Why We're Liberals: A Handbook for Restoring America's Most Important Ideals [Paperback]

Eric Alterman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 24, 2009

The bestselling author and Newsweek columnist takes a characteristically irreverent look at the rampant mistreatment of liberals and liberalism

The "most honest and incisive media critic writing today"(National Catholic Reporter), Eric Alterman is committed to restoring the liberal tradition to its honored place as the political philosophy of mainstream American citizens. In this bracing and well-documented counterattack on right- wing spin and misinformation, Alterman briskly disposes of the canards and false definitions that have been foisted upon liberals by the right and have been accepted unquestioningly by nearly everyone else. The perfect post-election book for all those who are ready to fight back against the conservative mudslinging machine and reclaim their voices in the political process, Why We're Liberals brings clarity and perspective to the possibility of a new day in America.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Alterman, journalist and proud liberal, readies his readership for the coming day when the word liberal is given a wash and rinse after being slimed by conservatives. Arguing that liberals are so downtrodden they may have forgotten who they are, Alterman provides a refresher course, explaining what liberals believe and why liberal policies are reviled, even though most people approve of their basic ideas as long as they aren’t identified as liberal. His insightful examination of so-called liberal problems (secularism, abortion, dovish foreign policy) leads into an extensive and sharp rebuttal of all the crimes attributed to liberals. In ironically entitled chapters—“Why Do Liberals Hate Patriotism?” “Why Do Liberals Blame America First?”—Alterman fights back with facts and wit. He busts myths in “Why Do Liberals Deny America Was Founded as a Christian Nation?” but he owns up to the fact that liberals do like to tax and spend (conservatives do, too, just on different things). Readers of Alterman’s What Liberal Media? (2003) will find some familiar points here, but this rock-’em, sock-’em defense effectively proves that not all liberals are wimps. --Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"It is difficult to imagine anyone better qualified to update Arthur Schlesinger Jr.'s notion of liberalism as the 'vital center' of American politics."
-The New York Times

"A vigorous defense of liberalism as a credo-a credo, Alterman argues persuasively, that most Americans actually subscribe to."
-The Atlantic

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (February 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143115227
• ISBN-13: 978-0143115229
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 73 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Standing up for the Silenced Majority March 31, 2008

By Kellie M. Powell

Format:Hardcover

Republicans have devoted a lot of resources to the smearing of liberals, but Eric Alterman is not going to let them get away with it. He has a mission to correct misconceptions spewed by conservatives and regurgitated by mainstream media. His well-researched Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America is chock-full of the staggering statistics, rational reasoning, and liberal principles that are under-represented - and sometimes completely absent - in the so-called "liberal media." This history of liberalism is an opportunity for young progressives to read about a time when liberalism was unbelievably popular, and to discover the origins of stereotypes that plague modern liberalism, many of which are baseless.

In chapters like "Why Do Liberals Hate Patriotism?", "Why Do Liberals Hate Religion?" and "Why Are Liberals Such Wimps?", Alterman attacks the assumptions that liberals are "soft" on national defense and crime and rejects the nonsensical labels - like "elitist," "tax-and-spend," and "anti-family" - that form the modern liberal public relations crisis. While any self-described liberal should realize the ridiculousness of these accusations, many are treated as fact by both conservative and moderate pundits and media sources. Proud liberals may feel the book is preaching to the choir, but as the old saying goes, "That's how you make them sing." Liberals have a lot of singing to do if they want to reclaim their good name, and provide the logic and compassion America needs to fight the reactionary politics and religious fundamentalism offered by conservatives.

Alterman insists that liberals have a unique opportunity at this particular moment, and also acknowledges the difficulties we face. He has no problem with telling liberals what they're doing wrong, and he makes some interesting suggestions for politicians and pundits in the wake of the utter catastrophe of the Bush regime. Some of his ideas are already being used by prominent Democrats; however, other ideas of his walk a fine line between pragmatism and abandoning liberal ideals. Alterman does not want liberals to make the same mistakes they have made in the past - a logical, if somewhat bloodless stance.

The most inspiring part of Why We're Liberals may be the argument that a supermajority of Americans hold liberal viewpoints, but do not call themselves liberals. In his conclusion, Alterman writes: "...most Americans are indeed liberals. They'd prefer to live in a society with increased equality of opportunity; greater access to health care for all; a more equitable system of taxation; a healthier respect for the environment; and a less belligerent and more cooperative foreign policy." If liberals are in fact a silent majority, it is time for us to demand the representation we deserve.

27 of 34 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A curious title April 5, 2008

By Jon Hunt

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Eric Alterman's "Why We're Liberals", is a thoughtful if overly dry book about liberalism in America today. It has some merit, much to the author's credit. For a generation, the right has pounded the left to the point where "liberal" is one of those four-letter words, and then some. Alterman reminds the reader that until liberals stand up and defend that term, (politicians especially) we're not going to move very far.

Much of the book has little to do with why so many of us are liberals, but rather focuses in on how conservatives view liberals and how they go about their mischievous deeds with inaccuracies that go beyond the pale. Alterman does a good job in citing quotations to that end and indeed that is his finest contribution. But he also has a proclivity to sink into polls and other factual numbers that don't elevate what should be a terrific exposé of the right wing. When speaking of Maureen Dowd he quotes a journalist as saying that "she's a liberal by default". Given Alterman's fixation on non-liberal thinking I felt myself in exactly the same position....liberal by default.

Alterman concludes with a terrific last few pages about why we are liberals. I wish I had seen more evidence throughout his book regarding the positive aspects of being on the left, but for those who want some comfort food, "Why We're Liberals" will provide some snacking along the way.

31 of 41 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great guidebook defending the liberal position March 28, 2008

By Mark Daniels

Format:Hardcover

Not since Joe Conason's "Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How it Distorts the Truth" have I found such a wonderful guidebook defending the liberal/progressive ideology while simoultaneously revealing the myths and lies of the republicans for what they are. For decades now, the republicans have systematically associated the "liberal" label with any number of negative stereotypes in the minds of the American people. Their smear campaign against liberals has become so successful that even the most liberal of politicians now shies away from the word for fear of it sinking their political career. Thanks to right-wing politicians and the Punditocracy, Americans have come to associate "liberal" with permissive attitudes, spendthrift "tax and spend" fiscal policies, elitism, political correctness, immorality, socialism, communism, and even treason.

And yet, as both this book and Conason's "Big Lies" point out, polls consistently show that a "supermajority" of Americans take the liberal position on almost every issue. America is liberal, it just doesn't realize it.

This book is actually very similar to "Big Lies" and makes almost all of the same arguments. It's better than Conason's earlier book, however, because the references are more up-to-date. ("Big Lies" was published in 2002.) I'd recommend either book - preferably this one - to any liberal seeking verbal ammunition in his/her arguments with republicans. Let Alterman's "Why We're Liberals" (or Joe Conason's "Big Lies") serve as your Liberal Bible: read it, re-read it, memorize what you can, and the next time a republican tries to trounce you with one of those bogus liberal stereotypes, you can fight back. The Right may have won the victory of semantics - successfully making "liberal" a dirty word - but we continue to win the war of ideology, because most Americans DO agree with our positions. We just have to effectively show them we stand for what they, too, stand for.