Going postal : rage, murder, and rebellion : from Reagan's workplaces to Clinton's Columbine and beyond

Exploring the rage-murder phenomenon that has both plagued and baffled America for the last three decades, Going Postal offers provocative answers to the oft-asked question, "Why?"American workers and children are rebelling violently all around us. By juxtaposing the historical place of rage in America with the social climate that has existed since the 1980s--when Reaganomics began to widen the gap between executive and average-worker earnings--Ames crafts a convincing argument that these schoolyard and office massacres can be seen as modern-day slave rebellions. He explores numerous fascinating and unexpected cases in detail, showing that as with slave rebellions, these massacres are doomed, gory, sometimes even inadvertently comic, and grossly misunderstood. Taking up where Bowling for Columbine left off, this book seeks to set these murders in their proper context, thereby revealing their true meaning. Ames updates this edition with an eye toward recent events, including several new essays taking on the violent episodes at Northern Illinois and Virginia Tech universities, as well as workplace outrages like that in Alabama in March 2009. With the economy slumping and shooting rampages seemingly on the rise, Ames's wide-scoped explanations have never been more prudent. "A look at school and workplace shootings in America, Going Postal explores the rage-murder phenomenon that has plagued - and baffled - America for the last three decades, and offers some provocative answers to the oft-asked question, Why?" "Taking up where Bowling for Columbine left off, this book seeks to set these murders in their proper context and thereby reveal their meaning. By juxtaposing the historical place of rage in America with the social climate that has existed since the 1980s - when Reaganomics began to widen the gap between executive and average-worker earnings - Mark Ames, the founding editor of the Moscow-based newspaper the eXile, crafts a compelling argument that these school-yard and office massacres can be seen as modern-day slave rebellions." "Presenting many fascinating and unexpected cases in detail, Ames shows us the true nature of these massacres - doomed, gory, sometimes even inadvertently comic, and grossly misunderstood, much like the slave rebellions were viewed in their time." "An indictment of the hypocrisy and venality of American government and business, Going Postal shows us that the real killer is the degrading and humiliating system that strips us all of our humanity."--BOOK JACKET Going Postal examines the phenomenon of rage murder that took America by storm in the early 1980's and has since grown yearly in body counts and symbolic value. By looking at massacres in schools and offices as post-industrial rebellions, Mark Ames is able to juxtapose the historical place of rage in America with the social climate after Reaganomics began to effect worker's paychecks. But why high schools? Why post offices? Mark Ames examines the most fascinating and unexpected cases, crafting a convincing argument for workplace massacres as modern day slave rebellions. Like slave rebellions, rage massacres are doomed, gory, sometimes inadvertently comic, and grossly misunderstood. Going Postal seeks to contextualize this violence in a world where working isn'tand doesnt paywhat it used to. Part social critique and part true crime page-turner, Going Postal answers the questions asked by commentators on the nightly news and films such as Bowling for Columbine. SUMMARY: An eye-opening look at the phenomenon of school and workplace shootings in America, Going Postal explores the rage-murder phenomenon that has plagued - and baffled - America for the last three decades, and offers some provocative answers to the oft-asked question, ''Why?'' By juxtaposing the historical place of rage in America with the social climate that has existed since the 1980s - when Reaganomics began to widen the gap between executive and average-worker earnings - the author crafts a convincing argument that these schoolyard and office massacres can be seen as modern-day slave rebellions. He presents many fascinating and unexpected cases in detail. Like slave rebellions, these massacres are doomed, gory, sometimes even inadvertently comic, and grossly misunderstood. Taking up where Bowling for Columbine left off, this book seeks to set these murders in their proper context and thereby reveal their meaning.