What's the Matter With Kansas?
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
A nice quick read of a book, albeit short on any actual answers.
I will keep any actual political discussion to a minimum since I feel the review section aren't the best for debate. Besides, that is what we have blogs for! Eh? ***points at profile*** Eh?
Frank does a great job of describing the backlash politics of recent history and the outrage of conservative voters about issues like abortion and decency on TV/films. He also does a good job of showing that such voters, hoping to somehow make headway on those issues, elect leaders that pay a lot of lip service, but end up being extra friendly to big business. Frank explains this by traveling through small Kansas towns, chronicling how they have deteriorated under steady tax cuts, prvitization, and un restricted environments and how the only store on main street anymore is the second hand store. He does best actually showing how damn frustrating the backlash is. Does drinking a latte immediately make you a Democrat? Does watching a NASCAR race make you a Republican? Well of course not, but there are pundits a plenty ready to tell you so.
In the end, Frank spends the very last pages offering solutions, but his approach is refreshing. As a liberal myself, I am familiar with the reasons why I don't vote Republican, so a list of Republican bashing solutions would not be helpful. Instead Frank is very critical of the Democratic party, saying that it did something to lose all the blue-collar workers and Middle Americans that now vote Republican because privileged, Ivy-educated, businessmen completely understand the plight of the everyman! And that it needs to do something to get them back. He also criticizes the party and it's supporters for not organizing, something the backlash warriors have done amazingly well.
It was also interesting to read the book almost four years after its publication. With the shape of the economy now and the focus of the election, you almost feel as if people are waking up. However, Frank intelligently points out that political and social change is rarely organic. Instead it must be guided and to the best organized go the rewards.
Peace!
I will keep any actual political discussion to a minimum since I feel the review section aren't the best for debate. Besides, that is what we have blogs for! Eh? ***points at profile*** Eh?
Frank does a great job of describing the backlash politics of recent history and the outrage of conservative voters about issues like abortion and decency on TV/films. He also does a good job of showing that such voters, hoping to somehow make headway on those issues, elect leaders that pay a lot of lip service, but end up being extra friendly to big business. Frank explains this by traveling through small Kansas towns, chronicling how they have deteriorated under steady tax cuts, prvitization, and un restricted environments and how the only store on main street anymore is the second hand store. He does best actually showing how damn frustrating the backlash is. Does drinking a latte immediately make you a Democrat? Does watching a NASCAR race make you a Republican? Well of course not, but there are pundits a plenty ready to tell you so.
In the end, Frank spends the very last pages offering solutions, but his approach is refreshing. As a liberal myself, I am familiar with the reasons why I don't vote Republican, so a list of Republican bashing solutions would not be helpful. Instead Frank is very critical of the Democratic party, saying that it did something to lose all the blue-collar workers and Middle Americans that now vote Republican because privileged, Ivy-educated, businessmen completely understand the plight of the everyman! And that it needs to do something to get them back. He also criticizes the party and it's supporters for not organizing, something the backlash warriors have done amazingly well.
It was also interesting to read the book almost four years after its publication. With the shape of the economy now and the focus of the election, you almost feel as if people are waking up. However, Frank intelligently points out that political and social change is rarely organic. Instead it must be guided and to the best organized go the rewards.
Peace!
Journal Entry 2 by Gaeasoldier at The Gateway Center in Ithaca, New York USA on Friday, February 15, 2008
Released 16 yrs ago (2/15/2008 UTC) at The Gateway Center in Ithaca, New York USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Left it by the back door stair well, on the heater. Peace!
Left it by the back door stair well, on the heater. Peace!
