Perhaps as a way to make myself feel some modicum of a real plan for the future, I read Abundance, which is a look at how best to achieve progressive goals. And to preface, I cannot recommend this book as a conversation starter more. It does a good job of pointing out the pitfalls of the current democratic party, in the landscape of the world. Whether it’s NIMBYs and blocking housing, to the legal system that seeks to stymie anything and everything, to the best role of the government in all of this.
One of the pits in the stomach that developed during my read of this book was the other trend that’s been happening in the world, which is the sudden shifts of countries in response to governments being unable to make life better for the average citizen. And one of the things this book implies is that, even if the democrats swept into power, there are plenty of structures within the left and liberal parties that inherently will prevent any kind of progress.
The California high speed rail for example, is something that has just become an endless bureaucratic pit of money in no small part due to the widespread liberalism of California. The environment reviews, the culture reviews, the equity reviews, any one of which could shutter a project, and then all the negotiating to make all the parties happy.
One of my problems with the book is it does a lot of pontificating without solutioning. It gives a lot of problems and ideas, without giving a real plan towards achieving it.
Would still recommend though.