Proving that old lefties don’t die, they just write a lot. Bob Gould is the sixty-something proprietor of a series of alternative bookshops, starting in Goulburn St (Sydney) and now located in King St, Newtown. He is a major contributor to Leftwrites. You don’t have to agree with Bob to see that the non-left forces could use some people with that amount of background and energy to put current issues into a framework of history, political and economic theory and organisational practice.
Propping up dictators in the Third World. Complaints about the cost of the 40th birthday party for Swaziland. On the same site, a study that shows the “amplification effect” of aid on democratization: when a nation is moving in the right direction, Western aid helps, but when it is not, the aid only makes greedy dictators more greedy and dictatorial.
A mordant commentary on the bailout of the US “dud loans” giants.
An estimate of the likely cost of the bailout, with a scary graph to demonstrate the extent of inflation in the housing market, representing the biggest speculative bubble in history. Prices to fall by 30% to 50% (but not in all areas).
I appreciate a blog that can appreciate both old lefties and Austrians in a single post.
yes Bob Gould is an extremely knowledgable bloke. Good value! Alas, his style of Leftism is not long for this world.
Just like video and the radio star, so the Luvvies killed the Left.
Thanks Richard, remember, Bob Gould and the Austrians are all special in the eyes of God!
Maybe I will do a post about some memories of Bob over the years, starting round about 1970 when I delivered “The Australian Humanist” quarterly to half a dozen bookshops when the regular distributor was out of town. And the evening when he burst into the pre-Moratorium meeting at the Musicians Club in Surry Hills demanding that the meeting move a motion of censure of some factional rivals who had used the opportunity of the meeting to break into his premises and take his printing press. And more recently when he hosted a debate between Keith Windschuttle and Paddy McGuinness versus Henry Reynolds and Hall Greenland over indiginous issues. And the not entirely welcome contribution that he made from the floor at the launch of Santamaria’s book of letters at Sydney Uni, just over the road from his Book Barn.
Rafe
Have you read Bob’s open letter to his old friend, KW? It’s really very good.
Yes, it is a treat but I got a shock when I decided to print it after reading a few sentences. It is about 70 pages!!!!!!!!! I like the feel of paper in my hands, but not that much paper.
There is a similar letter to another ex-colleague. Fortunately I checked the size before I printed that one.
I would have linked to the KW letter but did not have time to look for it. Don’t have time now either.
Rafe
Same here! :) When I printed it, it used up all my credit on my library printing card! :) But it really is a first class piece of Australian (or Sydney really) intellectual history.
fuck off Rafe you sycophantic old fool, desperate for a forum. You had no respect for leftists when you could get some traction on catallaxy – now you want to play in a centrist website…bit late now….