I received The Conscience of a Liberal as a gift from my mother a year or two back and chose it as the sixth book I’ve read in my bid for 50 books in 2013. While I don’t always agree with Paul Krugman’s views, I do appreciate the his ability to frame an argument in proper context and support it with real, verifiable data (his antagonists could learn a thing or two about using actual data and not just randomly throwing things together, but I digress).
In essence, he argues that by allowing income inequality to continue widening, we create even greater issues as a nation and our ability to survive. Though he wrote this prior to President Obama’s first election into office, issues and concerns that he surfaced related to the state of politics ring truer now than they did then. By one party taking a hardline stance for the sake of TV time and isolated votes, they ensure that the business of governing doesn’t really happen, income inequality continues to grow and, while the absolute wealthiest do prosper, the rest of the nation (the 99.5% of those that make those wealthiest wealthy in the first place) suffers.
There are compelling, though at times incomplete, arguments supporting this supposition. Even so, the message that Congress and the White House must do more to actually govern and (gasp) compromise for the good of most (if not all) is loud and clear. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this soon.
If you are more of the Democratic or progressive set, this book will resonate. Read it with Robert Reich’s Aftershock. If you are much more conservative in your thinking, you’re likely to sweat and convulse in such a manner as to be rendered unable to complete even the first chapter.
Finding Greatness 