This Week's Progressive Book Club [PBC] will cover Philip Agere's "What is Conservatism and What is Wrong with It?"Reviews and discussions will be posted on Sunday mornings, so folks can talk it out on the way to church and after brunch.
Reading guide below the fold...
Reading Guide:
1. Agere writes:
Q: What is conservatism?
A: Conservatism is the domination of society by an aristocracy.
Q: What is wrong with conservatism?
A: Conservatism is incompatible with democracy, prosperity, and civilization in general. It is a destructive system of inequality and prejudice that is founded on deception and has no place in the modern world.
Do you agree?
2. How does the intentional disenfranchisement of voters, women, minorities and other interest groups serve the primary motivation of conservativism?
3. What is the significance of media, marketing and messaging in the rise of latter day conservatism and what institutions have engendered its rise?
4. What are the 4 primary targets for destruction by conservatism, why are those targets necessary for the promotion of a healthy democracy?
5. The term "reactionary" is widely used to identify the damaging effects of conservatism. What features of the modern conservative movement can be considered "reactionary" and what progressive accomplishments of the 20th century has modern conservatism reacted against?