What do you think?
Rate this book
Left Turn Only: Dispatches From the Progressive Underground
Left Turn Only is a history, analysis and how-to manual of the modern Progressive Movement. The Internet has upended the top-down paradigm of the past and replaced it with a bottom-up network of individual interactive "swarm" intelligence ~ the Progressives. Crony corporate and political interests are under siege by the Progressives. A struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party and the nation is underway. "This is what historians call a primary source, the raw anger that led to effective pressure when grass roots Democrats became infuriated at the perceived betrayal of the antiwar cause after they worked so hard to elect a Democratic Congress in 2006. Invaluable for political scientists and activists trying to understand why Democrats so often abandon their base." - TOM HAYDEN "Left Turn Only chronicles our political era and our opportunities in 2009 and beyond. Brad Parker writes of a struggle in the midst of it; the stakes are immediate and larger than huge." - NORMAN SOLOMON
348 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2009
1 person is currently reading
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 3, 2010
After hearing Brad speak on Lila Garrett's "Connect The Dots" many times, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite what I was hoping it would be.
While well intentioned and full of progressive passion, ideals and ideas, the first portion of the book is really only meant for Dems, especially California Dems (CDP), and most particularly, the Progressive Caucus wing of the CDP. It's one of those "you have/had to be there" things, which works against his whole premise of inclusiveness. I understand Parker is speaking from his own experience, which is interesting, but for a large part this is really a very local politics book for LA County Dem insiders, and thus, has limited appeal beyond that scope.
Also, Parker seems blind to the fact that so much time and energy are wasted by all the jockeying within the CDP and efforts to work within a convoluted party system with so many ridiculous and arcane bylaws and rules. He never gets into why doing what he and his fellow progressives do within the CDP is better than forming a separate party, working with Greens (and others) or simply creating a movement. This inside look at how "party bidness gets done" (to channel Molly Ivins) illustrates exactly what turns many people off from party politics, especially in light of the two party stranglehold that has corrupted our country.
There is also some weird punctuation in this book, which may only be a personal pet peeve, but it is annoying at times. Semi-colons are often used instead of colons or commas, and a number of places that need commas are not punctuated at all.
On the positive side (and there are a lot of positives), Parker has tremendous passion for progressive ideals and isn't afraid to rankle insiders and outsiders with his views. He's truly a grassroots leader with guts. Much of what is written here is from speeches he's given and articles he's written, so as the subtitle correctly states, this book is more about dispatches than a detailed, organized progressive plan. And there isn't much he's related that I haven't heard before, but a bit of it may be new and illuminating to others. I found the final section (Progressive Economics) to be the most interesting, insightful and useful and think it would be especially helpful for those without a strong background in economics.
Overall, this is a good read for those with a progressive bent and those expanding their horizons, but it relies too heavily on anecdotes, jeremiads, haranguing of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and faith in reforming the largely corporate Democratic Party from the inside.
While well intentioned and full of progressive passion, ideals and ideas, the first portion of the book is really only meant for Dems, especially California Dems (CDP), and most particularly, the Progressive Caucus wing of the CDP. It's one of those "you have/had to be there" things, which works against his whole premise of inclusiveness. I understand Parker is speaking from his own experience, which is interesting, but for a large part this is really a very local politics book for LA County Dem insiders, and thus, has limited appeal beyond that scope.
Also, Parker seems blind to the fact that so much time and energy are wasted by all the jockeying within the CDP and efforts to work within a convoluted party system with so many ridiculous and arcane bylaws and rules. He never gets into why doing what he and his fellow progressives do within the CDP is better than forming a separate party, working with Greens (and others) or simply creating a movement. This inside look at how "party bidness gets done" (to channel Molly Ivins) illustrates exactly what turns many people off from party politics, especially in light of the two party stranglehold that has corrupted our country.
There is also some weird punctuation in this book, which may only be a personal pet peeve, but it is annoying at times. Semi-colons are often used instead of colons or commas, and a number of places that need commas are not punctuated at all.
On the positive side (and there are a lot of positives), Parker has tremendous passion for progressive ideals and isn't afraid to rankle insiders and outsiders with his views. He's truly a grassroots leader with guts. Much of what is written here is from speeches he's given and articles he's written, so as the subtitle correctly states, this book is more about dispatches than a detailed, organized progressive plan. And there isn't much he's related that I haven't heard before, but a bit of it may be new and illuminating to others. I found the final section (Progressive Economics) to be the most interesting, insightful and useful and think it would be especially helpful for those without a strong background in economics.
Overall, this is a good read for those with a progressive bent and those expanding their horizons, but it relies too heavily on anecdotes, jeremiads, haranguing of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and faith in reforming the largely corporate Democratic Party from the inside.
Displaying 1 of 1 review