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What I've been reading
1. Ice, by Vladimir Sorokin. A totally lurid, highly sexed, contemporary Russian, pre-apocalyptic mix of science fiction and horror. I finished it.
2. The Once and Future King, T.H. White. Oddly absent from Law and Literature syllabi, I'm teaching this in my next class. This is many people's favorite book. It's written in a simple manner, but it cumulates in an oddly beautiful way.
3. What economists should learn from sociology, not to mention Arnold Kling on me, and Brad DeLong on Milton Friedman.
4. How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It, by Patricia Love and Steven Stosny. The claim: talking about relationship problems is an inherently shameful activity for the man and thus it will fail; the couple should just read this book and do what is best.
5. Econoblog with Ed Glaeser and Daron Acemoglu, on democracy and economic growth. If Greg Mankiw can debate Jacqueline Passey, Ed can cite Borat as evidence in a dialog with a world-class economist.
6. Invading Mexico: America's Continental Dream and the Mexican War, 1846-1848 by Joseph Wheelan. If you wish to embarrass your friends (and yourself), ask them whether they would in retrospect support the U.S. conquest of territory from Mexico.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on March 13, 2007 at 07:43 AM in Books | Permalink
Comments
"If you wish to embarrass your friends (and yourself), ask them whether they would in retrospect support the U.S. conquest of territory from Mexico."
The answer is, absolutely, yes. Indeed, the fact that Polk is one of the great underrated presidents is evidence of a modern sensibility of which you seem to partake, that fighting wars that result in territorial expansion is somehow wrong.
Polk came into office on the explicit premise that he would settle the two outstanding border disputes the US had with its major neighbors (the other was over the Pacific Northwest--the famous "54-40 or fight" dispute), by diplomacy if possible, by force if necessary. He settled the Northwest border with Canada (actually the UK at the time) peacefully, and the border with Mexico by force.
The Texans wanted to be protected from Mexico: Mexico wanted them to be under their thumb. Lopez de Santa Anna (the guy who got Mexico into this mess to begin with, back in 1836) was a thug, who thought he could brush the US aside. He was wrong, as were the other Mexican politicians and generals who thought the same. Their miscalculations led to war, which Mexico lost fair and square, establishing thereby that the US would dominate North America.
I am completely mystified as to why I should be embarrassed by any of this. And if you still think so, ask anyone from Texas what *they* think.
Posted by: David Hecht at Mar 13, 2007 9:19:36 AM
The marriage book looks great. I think the title is somewhat misleading, as communication can be and often is the servant to emotional connection, but maybe it's important to contrast the two like that so as to help couples understand that connection is the most important thing, and anything that facilitates that is probably (emphasis on "probably") good. Oftentimes, that will be communication, and more importantly, actively listening. But always with the goal of being of one heart - not with the goal of injuring the other person. I may check this book out.
Posted by: Jason Voorhees at Mar 13, 2007 10:14:43 AM
Jackie = Borat?
Posted by: Steve Miller at Mar 13, 2007 10:29:10 AM
I am from Texas.
I distinguish the Texas Revolution and the war between the US and Mexico. I am not at all embarrassed that Texas gained its independence. Santa Anna had aristocratic sensibilities. He did not believe that ordinary Mexicans could be trusted with self-rule. He overthrew his own presidency in imitation of Napolean. Many Mexican regions rebelled, including Tejas. Tejas became the Republic of Texas, fair and square.
The entry of Texas into the US would not be Mexico's business except... - a disputed border between Texas and Mexico. I am a little embarrassed that the Polk administration decided to settle that issue by force. I am much more embarrassed that the Polk administration took (I'm sorry, "bought") California, Arizona, New Mexico, etc.
Having said that, the material condition of people of Mexican descent is much better on the US side of the Rio Grande than the Mexican side (and voting with the feet reinforces that observation). If the residents of Texas and the Mexican Cession that are of Mexican descent (or partial Mexican descent) held a referendum on returning the region to Mexican rule, how do you think it would come out? That was not a rhetorical question.
Posted by: evm at Mar 13, 2007 10:29:53 AM
Are you implying that Ed Glaeser is not a world class economist?
Posted by: Andy at Mar 13, 2007 11:15:36 AM
Some editions of The Once and Future King are great: some have mangled it, and White's intentions for it. I hope you got one of the good ones!
Posted by: Seamus McCauley at Mar 13, 2007 11:30:44 AM
Glaeser is one of the best economists in the world...
Posted by: Tyler Cowen at Mar 13, 2007 11:37:13 AM
Imagine what a blessing it would have been for ALL the citizens of Mexico to have come under the US Constitution!
Imagine a plebicite now, offering Mexico a chance to join the US. What do you think the results would be,assuming an honest election?
Posted by: Kent Guida at Mar 13, 2007 12:11:02 PM
Tyler,
Do you agree with DeLong and Posner's view of Friedman?
Posted by: Michael Martin at Mar 13, 2007 1:05:12 PM
If you liked Ice, recommend reading Omon Ra and Babylon by Victor Pelevin.
Posted by: Eugeniu at Mar 13, 2007 2:14:49 PM
I'm also curious what is embarrassing about the US-Mexico war? I think it worked out great.
My main complaint is we should have taken more territory. At least Baja California. I mean, come on, it's named California!
We need more coastlines in this country. Another reason why Cuba should be the 51st state.
Manifest Destiny was a good thing. Ideally we'd have the whole North American continent. We could have pushed any restless natives into Colombia.
Sure we'd have less interesting forms of poverty to tour to our South. I think the massive increase in human welfare would be worth it though.
Posted by: jim at Mar 13, 2007 2:43:00 PM
Things may be great for Mexican-Americans in Texas now, but at the time,
the "liberty" that the Texans fought for was the liberty to own slaves,
slavery having been outlawed in Mexico.
The Once and Future King has some very elegant language and some
fabulously obscure words that send one to the OED to find them out.
Fumits anybody?
Posted by: Barkley Rosser at Mar 13, 2007 5:17:13 PM
With the Once and Future King (which is excellent), also read The Book of Merlyn. It's the fifth book (books 1 through 4 are in the Once and Future King). But the publisher originally refused to publish the Book of Merlyn, citing wartime paper shortages. The Book of Merlyn is anti-war, anti-government, and the publisher's decision smells of censorship. It's a good book, and the perfect read after Once and Future King.
Posted by: Bill Conerly at Mar 13, 2007 9:58:33 PM
Here's another take on your Cato Unbound piece, by Wirkman Virkkala (by way of criticising Jonah Goldberg's repsonse to your piece):
http://wirkman.net/izens/index.php/izen/2007/03/12/jonah
Posted by: Babatu Ferguson at Mar 13, 2007 11:51:19 PM
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