Where Do We Go from Here?

American Democracy and the Renewal of the Radical Imagination

Contributions by Stephen Eric Bronner, Sheila D. Collins, Robert Fitch, Henry A. Giroux, Ron Hayduk, Robert W. McChesney, John Nichols, Anja Rudiger, Claire Snyder-Hall, Stephen Steinberg, Michael J. Thompson Edited by Mark Major

Hardback - £93.00

Publication date:

31 March 2010

Length of book:

226 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739137178

Progressive politics has long been in crisis in the United States. As the radical Left realizes the dire consequences of defining themselves solely by what they are against, this collection challenges leading engaged academics and activists to show how radical politics can lead to a more fruitful democracy. Dealing with pressing issues of the day such as health care, race, immigration, religion, foreign policy, unions, feminism, liberalism, education, and the media, this edited volume looks at the prospects for a progressive turn in U.S. politics. In doing so, it hopes to inspire the radical imagination by showing where we can go from here.

As technology continues to enable greater access to ideas around the world, the power of intellectuals is greater than ever. And given that the world is full of crushing poverty, sexism, uneven development, environmental degeneration, religious fanaticism, racism, and imperialism, the need for intellectuals to inspire the radical imagination by championing principles of economic and social justice, democracy, and universality is also greater than ever. However, political visions are required to guide that struggle. This is the aim of this book.
Those of us rooted in radical critiques of unjust and unsustainable systems are often told we must moderate our views to be practical. The authors in this volume remind us that an honest assessment of contemporary crises makes it clear that the only practical strategies to create a more just and sustainable world are, in fact, the ones rooted in radical thinking. These essays draw on the best of the past thinking and articulate new directions in which we need to go.