I am seeking a publisher for this book in progress, "Conscience of a
Progressive."
300 draft pages of this projected 350 page book (twenty-one of
twenty-five
projected chapters) are online, can can be seen at:
www.igc.org/gadfly/progressive/^toc.htm .
In readily accessible and non-technical language, Conscience of a
Progressive addresses the familiar right-wing criticism that
liberalism is without coherent foundation, lacks new ideas, and is
irrelevant to contemporary political and economic conditions. It does so
by presenting and defending that foundation, those ideas, and that relevance. The
book also criticizes the root dogmas of so-called "conservatism" and
libertarianism -- in particular, market absolutism, social atomism,
privatism and minimalist government -- and argues that these dogmas
function to secure the power and enhance the wealth of a small and
exclusive governing elite, at the expense of the general public..
Conscience of a Progressive affirms the existence of public goods
and a public interest, and the necessity of government -- a government
that is answerable to the public, and that is established to "secure
rights," and "to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide
for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the
Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." (Preamble to the
United States Constitution).
Today, the book warns, the justice, the domestic tranquility, the general
welfare, and the rights cited in the Constitution have been substantially
eroded, and can only be restored by a determined and concerted effort on
the part of the American public.
Liberals and progressives in search of a clear and coherent articulation
of their political convictions will want to read this book.
As research continues, the draft chapters will be refined and expanded.
All are invited to
read the draft
as it develops, and are urged to send comments to me, Dr. Ernest
Partridge, at gadfly@igc.org .
Work on the book has progressed to the point that it is now time to seek a
publisher. If you are a publisher and perceive a potential market for the
work, please contact me. If you know of a publisher or can suggest one,
I'd be grateful to hear of it.
I estimate that a final manuscript could be delivered to a publisher in
late 2007.
Ernest Partridge,
Co-Editor: The Crisis Papers.
www.crisispapers.org
Publisher: The Online Gadfly.
www.igc.org/gadfly gadfly/igc.org
.
E-Mail: gadfly@igc.org
