I have recently written a novel about life in England during the Second World War. I felt some concern before I tackled this theme — the War...
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The last three decades have managed to make liberal a dirty word, so much so that it's a wonder anyone would title a book, "The Conscience of a Liberal." This has occurred even as movement conservatives (Krugman's term) continue to whine about a liberal bias in the media. What a preposterous claim! In any event, Krugman lays out a clear analysis of economic policy during the last hundred years or so. He demonstrates quite convincingly how economic policy has shaped our society. The so called Gilded Age produced great inequality rivaled only by the growing inequality we have witnessed these last thirty years or so. He outlines concisely how FDR's New Deal helped create the large American middle class that grew following World War II and into the fifties and sixties. He suggests that liberals should create a national health care system (we're the only developed nation without one) as the core of a second New Deal designed to restore the American middle class (gee whiz, that sounds truly 'conservative') to its prior standing. Now that our economic system has virtually imploded again, and as we elect a new president, Krugman's narrative is particularly compelling. It illustrates the real choice between an economic policy that will result in increasing inequality and one that seeks to maximize the well being of the greatest number of people. The book does clarify the context in which we've been living in a way that elections and editorial pages have failed miserably to do. I would urge readers to read "The Conscience of a Liberal" as it will help make sense of where we've been and illuminate a possible path towards greater prosperity. I had the good fortune to finish the book on an overnight backpack on the Jim Weaver Loop around Waldo Lake . What a breath of fresh air indeed!
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(5 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
The last three decades have managed to make liberal a dirty word, so much so that it's a wonder anyone would title a book, "The Conscience of a Liberal." This has occurred even as movement conservatives (Krugman's term) continue to whine about a liberal bias in the media. What a preposterous claim! In any event, Krugman lays out a clear analysis of economic policy during the last hundred years or so. He demonstrates quite convincingly how economic policy has shaped our society. The so called Gilded Age produced great inequality rivaled only by the growing inequality we have witnessed these last thirty years or so. He outlines concisely how FDR's New Deal helped create the large American middle class that grew following World War II and into the fifties and sixties. He suggests that liberals should create a national health care system (we're the only developed nation without one) as the core of a second New Deal designed to restore the American middle class (gee whiz, that sounds truly 'conservative') to its prior standing. Now that our economic system has virtually imploded again, and as we elect a new president, Krugman's narrative is particularly compelling. It illustrates the real choice between an economic policy that will result in increasing inequality and one that seeks to maximize the well being of the greatest number of people. The book does clarify the context in which we've been living in a way that elections and editorial pages have failed miserably to do. I would urge readers to read "The Conscience of a Liberal" as it will help make sense of where we've been and illuminate a possible path towards greater prosperity. I had the good fortune to finish the book on an overnight backpack on the Jim Weaver Loop around Waldo Lake . What a breath of fresh air indeed!
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(5 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)
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The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman
rcurrie, November 10, 2008
The last three decades have managed to make liberal a dirty word, so much so that it's a wonder anyone would title a book, "The Conscience of a Liberal." This has occurred even as movement conservatives (Krugman's term) continue to whine about a liberal bias in the media. What a preposterous claim! In any event, Krugman lays out a clear analysis of economic policy during the last hundred years or so. He demonstrates quite convincingly how economic policy has shaped our society. The so called Gilded Age produced great inequality rivaled only by the growing inequality we have witnessed these last thirty years or so. He outlines concisely how FDR's New Deal helped create the large American middle class that grew following World War II and into the fifties and sixties. He suggests that liberals should create a national health care system (we're the only developed nation without one) as the core of a second New Deal designed to restore the American middle class (gee whiz, that sounds truly 'conservative') to its prior standing. Now that our economic system has virtually imploded again, and as we elect a new president, Krugman's narrative is particularly compelling. It illustrates the real choice between an economic policy that will result in increasing inequality and one that seeks to maximize the well being of the greatest number of people. The book does clarify the context in which we've been living in a way that elections and editorial pages have failed miserably to do. I would urge readers to read "The Conscience of a Liberal" as it will help make sense of where we've been and illuminate a possible path towards greater prosperity. I had the good fortune to finish the book on an overnight backpack on the Jim Weaver Loop around Waldo Lake . What a breath of fresh air indeed!(5 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul Krugman
rcurrie, November 2, 2008
The last three decades have managed to make liberal a dirty word, so much so that it's a wonder anyone would title a book, "The Conscience of a Liberal." This has occurred even as movement conservatives (Krugman's term) continue to whine about a liberal bias in the media. What a preposterous claim! In any event, Krugman lays out a clear analysis of economic policy during the last hundred years or so. He demonstrates quite convincingly how economic policy has shaped our society. The so called Gilded Age produced great inequality rivaled only by the growing inequality we have witnessed these last thirty years or so. He outlines concisely how FDR's New Deal helped create the large American middle class that grew following World War II and into the fifties and sixties. He suggests that liberals should create a national health care system (we're the only developed nation without one) as the core of a second New Deal designed to restore the American middle class (gee whiz, that sounds truly 'conservative') to its prior standing. Now that our economic system has virtually imploded again, and as we elect a new president, Krugman's narrative is particularly compelling. It illustrates the real choice between an economic policy that will result in increasing inequality and one that seeks to maximize the well being of the greatest number of people. The book does clarify the context in which we've been living in a way that elections and editorial pages have failed miserably to do. I would urge readers to read "The Conscience of a Liberal" as it will help make sense of where we've been and illuminate a possible path towards greater prosperity. I had the good fortune to finish the book on an overnight backpack on the Jim Weaver Loop around Waldo Lake . What a breath of fresh air indeed!(5 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)