A call for a new American revolution, passionately proclaimed.
An unabashedly polemic, angry manifesto that is certain to open eyes, intensify outrage and incite argument about corporate greed.
In the proud populist tradition of Howard Zinn (whose A People’s History of the United States provides a foundation for this book), a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and a renowned cartoonist combine their talents for an illumination of the American underbelly, as the exploitation of a perpetual (and growing) underclass makes the “sacrifice zones” of global capitalism seem like Dante’s circles of hell. Truthdig columnist Hedges (Death of the Liberal Class, 2010) was a foreign correspondent for the New York Times and other newspapers, though he plainly feels that advocacy can come closer to the truth than what passes for journalistic objectivity. Sacco (Journalism, 2012, etc.) shared the American Book Award for Palestine (2002) and has subsequently earned considerable acclaim for his graphic narratives of war zones. Though the team has plenty of experience with international warfare, the war they document here is in America, where “[c]orporate capitalism will, quite literally, kill us, as it has killed Native Americans, African Americans trapped in our internal colonies in the inner cities, those left behind in the devastated coalfields, and those who live as serfs in our nation’s produce fields.” Through immersion reportage and graphic narrative, the duo illuminate the human and environmental devastation in those communities, with the warning that no one is immune. “The ruthless hunt for profit creates a world where everything and everyone is expendable…it has enriched a tiny global elite that has no loyalty to the nation-state,” writes Hedges. “These corporations, if we use the language of patriotism, are traitors.” While finding some surprising pockets of hope within communities that are otherwise steeped in despair, the pair reserve their concluding glimmer of optimism for the Occupy movement. Otherwise, they find no hope in politics as usual, depicting Democrats and Republicans as equally complicit in policies that benefit the few at the expense of the many.
A call for a new American revolution, passionately proclaimed.Pub Date: June 18, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-56858-643-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Nation Books
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2012
PERSPECTIVES
Fatherlessness is the root of every social evil, says Blankenhorn, who calls for a return of the Good Family Man and government enforcement of the ``father role.'' According to Blankenhorn, founder of the Institute for American Values, the fact that 40 percent of America's children do not live with their biological fathers is the leading cause of crime, adolescent pregnancy, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence against women. Fathers are seen as superfluous in today's society, Blankenhorn argues, and the ``New Father'' who tries to sensitively nurture his child blurs essential gender distinctions; fathers are not able to parent in the same way as mothers, nor should they. Part of the blame for fatherlessness, of course, lies with the women's movement —although, interestingly, Blankenhorn does most of his arguing with Barbara Ehrenreich, Naomi Wolf, and others in his notes at the back of the book. Blankenhorn describes five cultural models of inadequate modern fatherhood: the Deadbeat Dad, who ``belongs in jail''; the Visiting Father, who sees his kids on weekends; the Sperm Father, for whom fatherhood is no more than ``the biological act of ejaculation''; the Stepfather; and the Nearby Guy, usually Mom's boyfriend. To reverse the trend, he calls for congressional assistance in ``creating higher standards of male responsibility,'' an annual presidential address on the State of Fatherhood, a formal ``fatherhood pledge'' to be taken by every man in the country, and a union of ``married fathers'' to transform public housing projects into ``hospitable environments.'' Blankenhorn's depiction of fatherlessness as the cause rather than a symptom of greater social ills will rankle in some quarters, and his agenda for remedying the situation will amuse more far- seeing social critics.
Pub Date: Feb. 15, 1995
ISBN: 0-465-01483-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Basic Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994
A wide-ranging critique of Clinton’s foreign policy that will please those frustrated over the continuing popularity of a president focused on domestic issues. Criticizing Clinton’s foreign policy is like spearing fish in a barrel—it’s so easy, there is no real sport in it. Moreover, there is a built-in bias toward the negative: if something has gone badly, it is a debacle, but if something goes well, then we have to wait and see how things turn out before passing judgment. Hyland, former editor of Foreign Affairs (Mortal Rivals: Superpower Relations from Nixon to Reagan, 1987), is not deterred. Starting from the premise that Clinton inherited a world in better shape than any other modern president, albeit briefly touching upon and minimizing the problems created by Bush’s foreign policy of “prudence,” Hyland systematically explores foreign policy issues and records the ways in which Clinton has botched them. Interventions in the Balkans, Somalia, and Haiti, negotiating Middle East peace agreements, relations with Russia, China, and Japan, responding to the Asian financial crisis, and more are addressed. Throughout, patterns of hesitancy, unwillingness to designate authority until matters have reached a crisis stage, and placement of emphasis on economic diplomacy and international trade over the traditional concerns of security and geopolitics are identified and excoriated. Clinton’s transformation from idealist to pragmatist is noted, and seemingly some criticism is blunted, but Hyland doesn—t shrink from a strong conclusion: adopting an ad hoc “selective engagement” approach instead of a clear direction for American foreign policy has meant that “a magnificent historical opportunity to shape the international system had been missed.” Clinton’s blunders invite this kind of harsh criticism, but the irony here is that Clinton forfeited the chance to lead the world in a dramatic new direction when he followed the advice of veteran foreign policy hands such as Hyland and turned himself into Bush. Like the recent American foreign policy he chronicles, Hyland eschews any positive theme.
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-275-96396-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Praeger
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1999
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