Sales soar of book Chavez gave Obama....LOL

[monmouth]

Sales Soar of Book Chavez Gave Obama

April 18, 2009 4:49 PM

Just after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez gave President Obama a present this morning of a book that criticizes the role of the United States in Latin America -- "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" by Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano -- its Amazon sales rank was No. 54,295.

Just a few minutes ago it was No. 20.

- Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller

UPDATE: At 4:54 pm EDT - rank is #17.

UPDATE: At 5:42 pm EST - rank is #14.

www.huffingtonpost.com

[Idealism]

1. Good, Galeano writes with passion and is a devoted leftist

The book will be a wakeup call to many, especially Americans, over how we have trashed the entire continent and shit on democratically elected regimes by staging coup after military coup due to our insatiable thirst for resources.

[dem629]

8. Does he write about infant mortality rates?

[Idealism]

17. I am not sure what you are getting at

The US has a higher infant mortality rate than certain Latin American countries, like ol' primative Cuba for one.

[LWolf]

2. Obama allowed Chavez to give him a book?

He refused a book from me; I sent it on election day, with my congratulations.

It came back unopened, with an explanation from an aid that Obama doesn't take "gifts."

[panader0]

4. What book?

[LWolf]

11. "The Courage To Teach," by Parker Palmer. nt

[jbnow]

7. Russ Feingold does the same thing, no gifts, has

refused to accept even books.

But if you were a head of state he's accept your gift or even give you one that everyone could criticize

[LWolf]

12. So, if I understand you,

gifts from simple citizens are proscribed, but gifts from power holders are not.

Of course, I didn't consider the book a "gift." I considered it a discussion of philosophy that should inform policy.

[dem629]

13. Send it back to them...

...with a note: "It's not a gift. He can send me a check."

:P

[LWolf]

16. Heh.

I originally considered cutting the book up, and sending just the most pertinent sections, a few at a time.

Then he appointed Arne Duncan, and I figured, why bother? He's not going to go anywhere I want him to.

Then I figured again, why the fuck should that matter? I think I'll start sending him regular articles, etc., offering a wide variety of powerful voices on the issue of public education, all that conflict with his agenda.

[eridani]

23. Chavez can't vote for Obama or donate to his campaign. You can. n/t

[LWolf]

26. Yes, but

I can't think of why I would.

Donate to someone who's agenda so directly conflicts with mine. I didn't donate to his campaign. I figured that sending him congratulations and some ideas to consider (since he said he would listen) was a way to leave the door open.

[SoCalDem]

3. Look out Oprah.. Hugo's Book Club is born

:)

[mix]

6. lol

[Hannah Bell]

14. He'd prob'ly pick more interesting books than oprah. not been able to get through

one of her picks yet. bleh.

[EFerrari]

15. LOL! I've read of him and other LaAm leaders trading books before.

That's so 20th Century. :)

[malaise]

21. Here's his website

http://www.progressive.org/galeano

and his article on Obama the day after he won the election

http://www.progressive.org/mag/galeano110708.html
<snip>
Once President, will Obama, who supported the recent gift of $700 billion to the banking industry, continue the usual practice of privatizing profits while socializing losses?

I fear that he will, though I hope that he won’t.

Will Obama sign and abide by the Kyoto agreement, or will he continue to allow the biggest polluter on the planet to pollute with impunity? Will he govern for people, or for automobiles? Will he shift the devastating course of a way of life in which the few steal the destiny of the many?

I fear he won’t, though I hope he will.

Will Obama, the first black President of the United States, realize the dream of Martin Luther King, or the nightmare of Condoleezza Rice?

This White House, which is now his house, was built with the labor of black slaves. Let’s hope he never forgets that.

[Kahuna]

19. LOL! Now THAT's a DUzy!

:rofl:

[mix]

5. what good news n/t

[lunatica]

9. Reading the learned scholars and historians from other countries

certainly gives a good head start to understanding our mutual relationships. Chavez is no idiot. He made sure the world saw him do that and he held the book in such a way that the cameras caught the title. Obama looked a little worried, like he thought Chavez was going to pull a fast one and try to embarrass him. I'm very glad Chavez didn't have that intent. Of course Latin and South American leaders would never do that. It's totally against their etiquette and customs as hosts. They would be mortified.

[Nostalgic]

10. Right after I read about the story, I had a look myself at

the prices of the book, secondhand.

[PufPuf23]

18. I ordered one nt

[malaise]

20. What is shocking is that M$Greedia has failed to link with

one academic or anyone else who has read this book. It is 30 years old although there was a 25th anniversary edition.


Instead they assumed it was an insult to Obama rather than a gentle suggestion that he read one of the seminal works on the continent. It has been required reading for Latin American students for ages.

[starroute]

22. It's now up to #11

Of course, #10 is "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!" -- so it's not exactly clear that being behind that is anything to write home about. Still, I guess you take what you can get.

[Nostalgic]

24. #7 now

[Fireweed247]

25. now at #2

:applause:

I think Chavez must feel really good about this, not just because the US propaganda campaign against him has failed, but just to know that everyone does care about what has/is happening in South America.