Earthworks Press

ISBN: 0977689700

The following review was contributed by:  Paul Lappen: CLICK TO VIEW Paul Lappen's Reviews 

As the title states, this book describes a number of things that anyone can do
to counteract the Right's strong influence in present-day America.

Some of the actions included require little or no effort. Join a progressive
group, be it local or international. Take back control of the American political
vocabulary. Donate a subscription to a progressive magazine to your local
library. Become familiar with the parts of the Bible that support progressive
positions. Visit alternative news web sites. Also, visit right-wing sites to
begin to understand the Right.

Some actions require a little more effort. Adopt a blog. Write a letter to the
editor of your local newspaper (even if your letter is not printed, it might
encourage the editor to print a similar letter). Did you know that the Pledge of
Allegiance was written by a Christian socialist named Francis Bellamy? Talk to
your neighbors, and to your congressperson's local office. Attend local
meetings, like school board, city council or planning and zoning commission; the
Right will be there. Support public education, along with local arts and
artists. Stand up for science in the classroom. Volunteer for a political
campaign.

For the committed individual, become an expert on a particular subject. Look for
right-wing spin in your local media. Start your own media. On Election Day,
become a poll watcher. Spread the word the "person of faith" does not
automatically equal "conservative." Last, but not least, why don't you run for
office?

The only part of this book that may cause disagreement is the assertion of the
publishers that the Democratic Party needs to be reformed back into the
progressive party it once was. Like it or not, America is a 2-party system, and
reforming the Democratic Party is easier than starting over with a third party.
On the other hand, many people in America believe that the Democrats are just as
bad as the Republicans, and, therefore, not worth saving.

Aside from that, this is a gem of a book. It contains plenty of inspiration for
people of any age or income level. Even if the reader can do only 1 or 2 of the
things mentioned in this book, it will help to change the tide in America. This
book is very much worth reading.