Customer Reviews

Wake Up, You're Liberal!: How We Can Take America Back from the Right

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You either like Rall or you want to see him die painfully.

I like his writing a great deal. His cartoons and editorial comments are infamous for tweaking the right wing - hard. Like a meaner, more vitriolic Michael Moore or a modern day Ambrose Bierce. He thinks that Bush is an evil dumba$$ and that Ronnie Reagan in "turning a crispy black about now". His infamous cartoon about ranger Pat Tillman elicited death threats galore.

However relatively little of that invective is on display in this book. 'Wake Up..' is pretty much focused on the thesis and subsequent applications thereof that could best be summed up as follows:
1-Liberals instituted most of the good things in American Society - health and workers safety programs, education, 40 hour work weeks, abolishing child labor, etc.
2-Conservatives currently play the game of acquiring and keeping political power much, much better; thus many people vote conservative even as those same conservatives work to screw them over.
3- The Democratic party has followed the Republicans in it's movement to the right, most Democrats are, for the most part, moderate Republicans.
4-To get back into power the Democratic, or even better a truly liberal party should be both true to itself, be unashamed of wanting basic things that any civilized country should expect to have, E.G. universal healthcare, education and a redistributionist tax model. But at the same time get its head out of it's behind and focus deeply and pervasively on a few issues. Rall points out the general scattered approach and fruitiness of the typical peace march with people carrying every type of sign, compared to the Republicans ability to stay on message.

A solidly written, pragmatic book, nearly as good as the brilliant 'To Afghanistan and back' (IMHO the best war writing since Orwell and 'Homage to Catalonia'); it is hard to believe it is written by the same guy who is such a savage attack dog in cartoon and sound bite. If you hate the guy and what he stands for (American populist socialism, in essence) go buy something by Ann Coulter instead; however if you wonder how the heck we end up with such crappy leaders and what we can do about it this is an interesting and worthwhile book.

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I found "Wake Up, You're Liberal!" to be excellent food for thought.

There are some who feel that all the important issues facing America and Americans have been solved. For those who feel this way, doctrinaire nonsense from one or another "ism" obviates the need to examine, consider, and decide -- all that's needed is to just keep shouting ideological catchphrases at any and all problems 'til the problems succumb from exhaustion.

For the great majority of centrist Americans, however, partisan shrieking isn't enough. For them, reflecting on earlier events and examining new ideas is an essential part of good citizenship.

Ted Rall's cogently written book, "Wake Up, You're Liberal!," provides that reflection and examination. Like any of our fellow species members, Mr. Rall may not always get it right, but that's a consequence of his considering complex problems rather than arguing that simplistic catchphrases alone are enough to solve them them.

His examination also means that the word "Liberal" in the title may mislead, even disappoint, some readers. One of the books recurring themes is that doctrinaire liberals and doctrinaire conservatives alike have allowed rigid advocacy of overly simplistic, even extremist, dogma to move their respective movements out of the political mainstream.

"Wake Up, You're Liberal!" won't offend or annoy anyone who can tolerate reasoned political dialog. The book certainly isn't grounds for having Mr. Rall imprisioned, exiled, or shot as some neocons have publicly suggested.

But for those of who naively belive that any book, doctrine, or "ism" can provide the answer to any and all problems, books like "Wake Up" may present an unacceptable deviance from approved doctrine. That's true whether the orthodoxy originates from the left or the right.

For that reason alone, I strongly suggest you read this book while it's still legal to do so...

Wake Up... You're Liberal: How We Can Take America Back From The Right is a sharp-voiced wake-up call, grounded heavily in both research and personal passion. Cartoonist, columnist, and war correspondent Ted Rall argues that most "Republican" voters agree with liberals on most issues, but have been duped into voting against their own interests and for the interests of the wealthiest, most sharply conservative, and often most fanatically religious minority of the nation. Discussing everything from high school bullying to dirty political practices to Central Asian oil politics, Wake Up... You're Liberal combines its whetted observations into an overriding manifesto to wake up, get involved, and contribute to the democratic system that makes America great.

Ted Rall should be commended for laying out all the cards on the table and calling out what needs to be fixed. He is spot on in his current views of the Democratic Party and what they need to do to get the blood flowing again. He is absolutely correct in that the majority of Americans hold different shades of liberal views and that the conservative movement has been against progress from the very beginning. But why do they win election after election? Because they are successful in media control, voter manipulation and lying. This country is headed for the toilet and people need to wake up.

The writing is clear, lucid and entertaining, yet manages to rile even the most sedate Democrat who feels that this country is going to hell in a handbag. Rall's ability to capture the way Americans can entertain contradictory opinions is spot on and enlightening to those of us who have a hard time comprehending how avowed Republicans can sleep at night. The really good thing is that reading this book has given me a better sense of my political identity and an urge to do something about the sad state of affairs in which the Bush administration has placed this country and its people.Ted Rall is a prime example of why a study of history can be so valuable in helping us lead mature, well-reasoned, persuasive and self-actualizing lives as Liberals.

I agree, generally, with the book's basic position, which is that those of us who are not on the far right side of the political spectrum need to stand up to the onslaught from the right. I also appreciate Ted Rall's snarky sense of humor. I very much appreciate the fact that he's done his homework and that he presents clear, and for the most part, accurate information. By and large, I think that he makes his case.

I also really appreciate the tone of the book. Rall wants to fight back against bullies. I do too. At a time in our country's history when we can observe more and more of our sacred civil liberties being chipped away from within, at a time when we are forced to endure the sanctimonious speech of hypocrites feigning morality, there are many targets. Essentially what Rall advocates is standing up to political bullies, hitting them back harder than they hit, and then watching them scamper away. Whether or not this will work as a political strategy is somewhat uncertain; but there is a cathartic value to just contemplating the idea.

If the book has a basic flaw it is this; in framing the book's arguments as essentially, left vs. right, it contributes to an environment of polarization. Perhaps we need to transcend this, ultimately. The problem with such positioning, too, is that it may not speak as much to centrists, and to those who don't follow politics that closely. And a related flaw is in presuming that the Democratic Party can be the means to bring about the transformations of politics that Rall desires. In theory this may be true. But in the real world, I am skeptical. And again, I have learned that identifying one party with the sinners and another with the saints my work, occasionally as rhetoric, but doesn't necessarily convince those not already convinced of the credibility of your claims.

Ultimately, then, Ted Rall here is primarily speaking to the already converted, and offering them inspiration. To those not yet converted, he may persuade some, but it depends a lot on them and on how open minded they are, as well as on what other information sources they may have.

I just finished reading this. Rall makes the case that Democrats can win and win consistently by aggressively promoting a *liberal* program that ties in well with established (and popular) core American values, while shedding other traditionally left-wing priorities (such as affirmative action; Rall is also generally pro-gun).

His thesis is largely strategic, and he spends a couple of chapters mainly critiquing Democrats, including Bill Clinton (whose impeachment Rall supported), with a particularly good analysis of Gore's strategic failure during and after the 2000 election. There's plenty of thought-provoking material, like "The Case For Dirty Politics". And something for nearly every reader to disagree with.

The book includes no comic strips, says nothing bad about terror widows, and doesn't speak ill of dead football players. Incredibly, Ted Rall has written a level-headed *and* optimistic book (well, up until the Epilogue anyway). Highly recommended.

This guy's message is exactly what Democrats and others on the left need to hear: When your political opponents are sleazy, unscrupulous scoundrels who will do or say anything for the cause, you've got to fight fire with fire or you'll get your head handed to you. That's exactly what's been killing liberalism: Lack of guts, inability to express a clear vision, and an unwillingness to get down and dirty. The Right is riding high because all of its soldiers are in sync on their main issues and they're willing to go for the jugular. They look strong and self-confident; The Left looks weak and ineffectual. Every liberal politico and grass-roots type should read this book and take its message to heart. Particularly recommended to members of the DNC.

Ted Rall argues that liberal Democrats only problem comes down to a lack of proactive self-marketing.

Voters have thus forgotten (or do not want to realize) that liberal Democrats made Social Security, equal employment, clean water, free public education and many other policies which now draw strong majorities of public support.

We do not for instance hear a call to eliminate the pure foods act or overturn child labor bans although those were also enacted by the liberals of their time. This is because America is a fundamentally liberal country.

We have just let conservatives define what being a liberal is instead of constantly being proactive and doing it ourselves. Self-marketing gives people an honest picture of who we are and what we believe--liberals are the American mainstream. After the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon television debates we got cocky and forgot the importance of presentation to winning public offices.

He is also eerily accurate with his personal assessment of some campaign/party office conditions (pp. 189-191). Having the best party platform and the best issue positions in the world does not mean much for prospective voters when they are actually being cut down by self-absorbed individual party officials and/or find out the party has headquartered itself in something looking like the `end' frame in a disaster movie.

Having had my own experiences with such conditions, I completely agree. I can see where it does turn off an independent voter or a prospective party activist who is not committed enough about politics to then stay with the Democrats. There are some things an organization which cannot skimp on because image does matter to mission success. Even `nice' people cannot compensate for having a dilapidated office. A clean well-maintained office ultimately convinces voters that we will also keep government in a similar condition if elected.

Rall praises Clinton for some positions, but he also attacks the Democratic Leadership Council for trying to mimic the Republicans electoral success without first understanding where they had succeeded (pp. 153-182) or why. He also points out that the GOP has not moderated their tone in return, instead strengthening it.

At the same time, Rall forgets his own earlier advice about looking beyond stereotypes when he tries to talk about the feminist movement. Here Rall actually plays into the hands of people who want to believe that liberalism is bizzare.

He inadvertently undercuts the sincerity of his own organizing credo with an attack on Patricia Ireland, former president of the National Organization for Women, because of her sexuality (pp. 65-66). Rall is visibly obsessed with both her sexuality and the consequent `implications' for the feminist movement, she allegedly discredits us all only because some conservatives stereotype every feminist as a lesbian. He then expresses a preference for the earlier NOW, an irony given that the 1966 organization was much closer to the `republican lite' model which he claims to despise in other chapters of this same book.

Rall's book has some good points, but it is not flawless. People reading this book should take the gender observations with a grain of salt. Rall seems to have a different standard for gender than the issues which he does feels strongly about. His conversational style might draw in readers who are turned off by the tone of most other political books however.

In this Book, Ted Rall has as much criticism for the Democrats as for the Republicans. Predictably, Rall goes after the Republicans for their hate filled rhetoric and their disregard for future generations of Americans. The Republican party is cashing in now, but future generations will have to pay off the mounting debt (I thought conservatives were supposed to be fiscally responsible types). What may be even worse, the Republicans are alienating people and nations all over the world. Sure, we're the superpower now, but nothing lasts forever. Do you want other nations to give us a helping hand or kick us when we're down? That depends on how we treat other nations now, while we have power. Pre-emptively invading countries doesn't win any brownie points.

The Democrats get criticized for being too moderate and too nice. Instead of using the same dirty tricks and viscious political rhetoric that the Republicans use, the Democratic Party just sits back and takes the blows. This isn't good for the image of the party. Also, Rall believes that the Democratic Party is too disorganized. There is no central message for liberals everywhere. There are only small groups who only care about their own issues. If the Democrats hope to come back to power, they're going to have to get their act together. This book is an interesting read for those who consider themselves free thinkers.