This being said, after finishing this book, I couldn't help but wonder if Moulitsas and other left-wing bloggers and pundits (e.g. Daily Kos, Firedoglake, Huffington Post, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann) were paying attention to the advice in this book.
For instance, in Taking on the System, Moulitsas writes this: “
“Some battles are worth fighting to force rapid change, and choice and civil rights certainly qualify, but the fact remains that the most desirable pathway to change is slow, steady, and incremental, a process that can bring whole societies along. It’s the difference between having courts force something on the people, and having the people – through their elected representatives in a legislature – make that decision themselves. (p. 214).”
Given the health care debate in the U.S., I almost gagged when I read this. Taken at face value I completely agree with the above statement. In the real world, however, it seems that Moulitsas (along with a significant portion of the netroots) have completely disregarded this very sensible advice. For instead of recognising the value of incremental change, it appears that the left are insisting instead on certain reforms (e.g. the public option) that simply cannot be passed by this Congress.
In short, Taking on the System is an excellent book that is filled with great advice for activists. What I am less sure about, however, is whether the activists who read this book will be pragmatic or ideological.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
