Ted Cruz - Fake Best Selling Author

[ll74]

And uses campaign funds to fake it

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zachev...bought-153000-worth-of-books/?sh=1926bf612e15

 

[KeithD]

Pretty much all politicians do this--as well as all CEO types. Publishers will fudge the sales numbers on anything they've predetermined they want to go to best-seller, as well.

 

[Biggs_Darklighter]

Many times I've read a "bestseller" and said how in the actual fuck did this pile of shit become a bestseller? Now I know.
Definitely explains James Patterson.

 

[mayfly13]

Pretty much all politicians do this--as well as all CEO types.

Publishers will fudge the sales numbers on anything they've predetermined they want to go to best-seller, as well.

Geebus.

We expect that with politicians and CEO types, but the publishing industry enabling such things? Buying your way into being seen as an intellectual or best selling author?

That's not just corruption, it's also Banana Republic stuff.

 

[mayfly13]

It would also be nice to hear more about organizations that expose crooked systems.
The Ombudsman and Campaignlegal, who exposed Cruz seem cool, I see that they went after Reps and Dems alike.

There was also this Wolf-PAC movement that sought to collect signatures to stop rich donors financing presidential candidates, but it fizzled. Probably because mainstream massmedia kept them under the radar.

 

[Champakian]

Geebus.

We expect that with politicians and CEO types, but the publishing industry enabling such things? Buying your way into being seen as an intellectual or best selling author?

That's not just corruption, it's also Banana Republic stuff.

Well, yeah. They exist to make a profit.
They are willfully blind to the actual mechanisms.
Their sole purpose is not to just print books, but move them too...

 

[mayfly13]

Yes you're right.
It's also the price one pays for freedom/private publishers. I'd rather have such low-level chicken-shit scams from smaller publishers, than a state-controlled publishing industry.

I was thinking about the big, reputable players, like the NYTimes lists of bestsellers and top public intellectuals.
What BiggsDarklighter said, ("Many times I've read a "bestseller" and said how in the actual fuck did this pile of shit become a bestseller? Now I know.") I was subconsciously feeling too at times.
But I kept forcing myself to read and try to think that way, because they're the experts, right?

Then I hear from Keith that it's a wider-spread practice.

Well, yeah. They exist to make a profit.
They are willfully blind to the actual mechanisms.
Their sole purpose is not to just print books, but move them too...

It's mind blowing for me, because it all ties up into my recent shift in thinking.

Most of us know that Western corporations and politicians are corrupt, but as to the more intellectual stuff, we used to think: if it comes from China, India or a 2nd-3rd world country, beware of scams or poor quality . If it comes from England, Germany or the US, it's legit.
And it was true for many decades.

But remember when I told you about the CELTA scam (Cambridge University are getting rich on the back of nonNative E speakers with atrocious accents, by selling them pipe dreams about jobs in Asia, when Asians only want native E speakers?). And the two top Australian Colleges who falsely advertise big paying jobs like SEO coders, when you get the same job for 2 bucks on Freelancer?

Now I hear about the Western publishing industry.

Honestly. It's like scammers are everywhere, they've started to infiltrate even the best Academic institutions in the world.

 

[Champakian]

Corrupt is a subjective valuation.

The bigger you are, the more closely you adhere to the rules.
Of course, they bigger you are, the more rule makers you can purchase...

 

[mayfly13]

Corrupt is a subjective valuation.

The bigger you are, the more closely you adhere to the rules.
Of course, they bigger you are, the more rule makers you can purchase...

Btw: re what Biggs/Keith were saying:

Tbh, I was feeling that too, about Michelle Obama's book "Becoming".
Overhyped by NYTimes as a bestseller.

I like Michelle, she was the classiest most intelligent first lady, and I have a hunch that she was disillusioned too by the crony hypocrisy of politicians.
But I saw no reason why people would buy her book in drones.
People buy books written by celebrities/politicians only if they make explosive allegations like sex or corruption, her book was promising to focus more on her feelings no explosive revelations.




But at least Others hyped Michelle's book, unlike Ted Cruz...
How embarassing... I think his ears are red with shame after the revelations.

 

[Champakian]

Classier then Jackie?


Sorry, I'm not buying that. She was a crass and cheap imitation of the real thing.

 

[mayfly13]

I don't know...
Most people in 2nd world Europe liked Barack for many years, he was so sophisticated and his minority status also gave us all hope.
But now I'm looking back at his interviews, and he comes across as a woodden, well-rehearsed actor focused on impression management.

Jacqui Kennedy and Melania Trump displayed ladylike behaviors too, but one never got a glimpse of who they really where underneath. A bit like Barack Obama.
I had a supervisor (Indian actually) who was admired by many for being ladylike and gracious, but students couldn't stand her because she used to dob them and even lie, to cover herself.

Classier then Jackie?

Sorry, I'm not buying that. She was a crass and cheap imitation of the real thing.

You say Michelle was focused on her image too?
I haven't watched her enough actually, so my image of her is probably also projection.
I always thought she was more real.

That's why I liked both her and Trump in the beginning.

 

[ll74]

Pretty much all politicians do this--as well as all CEO types. Publishers will fudge the sales numbers on anything they've predetermined they want to go to best-seller, as well.

The majority go straight to the publisher and buy a few thousand at most. They don't go to Books A Million and buys 100k+ (which is half of the overall book sales and directly led to the book getting on the best seller list

 

[KeithD]

The majority go straight to the publisher and buy a few thousand at most. They don't go to Books A Million and buys 100k+ (which is half of the overall book sales and directly led to the book getting on the best seller list

Umm, no, not a politician, corporate CEO, or entertainment name. They all do it this way. I've been working in mainline publishing (and for publishers) for decades. This is how it's done. It's a point to hit them all on, not just Crux. And it's the publishers doing it this way.

In addition to puffing up sales this way, they'll do mass buying in the limited markets that feed the best-seller lists. The buying in the Books A Million type markets is to conserve money while you're working on boosting the sales rates.

At least with the politicians, they have a huge crowd to dispense the free books to. For some other categories the books just have to be mulched afterward.

 

[KeithD]

Melania Trump displayed ladylike behaviors too,

Like posing in the nude and diddling another woman? You're really not doing well enough to cover your Trumpism.

Melania Trump came into the country under an inappropriate "Genius class" immigration exception based on a lie that she had a degree in architecture. She doesn't. She was brought into the country to be a call girl and to appear in nudie sex photos and videos. That's OK, considering we're posting to a porn board, but it disqualifies her for any connection to "ladylike behaviors."

And it IDs you as a Trumper.