He wants people to believe that the benefit lies in receiving $ instead (the currency only the US issues). And on that basis argues other countries had the better end of that deal.

But why would the country that issues $ prioritise accumulating $ over real goods and services?

And of course another option is to offer generous training and employment for the currently unemployed in construction, so that we can deliver on these homes quicker.

Japan had to stop construction of some major works when the tsunami hit and they needed to rebuild homes.

We have to look at it like that. Otherwise either we simply can’t get started on building homes or we enter into a bidding war with the private sector for the few skilled labour there is.

we become disconnected from the needs of those around us.

Amongst many others.

There are big BIG topics here. So I agree with the NYT review back in the day that claimed that this book “should be required reading for the entire human race”.

Anyway, back to economics. Enjoy!

how language, and more specifically mythology (magical realism), can be used to convey truths or lie about it.

The difficult balancing act of remembering and learning from the past (our history) while avoiding becoming obsessed with it.

The solitude that results when for example,

while being subjected to the mistakes of its leaders and balancing connection with the outer world while fending off unwelcomed external influences.

There are however many good lessons in there that will be relevant to other societies Eg.:

How we build meaning out of historical events. And

use of a 3rd person narrator) that you maintain an emotional distance from them to be able to assess their faults and good attributes more critically.

The text is of huge importance to LATAM because its events feel familiar to our history. In general, a new society trying to forge its own way

to modern moral standards.

Well, those events didn’t stand well to the moral standards of when the book was written either, or even the moral standard of its own author. So my view is you’re not really meant to identify with any individual characters morals. The novel encourages (e.g. through its

One of the key complaints I hear from those who’ve read the novel (and I’m sure those who’ll see the series) is that it is difficult to identify with any one character (specially as there are so many). More so I’ve seen recent reviews that claim that certain events in the book don’t stand up well

Fascinating.