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bootman's review
5.0
Five years ago (2015), my best friend was super into politics and always talked about this guy Bernie Sanders. Four years ago, I didn't care about politics until Donald Trump was elected, and I wanted to figure out what the hell happened. It was then that I started caring more about politics, but I still didn't really look into specific people like Bernie Sanders. I've always felt like health insurance is way too expensive, and the whole system is flawed, and I've also felt like the college system is really messed up. So, when I found out these are some of Bernie's primary talking points, I was like "this just seems like common sense."
When Bernie lost the Democratic Primary for his 2020 run, I saw a lot of people give up, and I thought that was ridiculous. So, when I came across this book from Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht, it sounded like something I could get behind. The book taught me a lot about Bernie that I didn't know, and it also inspired me with various stories from around the country. Best of all, it taught me more about what I can personally do in the uphill battle of trying to sell people on democratic socialism.
I've wanted to learn more about socialism because it's a "bad word", and people immediately point to Venezuela even though the real examples are Scandanavian nations that rank highest on the World Happiness Index. I think the best part of this book was that it had practical solutions that weren't divisive in nature. It takes a big-picture look at the situation and is realistic about how we can move towards the society that the overwhelming majority of people want and need. It definitely gave me some new ways to present the ideas of democratic socialism to people who don't fully understand what it's about.
When Bernie lost the Democratic Primary for his 2020 run, I saw a lot of people give up, and I thought that was ridiculous. So, when I came across this book from Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht, it sounded like something I could get behind. The book taught me a lot about Bernie that I didn't know, and it also inspired me with various stories from around the country. Best of all, it taught me more about what I can personally do in the uphill battle of trying to sell people on democratic socialism.
I've wanted to learn more about socialism because it's a "bad word", and people immediately point to Venezuela even though the real examples are Scandanavian nations that rank highest on the World Happiness Index. I think the best part of this book was that it had practical solutions that weren't divisive in nature. It takes a big-picture look at the situation and is realistic about how we can move towards the society that the overwhelming majority of people want and need. It definitely gave me some new ways to present the ideas of democratic socialism to people who don't fully understand what it's about.
nickjagged's review
4.0
Absolutely inspiring. A welcome contrast to the dismal Politics is for Power.
dawsonthehughes's review
5.0
Highly recommend for all folks that want to know what to do now that Bernie's campaign is over!
colin_cox's review
3.0
Socialism, specifically Democratic Socialism, is in vogue, or so argues Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht in Bigger Than Bernie: How We Go from the Sanders Campaign to Democratic Socialism. While Bigger Than Bernie treads old, well-established ground, there is something to be said about Day and Uetricht's efforts to repackage those established ideas.
Day and Uetricht are committed to the potential of electoral politics, but they warn against the seductiveness of not only capital but the Democratic party. Day and Uetricht might argue this is two ways of saying the same thing, but the authors seem to think far too many readers might miss the subtleties of this distinction. As they see it, too many on the Left understand the Democratic Party as a genuine left alternative to the Republican Party. However, these sorts of moments reveal the conceptual limitations of Bigger Than Bernie. This is not a book for seasoned leftists; Bigger Than Bernie is a book for those flirting with Socialism.
Bigger Than Bernie clearly wants to seize the moment. It wants to galvanize readers to form a legitimate, sustainable leftist alternative. As Day and Uetricht see it: "One distinct feature of our political system that makes things a lot harder for socialists is our lack of a genuine, mass left-wing party of any kind. Instead of a workers’ or socialist party, we’re stuck with the Democrats." For these reasons, Bigger Than Bernie is perfect for readers unfamiliar with leftist political expressions beyond the narrow confines of the Democratic Party, but for those readers familiar with a word like "socialism," go ahead and skip Bigger Than Bernie.
Day and Uetricht are committed to the potential of electoral politics, but they warn against the seductiveness of not only capital but the Democratic party. Day and Uetricht might argue this is two ways of saying the same thing, but the authors seem to think far too many readers might miss the subtleties of this distinction. As they see it, too many on the Left understand the Democratic Party as a genuine left alternative to the Republican Party. However, these sorts of moments reveal the conceptual limitations of Bigger Than Bernie. This is not a book for seasoned leftists; Bigger Than Bernie is a book for those flirting with Socialism.
Bigger Than Bernie clearly wants to seize the moment. It wants to galvanize readers to form a legitimate, sustainable leftist alternative. As Day and Uetricht see it: "One distinct feature of our political system that makes things a lot harder for socialists is our lack of a genuine, mass left-wing party of any kind. Instead of a workers’ or socialist party, we’re stuck with the Democrats." For these reasons, Bigger Than Bernie is perfect for readers unfamiliar with leftist political expressions beyond the narrow confines of the Democratic Party, but for those readers familiar with a word like "socialism," go ahead and skip Bigger Than Bernie.
tielqueen's review
4.0
wow! this book really grew on me. learned a lot about:
- DSA
- why it's so hard to change US two-party system
- social democracies vs. democratic socialism
- a brief history of unions + the US labor movement
- green new deal!
- case studies of progressive campaigns
- strategies for socialism in the context of the Democratic Party
inspired me to learn even more (esp. about GND) and join DSA!!!
- DSA
- why it's so hard to change US two-party system
- social democracies vs. democratic socialism
- a brief history of unions + the US labor movement
- green new deal!
- case studies of progressive campaigns
- strategies for socialism in the context of the Democratic Party
inspired me to learn even more (esp. about GND) and join DSA!!!
shannonflynn's review
4.0
if you're bored by the beginning skip to the middle because overall it's actually very interesting and inspiring. i would recommend this book to all my friends but i think some of them aren't ready to read things that say "as a socialist" so much but i will probably recommend it anyway