Literature on American Ideals

[Pyxis]

This is just a hypothetical question.

A group of Americans are to leave and colonize a distant part of the world. They will not have any more contact with anyone from America or any other part of the world.

Which books or documents should the colonists take with them so as not to lose their "American-ness" and so they don't repeat the mistakes of their "forebears". Also which texts should not be brought along.


i.e. declaration of Independance, Constitution, Federalist Papers, etc.

This was a question on one of my finals and I'm just wondering what other people would have put down.

 

[Vadatajs]

Everything I would suggest would be critical of american ideals. If we don't want to make the same mistakes, why the hell would we want to have the same ideals???

Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum
Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot - Al Franken
Corporation Nation - Charles Derber

I would not bring the constitution or bill of rights, but I would bring the declaration of independence.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Thoreau's Walden
Robert Persig's Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance
Jack London's White Fang, and Call Of The Wild
Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

There are many other books that I should like to take along with me if I were among those leaving, but most of them are not relevant to the question at hand, so I'll not mention them.

ZV

EDIT: Forgot this one: George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984. Don't want those explorers to lose their senses and become Commies.

 

[UltraQuiet]

<< Everything I would suggest would be critical of american ideals. If we don't want to make the same mistakes, why the hell would we want to have the same ideals??? >>



Please explain to everyone what it is that is so flawed in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

 

[Czar]

Something by Denis Leary

 

[Amused]

The Constitution and Federalist papers.

Anything by Ayn Rand.

 

[Pyxis]

Anyone else?

 

[Pyxis]

Let's try this.

Which documents would you choose NOT to bring with you, and why?