Why We’re Liberals – Eric Alterman
In the forward to this book, Eric explores to evolution of the term liberal and how it has been changed from a desirable adjective to an insult. Since a majority of Americans actually believe in and approve of liberal ideals – and reap rewards from them daily – it is interesting – and disturbing - how the conservatives have managed to manipulate people into turning their backs on the term that describes what they believe in.
For my entire lifetime I have surrounded myself mostly with liberals – from my family to my friends - and believed that conservatives that are so prevalent today were simply an absurd caricature or relegated to crazed backwoods hillbillys.
I know that the conservatives that we knew when I was younger were usually the crotchety, elderly parents (or grandparents) of some that we rolled our eyes at as they ranted about commies, gays, minorities or feminists. Now, we have the same elderly, but also young people listening to and parroting these insane views. People are becoming more and more selfish and obsessed with their own personal monetary gain, rather than the good of the majority and the country. Big business and big profits are all that matters to these people now and f’k the rest of the country and the world.
They claim to believe in smaller government but support this administration which expanded our government to extremes undreamed of, but only for negative purposes. Just about any sane person would relish our government shrinking, but only in the right ways – less law breaking and Big Brother techniques and more helping our fellow man.
The majority of the book is less “why we are liberals” than it is a lesson in dispelling the many myths about liberalism and showing the hypocrisy of the conservatives.
He lists a number of undeniably positive changes and accomplishments that liberals have made in this country – specifically rights for minorities, women, gays and secularism of our public institutions – but points out that the processes that were used still anger some people.
Alterman is not easy on the liberals – especially liberal politicians – who he describes as anything from naïve to plain stupid.
While I understand that Alterman plays devil’s advocate throughout, he actually sounds fairly conservative from a liberal’s point of view in many ways. He certainly tries to make a case for liberals to compromise with conservatives rather than the other way around, even in cases of basic rights. Several times he basically says that we shouldn’t try so hard to move so far on people’s rights, because it offends ultra-conservatives and could turn people away from a view that they might – eventually – endorse.
It is interesting that Alterman does have a habit of interchanging “liberal” and “Democrat” as if no one could be one without the other. Of course, it is more likely to be both, but not necessary. And the fact that he feels a need to convince that most liberals are religious – while somewhat understandable in our ultra-conservation and overly religious day and age – is almost offensive. Though it is fascinating, by his studies, the religious were at least as dedicated to maintaining the separation of church and state, because they didn’t want the state to influence religion. Funny how that has been turned around!
Overall, a good read and an overview and refutation of the many lies that conservatives say about the rest of us!
For my entire lifetime I have surrounded myself mostly with liberals – from my family to my friends - and believed that conservatives that are so prevalent today were simply an absurd caricature or relegated to crazed backwoods hillbillys.
I know that the conservatives that we knew when I was younger were usually the crotchety, elderly parents (or grandparents) of some that we rolled our eyes at as they ranted about commies, gays, minorities or feminists. Now, we have the same elderly, but also young people listening to and parroting these insane views. People are becoming more and more selfish and obsessed with their own personal monetary gain, rather than the good of the majority and the country. Big business and big profits are all that matters to these people now and f’k the rest of the country and the world.
They claim to believe in smaller government but support this administration which expanded our government to extremes undreamed of, but only for negative purposes. Just about any sane person would relish our government shrinking, but only in the right ways – less law breaking and Big Brother techniques and more helping our fellow man.
The majority of the book is less “why we are liberals” than it is a lesson in dispelling the many myths about liberalism and showing the hypocrisy of the conservatives.
He lists a number of undeniably positive changes and accomplishments that liberals have made in this country – specifically rights for minorities, women, gays and secularism of our public institutions – but points out that the processes that were used still anger some people.
Alterman is not easy on the liberals – especially liberal politicians – who he describes as anything from naïve to plain stupid.
While I understand that Alterman plays devil’s advocate throughout, he actually sounds fairly conservative from a liberal’s point of view in many ways. He certainly tries to make a case for liberals to compromise with conservatives rather than the other way around, even in cases of basic rights. Several times he basically says that we shouldn’t try so hard to move so far on people’s rights, because it offends ultra-conservatives and could turn people away from a view that they might – eventually – endorse.
It is interesting that Alterman does have a habit of interchanging “liberal” and “Democrat” as if no one could be one without the other. Of course, it is more likely to be both, but not necessary. And the fact that he feels a need to convince that most liberals are religious – while somewhat understandable in our ultra-conservation and overly religious day and age – is almost offensive. Though it is fascinating, by his studies, the religious were at least as dedicated to maintaining the separation of church and state, because they didn’t want the state to influence religion. Funny how that has been turned around!
Overall, a good read and an overview and refutation of the many lies that conservatives say about the rest of us!
posted by rich at 1:45 PM
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