Rob Henderson joins the podcast to talk about his book Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. The conversation starts with a discussion about the recent controversy in which Rob was unable to find a book store that would host his launch.
I'm sure that many elites who grew up in stable homes and have gone on to have stable homes themselves do not understand just how detrimental NOT growing up in a stable home is, (I probably do not) but it that worth a book about how Henderson discovered this lacuna? And how much damage does elite ignorance do to anyone. Where does the ignorance rubber meet the policy road?
You hit upon annaspect if modern society that troubles me greatly and I think is the entire crux of all of our political issues these days... The problem of access to particular bookstores or other forums where your writing might be recieved.
This rings loudly of the 'citadel psychology' where the dominant culture, facing philosophical and political pressure from the majority, has thrown up walls and fences to prevent those raising valid questions from influencing their members.
We see thisnin the data centres and distribution centres surrounded by fencing and high security systems, a two-tier police force with a protectionist, exclusionary slant. The haves and the have-nots disenfranchised from the normal functions of capitalism.
In recent years it seems to me that it's "the rest of us", standing outside the citadel whobare debating and resolving philosophical questions while those behind the walls and preparing themselves for attack.
I have seen their fear directly. Having been utterly disenfranchised, rendered homeless, betrayed by family and lovers, threatened by fri3nds and strangers to a degree that would leave any sane person a gibbering wreck.
I scrape through my mental and daily survival knowing that I've done no harm, I've merely questioned those who hide behind the walls and challenged them to justify what seems to me to be a psychotic and narcissistic obsession with dominion.
The only threat to them is the idea of being the same as the rest of us. It's an irrational level of fear perpetuated by mass media fearmongering rhetoric and the instilled.fear that anyone who's 'different', and most especially those who think different, is a threat to be beaten into submission.
Talking amongst ourselves is mere catharsis and isn't tackling the lifelong instilled fears of those peeking out from their mental ramparts.
Question for Rob. Just finished the book and there is a lot of discussion of vices in this book, swearing, violence, criminality, drinking, drugs, but there was one vice, sex, that didn't get as much ink though did have occasional references. Was there a version of the book that had more discussion of intersex relationships? What was the reason to minimize this aspect? Marketability? Detracted too much from the main themes?
I'm sure that many elites who grew up in stable homes and have gone on to have stable homes themselves do not understand just how detrimental NOT growing up in a stable home is, (I probably do not) but it that worth a book about how Henderson discovered this lacuna? And how much damage does elite ignorance do to anyone. Where does the ignorance rubber meet the policy road?
You hit upon annaspect if modern society that troubles me greatly and I think is the entire crux of all of our political issues these days... The problem of access to particular bookstores or other forums where your writing might be recieved.
This rings loudly of the 'citadel psychology' where the dominant culture, facing philosophical and political pressure from the majority, has thrown up walls and fences to prevent those raising valid questions from influencing their members.
We see thisnin the data centres and distribution centres surrounded by fencing and high security systems, a two-tier police force with a protectionist, exclusionary slant. The haves and the have-nots disenfranchised from the normal functions of capitalism.
In recent years it seems to me that it's "the rest of us", standing outside the citadel whobare debating and resolving philosophical questions while those behind the walls and preparing themselves for attack.
I have seen their fear directly. Having been utterly disenfranchised, rendered homeless, betrayed by family and lovers, threatened by fri3nds and strangers to a degree that would leave any sane person a gibbering wreck.
I scrape through my mental and daily survival knowing that I've done no harm, I've merely questioned those who hide behind the walls and challenged them to justify what seems to me to be a psychotic and narcissistic obsession with dominion.
The only threat to them is the idea of being the same as the rest of us. It's an irrational level of fear perpetuated by mass media fearmongering rhetoric and the instilled.fear that anyone who's 'different', and most especially those who think different, is a threat to be beaten into submission.
Talking amongst ourselves is mere catharsis and isn't tackling the lifelong instilled fears of those peeking out from their mental ramparts.
Question for Rob. Just finished the book and there is a lot of discussion of vices in this book, swearing, violence, criminality, drinking, drugs, but there was one vice, sex, that didn't get as much ink though did have occasional references. Was there a version of the book that had more discussion of intersex relationships? What was the reason to minimize this aspect? Marketability? Detracted too much from the main themes?
I wrote a review of Troubled:
https://alexanderturok.substack.com/p/review-of-troubled
Note that this podcast, along with the last one about South Korea, is no longer downloadable.
What do you mean it’s no longer downloadable? It should be