2. A lot of writers are familiar with the Last Chapter Problem. The problem is that after you spend a whole book explaining what's wrong with the world, readers (reasonably) want you to explain how to fix it.
3. But sometimes it's hard to explain how to fix deep, persisting problems (like, say, big bank capture of the political system, in 13 Bankers)—otherwise they would have been fixed already.
4. Take Back Our Party does not have the Last Chapter Problem.
In a sense, all of Take Back Our Party is the "last chapter" to my previous books.
In a sense, all of Take Back Our Party is the "last chapter" to my previous books.
5. It's easy to blame things on Republicans, because they are unequivocally bad guys. But when it comes to issues like inequality (or financial regulation), the real problem is the Democrats, for the following reason.
6. Big business and the wealthy will always have their party. That's just how things work.
The problem with our political system is that everyone else is supposed to have their party, too. That was supposed to be the Democrats.
The problem with our political system is that everyone else is supposed to have their party, too. That was supposed to be the Democrats.
7. But the Democrats have instead become another party of capital (to quote @CoreyRobin ). That's what Chapter 1 of Take Back Our Party is about.
crookedtimber.org/2016/11/06/viv…
crookedtimber.org/2016/11/06/viv…
8. That's why the solution—to many problems—is that we need to take back the Democratic Party for the 99%. And the last chapter of my new book explains how.
9. Instead of talking in vague terms about how we are responsible stewards of market capitalism (growth, innovation, fiscal responsibility, etc.), we need to talk about the real problems that people face: health care, education, housing, and retirement, for starters.
10. We need to take those issues off the table, like Medicare did for retiree health care more than fifty years ago. Medicare for All. Free college. Federally funded affordable housing. Expanded Social Security benefits.
11. These are basic necessities of life. A decent society has to make sure everyone has them. And government is the tool we use to do that. It isn't just a committee of technocrats deciding what clever nudges to apply to make markets work more efficiently.
12. This is pretty clearly the economic platform of Sanders and Warren. It's pretty clearly not the platform of any other primary candidates.
13. It's time to choose. As Jesse Jackson said thirty years ago:
"We cannot be all things to all people. We have to determine which side of history we are on."
Enjoy!
prospect.org/takebackourpar…
"We cannot be all things to all people. We have to determine which side of history we are on."
Enjoy!
prospect.org/takebackourpar…
