Abundance

Are you tired of political polarization? Of gridlock when it comes to solving our nation’s

problems? Of liberals proposing yet another ineffective, expensive, bureaucratic

solution? Of conservatives attacking government with harsh program cuts as inequality

grows and difficulties fester?

Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson have a solution: what they call “a liberalism that

builds.” In their book Abundance, Klein and Thompson harken back to the halcyon days

of the New Deal, when FDR and his team rolled out programs that built bridges, dams,

and the infrastructure that pulled America out of the Great Depression.

That kind of liberalism was killed, they argue, by the Ralph Nader style consumer

advocacy that began to challenge (rightfully, in many cases) government projects in

court. Liberals switched their focus from building ambitious things that made life better

for everyone to focusing on process: making sure everyone has a seat at the table and

everyone’s concerns are heard before cement is poured. While well intended, over

decades we have come to the point where it’s difficult to impossible to build anything.

Case in point: California’s high speed rail system--decades in the planning but yet to get

off the ground despite huge expenditures.

America’s self-inflicted paralysis comes as many other developed countries have built

infrastructure and health care systems that put ours to shame. If we are not to lose our

competitive edge, liberals and conservatives must abandon their entrenched positions

and focus on getting things done: actually solving problems. Doing so will produce what

we all need and want: abundance. Klein and Thompson cite many places around the

world in which clean energy, affordable housing, and accessible health care are readily

available. They reject what they call scarcity: the idea that our problems are caused by

immigrants, foreign competition, or some other scapegoat. Life is not a “they win, we

lose” proposition. If we are wise, we can all enjoy a world of abundance.

This is a hopeful, encouraging, smart book. It faces our difficulties honestly but keeps its

eyes on the prize: a sustainable life that renews both the earth and our bonds with each

other. Let’s hope enough of us act on this message to make abundance a reality.