This review is from: The Progressive's Guide to Raising Hell: How to Win Grassroots Campaigns, Pass Ballot Box Laws, and Get the Change We Voted For-- A Direct Democracy Toolkit (Paperback)
American progressives have in recent decades gotten too shy, or too afraid, to raise hell about injustice and unfairness. They peeked out during the 2008 presidential campaign, then fell silent at the first disappointment. Perhaps they're afraid to be tagged with the dreaded label "liberal." The populist space got filled from other directions, including by Tea Partiers who happily put themselves on the line in public. Jamie Court aims to reverse that course by rearming progressives with tools for making change from below, and steeling them to be a whole lot less polite to power. Also a whole lot more demanding, and more nimble on their feet.
Frederick Douglass, a granddaddy of civil rights and civil action, famously said "Power concedes nothing without a demand." In modern terms, Court tells us, that means constant vigiliance to avoid being co-opted. A "seat at the table"--whether in the corporate boardroom or the government conference room--is power's most effective tool for watering down outsider demands.
After telling hell-raisers what doesn't work, Court offers a different toolkit for what he calls "political jiujitsu"--being alert and leveraging opponents' mistakes to shame them. then building waves of public pressure for change. His anecdotal examples of the David-and-Goliath stunts by him and colleagues at his small foundation called Consumer Watchdog range from hilarious to hair-raising.
For instance, don't be embarrassed to carry a pig into the halls of government to make a point. Grab the chance to clobber a corporate opponent for an ad that appears weirdly racist, using shame to undercut the corporation's sponsorship of anti-consumer legislation.
Court's anecdotes of stunts, tricksterism, successes and failures keep the book rolling, wrapping the practical details of his hell-raising toolkit. Court echoes tough progressives of the past, from Emma Goldman to the late Sen. Paul Wellstone. But his aim is to inspire action, not homage.
It takes more dedication and resources than most individuals possess to employ Court's toolkit, but he also offers practical advice for small groups on how to amplify their message and band together. "Raising Hell" will make the most dedicated couch-potato progressive sit up and start hoping again--maybe even acting.
