I'm currently reading Chomsky's Necessary Illusions: Thought Control in Democratic Societies which quite appropriate for these days. I wryly read his comments on the Reagan presidency (the book is based on some November, 1988 lectures) where he notes that, unless carefully coached, President Reagan would say quite outrageous things. That's when Chomsky points out how interesting it was that during these eight years, the country was, for practical purposes, without a head of state. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I surprise myself in that I've read very little Chomsky. I find him a bit of a difficult read, mostly because my reading style is less than completely concentrated. Chomsky repays close attention while reading with a wealth of insight and detail. It's easy to understand why many consider him a preeminently and outstanding critical thinker on the left. His analysis is deft and informed. If I can, I'd like to read Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media.

['Tho unimportant in the grand scheme of things, I'm still getting used to copying LPs to the computer. Latest additions: A pair of Screaming Blue Messiahs releases which have been out of print for a long time, Bikini Red and Totally Religious. Yum!]