The Assault on Reason
The Assault on Reason is the new book by Al Gore, covering the fall and, well, fall, of the level of political debate in the US and the level of political knowledge and engagement of the US citizenry.
While not having the sex appeal of the environment, the topic is detailed and well tied together covering the different threads of government bound by the secrecy and ideology of the Bush administration. If you're interested in the levels of and tone of public debate, not just in the US but in the UK (or any other country) then it's very much worth reading. The examples and narrative draw together the strategies, decisions and consequences, drawing on past decisions with their outcomes, and extrapolating to potential future consequences of near-term decisions.
One thing that's missing (probably deliberately) is a suggestion or pointer for reversal of that decline. There's a discussion of the internet and the scope that it provides for enhanced debate and better engagement. But that's not particularly news. Where "An Inconvenient Truth" left off, there was a website which encouraged you to use what you've learnt and make a difference.
The fact that there isn't shouldn't be considered a weakness of the book - it's not.
Is one option something like a "Spin School" resource? Aimed at informing those working on issues to help them learn, share and steal ideas from others in areas. The large organised groups that work to further their own interests at the expense of those without the lobbyists or strategists know the focus on spin and style, but the less organised, ad hoc groups set up to counter them may not have access to the best counter-measures. While "Bad facts don't make for good spin", if the conversation stays on the things that don't matter, the things that do get ignored. And sometimes those interests will make meaningless "concessions" which are vastly overstated as large and substantial changes, or otherwise attack very close to home.
While not having the sex appeal of the environment, the topic is detailed and well tied together covering the different threads of government bound by the secrecy and ideology of the Bush administration. If you're interested in the levels of and tone of public debate, not just in the US but in the UK (or any other country) then it's very much worth reading. The examples and narrative draw together the strategies, decisions and consequences, drawing on past decisions with their outcomes, and extrapolating to potential future consequences of near-term decisions.
One thing that's missing (probably deliberately) is a suggestion or pointer for reversal of that decline. There's a discussion of the internet and the scope that it provides for enhanced debate and better engagement. But that's not particularly news. Where "An Inconvenient Truth" left off, there was a website which encouraged you to use what you've learnt and make a difference.
The fact that there isn't shouldn't be considered a weakness of the book - it's not.
Is one option something like a "Spin School" resource? Aimed at informing those working on issues to help them learn, share and steal ideas from others in areas. The large organised groups that work to further their own interests at the expense of those without the lobbyists or strategists know the focus on spin and style, but the less organised, ad hoc groups set up to counter them may not have access to the best counter-measures. While "Bad facts don't make for good spin", if the conversation stays on the things that don't matter, the things that do get ignored. And sometimes those interests will make meaningless "concessions" which are vastly overstated as large and substantial changes, or otherwise attack very close to home.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home