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The Fight for the Right to Food
by Jean Ziegler Christophe Golay Claire Mahon Sally-Anne WayThis book documents and analyzes the experiences of the UN's first Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. It highlights the conceptual advances in the legal understanding of the right to food in international human rights law, as well as analyzes key practical challenges through experiences in 11 countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
A Fight for the Soul of Public Education: The Story of the Chicago Teachers Strike
by Steven Ashby Robert BrunoIn reaction to the changes imposed on public schools across the country in the name of "education reform," the Chicago Teachers Union redefined its traditional role and waged a multidimensional fight that produced a community-wide school strike and transformed the scope of collective bargaining into arenas that few labor relations experts thought possible. Using interviews, first-person accounts, participant observation, union documents, and media reports, Steven K. Ashby and Robert Bruno tell the story of the 2012 strike that shut down the Chicago school system for seven days. A Fight for the Soul of Public Education takes into account two overlapping, parallel, and equally important stories. One is a grassroots story of worker activism told from the perspective of rank-and-file union members and their community supporters. Ashby and Bruno provide a detailed account of how the strike became an international cause when other teachers unions had largely surrendered to corporate-driven education reform. The second story describes the role of state and national politics in imposing educational governance changes on public schools and draconian limitations on union bargaining rights. It includes a detailed account of the actual bargaining process revealing the mundane and the transcendental strategies of both school board and union representatives.
The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party: The Enduring Legacy of Henry Wallace's Anti-Fascist, Anti-Racist Politics
by John NicholsFighting fascism at home and abroad begins with the consolidation of a progressive politicsSeventy-five years ago, Henry Wallace, then the sitting Vice President of the United States, mounted a campaign to warn about the persisting "Danger of American Fascism." As fighting in the European and Japanese theaters drew to a close, Wallace warned that the country may win the war and lose the piece; that the fascist threat that the U.S. was battling abroad had a terrifying domestic variant, growing rapidly in power: wealthy corporatists and their allies in the media. Wallace warned that if the New Deal project was not renewed and expanded in the post-war era, American fascists would use fear mongering, xenophonbia, and racism to regain the economic and political power that they lost. He championed an alternative, progressive vision of a post-war world-an alternative to triumphalist "American Century" vision then rising--in which the United States rejected colonialism and imperialism. Wallace's political vision - as well as his standing in the Democratic Party - were quickly sidelined. In the decades to come, other progressive forces would mount similar campaigns: George McGovern and Jesse Jackson more prominently. As John Nichols chronicles in this book, they ultimately failed - a warning to would-be reformers today - but their successive efforts provide us with insights into the nature of the Democratic Party, and a strategic script for the likes of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Fight Global Warming Now: The Handbook for Taking Action in Your Community
by Bill MckibbenBestselling author Bill McKibben turns activist in the first hands-on guidebook to stopping climate change, the world's greatest threats Hurricane Katrina, a rapidly disappearing Arctic and the warmest winter on the East Coast in recorded history. The leading scientist at NASA warns that we have only ten years to reverse climate change; the British government's report on global warming estimates that the financial impact will be greater than the Great Depression and both world wars-combined. Bill McKibben, the author of the first major book on global warming, "The End of Nature," warns that it's no longer time to debate global warming, it's time to fight it. Drawing on the experience of 'Step It Up,' a national day of rallies held on April 14, McKibben and the 'Step It Up' team of organizers provide the facts of what must change to save the climate and show how to build the fight in your community, church, or college. They describe how to launch online grassroots campaigns, generate persuasive political pressure, plan high-profile events that will draw media attention, and other effective actions. This essential book offers the blueprint for a mighty new movement against the most urgent challenge facing us today.
Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump
by Tevi Troy"Fight House looks juicy as all hell" - National Review In Fight House: Rivalries in the White House, from Truman to Trump, Washington Post best-selling presidential historian and former senior White House aide Tevi Troy will examine some of the juiciest, nastiest, and most consequential internecine administration struggles in modern American history. In doing so, he will not only provide context on the administrations, the players, and their in-fighting, but also show how those fights shaped the administrations in question, the presidents&’ historical reputations, and the policy landscape of modern America. In showing these fights, the book will highlight tough tactics used by sharp-elbowed operatives to prevail in bureaucratic disputes, from leaks to delays in submitting items for review to moving rivals out of cherished office spaces. Fight House will also look at the presidents&’ role in all of this, and question long-standing assumptions about whether creative tension is really the best method of governing. In watching recent White House battles play out in public, it appears that Kearns-Goodwin&’s &“Team of Rivals&” approach has its limits, and that perhaps presidents should seek to create a time that reduces tensions rather than exacerbating them. Troy will employ both his historical knowledge as well as his own high level White House experience to inform recommendations on the best ways to staff and organize a White House to ensure the best results for the president, and for the American people. Part riveting interpersonal history, part case study, and part analysis of the commanders in chief and their teams, Fight House will be essential reading for students of the presidency, and of the nation as a whole.
The Fight in the Fields
by Susan Ferriss Ricardo SandovalA "vivid, well-documented account of the farmworkers movement"(Philadelphia Inquirer) and its prime mover, Cesar Chavez. Edited by Diana Hembree with a foreword by Gary Soto and essays by Carey McWilliams, Victor Villaseñor, Alfredo Véa, Jr., Peter Matthiessen, Rudolfo Anaya, and others. Black-and-white photographs throughout.
Fight Like a Girl, Second Edition: How to Be a Fearless Feminist
by Megan SeelyA blueprint for the next generation of feminist activists Fight Like a Girl offers a vision of the past, present, and future of feminism. With an eye toward what it takes to create actual change and a deep understanding of women’s history and the key issues facing girls and young women today, Megan Seely offers a pragmatic introduction to feminism. Written in an upbeat and personal style, Fight Like a Girl offers an overview of feminism, including historical roots, myths and meanings, triumphs and shortcomings. Sharing personal stories from her own experience as a young activist, as a mother, and as a teacher, Seely offers a practical guide to getting involved, taking action, and waging successful events and campaigns. The second edition addresses more themes and topics than before, including gender and sexuality, self-esteem, reproductive health, sexual violence, body image and acceptance, motherhood and family, and intersections of identities, such as race, gender, class, and sexualities. Fight Like a Girl is an invaluable introduction to both feminism and activism, defining the core tenets of feminism, the key challenges both within and outside the feminist movement, and the steps we can take to create a more socially just world.
Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World
by Shannon WattsShannon Watts was a stay-at-home mom folding laundry when news of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary flashed across the television screen. In one moment, she went from outraged to engaged and decided to do something about it. What started as a simple Facebook group to connect with other frustrated parents grew into Moms Demand Action, a national movement with millions of supporters and a powerful grassroots network of local chapters in all 50 states. Shannon has been called "the NRA’s worst nightmare”—and her army of moms have bravely gone up against the gun lobby, showing up in their signature red shirts, blocking the hallways of congress with their strollers, electing gun sense candidates and running for office themselves, proving that if the 80 million moms in this country come together, they can put an end to gun violence.Fight Like a Mother is the incredible account how one mother’s cry for change became the driving force behind gun safety progress. Along with stories of perseverance, courage, and compassion, Watts shines a light on the unique power of women—starting with what they have, leading with their maternal strengths, and doubling down instead of backing down. While not everyone can be on the front lines lobbying congress, every mom is already a multi-tasking organizer, and Shannon explains how to go from amateur activist to having a real impact in your community and beyond. Fight Like a Mother will inspire everyone—mothers and fathers, students and teachers, lawmakers, and anyone motivated to enact change—to get to work transforming hearts and minds, and passing laws that save lives.
Fight Like A Girl
by Clementine FordAn incendiary debut taking the world by storm, Fight Like A Girl is an essential manifesto for feminists new, old and soon-to-be. Online sensation and fearless feminist heroine, Clementine Ford is a beacon of hope and inspiration to thousands of women and girls. In the wake of Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo campaign, Ford uses a mixture of memoir, opinion and investigative journalism to expose just how unequal the world continues to be for women. Personal, inspiring and courageous, Fight Like A Girl is an essential manifesto for feminists new, old and soon-to-be. The book is a call-to-arms for women to rediscover the fury that has been suppressed by a society that, despite best efforts, still considers feminism to be a threat. Urgently needed, Fight Like a Girl is a passionate, rallying cry that will awaken readers to the fact they are not alone and there&’s a brighter future where men and women can flourish equally – and that&’s something worth fighting for.
The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden's White House
by Chris WhippleFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Gatekeepers comes a revelatory, news-making look at how President Joe Biden and his seasoned team have battled to achieve their agenda—based on the author&’s extraordinary access to the White House during two years of crises at home and abroad.In January of 2021, the Biden administration inherited the most daunting array of challenges since FDR&’s presidency: a lethal pandemic, a plummeting economy, an unresolved twenty-year war, and the aftermath of an attack on the Capitol that polarized the country. Waves of crises followed, including the fallout from a divisive Supreme Court, raging inflation, and Vladimir Putin&’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Now, in The Fight of His Life, prizewinning journalist Chris Whipple takes us inside the Oval Office as the critical decisions of Biden&’s presidency are being made. With remarkable access to both President Biden and his inner circle—including Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and CIA Director William Burns—Whipple pulls back the curtain on the internal power struggles and back-room compromises. Featuring shocking new details about how renegade Trump officials enabled the transfer of power, which key staffers really make the White House run (it&’s probably not who you think), why Joe Biden no longer speaks freely around his security detail, and what he really thinks of Vice President Kamala Harris, the press, and living in the White House, The Fight of His Life delivers a stunning portrait of politics on the edge.
The Fight of Our Lives: Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth, & Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam
by William J. BennettRefocus on the fight.Ten years ago, when radical Islamist terrorists used three U.S. airplanes to kill nearly three thousand of our countrymen, America was angry. It was a focused and justified anger--one that generated clear objectives and a willingness to meet them. But that resolve has deteriorated so much that many of our nation's top political and military leaders will scarcely utter the word that brought us here, "terrorism," let alone the ideology that fuels it, "radical Islam."In The Fight of Our Lives, William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn examine the devolution of America's post-9/11 tenacity and how this country's well-meaning culture of religious tolerance, coupled with soft and apologetic political leadership, has placed us squarely in the pocket of radical Islamists who have made clear their intention to obliterate everything we value.America's devotion to political correctness has crippled its ability to accurately interpret and respond to the motives of its fiercest enemies. Unless we change course and re-engage the fight, the costs of our tolerance will prove tragic and immeasurable.The Fight of Our Lives helps readers refocus, to reframe and understand the threats we face.By surveying and explaining the current scene, Bennett and Leibsohn point the way to a future in which our enemies are properly acknowledged and firmly opposed."Crucial," "Timely," "Brave"--Advanced Praise for The Fight of Our Lives"An important book. Many have forgotten the mortal threat to America that is radical Islam. Bennett and Leibsohn explain why we must wake up and what we need to do." ?Mark Levin, nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and author of Liberty and Tyranny "This bold and readable book makes a powerful, if controversial, case against appeasing terrorists and those who support them--and in favor of a strong cultural commitment to defeat an enemy bent on our destruction. You may disagree, as I do, with some of its points, but you ignore its central conclusions at your, and our, peril." ?Alan Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Harvard University, and author of Trials Of Zion"Bill Bennett has been a brilliant sentry in our nation's cultural life. In this luminous and spirited book, he and co-author Seth Leibsohn sound the alarm on behalf of us all. America can prevail in its struggle against radical Islamism, and they show us exactly how. A book for this moment, written with poise and passion, and suffused with love of country." ?Fouad Ajami, Johns Hopkins University professor and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution"Bennett and Leibsohn follow Admiral Nelson's strategy?"Go right at 'em"?right at both our deadly enemy, radical Islam, and its apologists, and especially right at our own politically correct, self-neutered establishment. A wise, timely, and brave book." ?R. James Woolsey, former director of Central Intelligence and head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency"We are living, as Bennett and Leibsohn say, in 'the Gelded Age,' but we won't be living there for long because the forces of radical Islam have not paused in their drive to defeat the West. The Fight of Our Lives rouses the sleepy and the weary. It's the crucial book of the year." ?Hugh Hewitt, nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and author of The War Against the West
The Fight of Our Lives: My Time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's Battle for Democracy, and What It Means for the World
by Iuliia MendelWhen Ukrainian journalist Iuliia Mendel got the call she had been hired to work for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she had no idea what was to come.In this frank and moving inside account, Zelenskyy&’s former press secretary tells the story of his improbable rise from popular comedian to the president of Ukraine. Mendel had a front row seat to many of the key events preceding the 2022 Russian invasion. From attending meetings between Zelenskyy and Putin and other European leaders, visiting the front lines in Donbas, to fielding press inquiries after the infamous phone calls between Donald Trump and Zelenskyy that led to Trump&’s first impeachment. Mendel saw firsthand Zelenskyy&’s efforts to transform his country from a poor, backward Soviet state into a vibrant, prosperous European democracy. Mendel sheds light on the massive economic problems facing Ukraine and the entrenched corrupt oligarchs in league with Russia. She witnessed the Kremlin&’s repeated attacks to discredit Zelenskyy through disinformation and an army of bots and trolls. Woven into her account are details about her own life as a member of Zelenskyy&’s new Ukraine. Written with the sound of Russian bombs and exploding shells in the background, Mendel details life lived under Russian siege in 2022. She says goodbye to her fiancé who joins the front lines, like so many other Ukrainian men. Throughout this story of Zelenskyy, Ukraine, and its extraordinary people, Iuliia Mendel reminds us of the paramount importance of truth and human values, especially in these darkest of times.
Fight of the Century: Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases
by Viet Thanh Nguyen Jacqueline Woodson Ann Patchett Brit Bennett Steven Okazaki David Handler Geraldine Brooks Yaa Gyasi Sergio De La Pava Dave Eggers Timothy Egan Li Yiyun Meg Wolitzer Hector Tobar Aleksandar Hemon Elizabeth Strout Rabih Alameddine Moriel Rothman-Zecher Jonathan Lethem Salman Rushdie Lauren Groff Jennifer Egan Scott Turow Morgan Parker Victor Lavalle Michael Cunningham Neil Gaiman Jesmyn Ward Moses Sumney George Saunders Marlon James William Finnegan Anthony Doerr C. J. Anders Brenda J. Childs Andrew Sean Greer Louise Erdrich Adrian Nicole LeBlancThe American Civil Liberties Union partners with award-winning authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman in this &“forceful, beautifully written&” (Associated Press) collection that brings together many of our greatest living writers, each contributing an original piece inspired by a historic ACLU case. On January 19, 1920, a small group of idealists and visionaries, including Helen Keller, Jane Addams, Roger Baldwin, and Crystal Eastman, founded the American Civil Liberties Union. A century after its creation, the ACLU remains the nation&’s premier defender of the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.In collaboration with the ACLU, authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman have curated an anthology of essays &“full of struggle, emotion, fear, resilience, hope, and triumph&” (Los Angeles Review of Books) about landmark cases in the organization&’s one-hundred-year history. Fight of the Century takes you inside the trials and the stories that have shaped modern life. Some of the most prominent cases that the ACLU has been involved in—Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona—need little introduction. Others you may never even have heard of, yet their outcomes quietly defined the world we live in now. Familiar or little-known, each case springs to vivid life in the hands of the acclaimed writers who dive into the history, narrate their personal experiences, and debate the questions at the heart of each issue.Hector Tobar introduces us to Ernesto Miranda, the felon whose wrongful conviction inspired the now-iconic Miranda rights—which the police would later read to the man suspected of killing him. Yaa Gyasi confronts the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education, in which the ACLU submitted a friend of- the-court brief questioning why a nation that has sent men to the moon still has public schools so unequal that they may as well be on different planets. True to the ACLU&’s spirit of principled dissent, Scott Turow offers a blistering critique of the ACLU&’s stance on campaign finance.These powerful stories, along with essays from Neil Gaiman, Meg Wolitzer, Salman Rushdie, Ann Patchett, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Louise Erdrich, George Saunders, and many more, remind us that the issues the ACLU has engaged over the past one hundred years remain as vital as ever today, and that we can never take our liberties for granted.Chabon and Waldman are donating their advance to the ACLU and the contributors are forgoing payment.
Fight of the Century
by Barb RosenstockThe fight for women's suffrage between women's rights leader Alice Paul and President Woodrow Wilson is creatively presented as a four-round boxing match in this energetic nonfiction picture book.When Woodrow Wilson was elected President, he didn't know that he would be participating in one of the greatest fights of the century: the battle for women's right to vote. The formidable Alice Paul led the women's suffrage movement, and saw President Wilson's election as an opportunity to win the vote to women. She battered her opponent with endless strategic arguments and carefully coordinated protests, calling for a new amendment granting women the right to vote. With a spirit and determination that never quit--even when peaceful protests were met with violence and even when many women were thrown in jail--Paul eventually convinced President Wilson to support her cause, changing the country forever. Cleverly framed as a boxing match, this book provides a fascinating and compelling look at an important moment in American history. Sarah Green's bright, detailed illustrations perfectly accompany award-winning author Barb Rosenstock's captivating narrative.
The Fight over Digital Rights
by Bill D. HermanIn the political fight over copyright, Internet advocacy has reshaped the playing field. This was shown in the 2012 'SOPA blackout', when the largest online protest in history stopped two copyright bills in their tracks. This protest was the culmination of an intellectual and political evolution more than a decade in the making. This book examines the debate over digital copyright, from the late 1980s through early 2012, and the new tools of political communication involved in the advocacy around the issue. Drawing on methods from legal studies, political science and communications, it explores the rise of a coalition seeking more limited copyright, as well as how these early-adopting, technology-savvy policy advocates used online communication to shock the world. It compares key bills, congressional debates, and offline and online media coverage using quantitative and qualitative methods to create a rigorous study for researchers that is also accessible to a general audience.
The Fight Over Food: Producers, Consumers, and Activists Challenge the Global Food System (Rural Studies)
by Wynne Wright Gerad Middendorf“One problem with the food system is that price is the bottom line rather than having the bottom line be land stewardship, an appreciation for the environmental and social value of small-scale family farms, or for organically grown produce.” —Interview with farmer in Skagit County, WashingtonFor much of the later twentieth century, food has been abundant and convenient for most residents of advanced industrial societies. The luxury of taking the safety and dependability of food for granted pushed it to the back burner in the consciousness of many. Increasingly, however, this once taken-for-granted food system is coming under question on issues such as the humane treatment of animals, genetically engineered foods, and social and environmental justice. Many consumers are no longer content with buying into the mainstream, commodity-driven food market on which they once depended. Resistance has emerged in diverse forms, from protests at the opening of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide to ever-greater interest in alternatives, such as CSAs (community-supported agriculture), fair trade, and organic foods. The food system is increasingly becoming an arena of struggle that reflects larger changes in societal values and norms, as expectations are moving beyond the desire for affordable, convenient foods to a need for healthy and environmentally sound alternatives. In this book, leading scholars and scholar-activists provide case studies that illuminate the complexities and contradictions that surround the emergence of a “new day” in agriculture.The essays found in The Fight Over Food analyze and evaluate both the theoretical and historical contexts of the agrifood system and the ways in which trends of individual action and collective activity have led to an “accumulation of resistance” that greatly affects the mainstream market of food production. The overarching theme that integrates the case studies is the idea of human agency and the ways in which people purposefully and creatively generate new forms of action or resistance to facilitate social changes within the structure of predominant cultural norms. Together these studies examine whether these combined efforts will have the strength to create significant and enduring transformations in the food system.
The Fight Over Food: Producers, Consumers, and Activists Challenge the Global Food System (Rural Studies)
by Wynne Wright Gerad Middendorf“One problem with the food system is that price is the bottom line rather than having the bottom line be land stewardship, an appreciation for the environmental and social value of small-scale family farms, or for organically grown produce.” —Interview with farmer in Skagit County, WashingtonFor much of the later twentieth century, food has been abundant and convenient for most residents of advanced industrial societies. The luxury of taking the safety and dependability of food for granted pushed it to the back burner in the consciousness of many. Increasingly, however, this once taken-for-granted food system is coming under question on issues such as the humane treatment of animals, genetically engineered foods, and social and environmental justice. Many consumers are no longer content with buying into the mainstream, commodity-driven food market on which they once depended. Resistance has emerged in diverse forms, from protests at the opening of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide to ever-greater interest in alternatives, such as CSAs (community-supported agriculture), fair trade, and organic foods. The food system is increasingly becoming an arena of struggle that reflects larger changes in societal values and norms, as expectations are moving beyond the desire for affordable, convenient foods to a need for healthy and environmentally sound alternatives. In this book, leading scholars and scholar-activists provide case studies that illuminate the complexities and contradictions that surround the emergence of a “new day” in agriculture.The essays found in The Fight Over Food analyze and evaluate both the theoretical and historical contexts of the agrifood system and the ways in which trends of individual action and collective activity have led to an “accumulation of resistance” that greatly affects the mainstream market of food production. The overarching theme that integrates the case studies is the idea of human agency and the ways in which people purposefully and creatively generate new forms of action or resistance to facilitate social changes within the structure of predominant cultural norms. Together these studies examine whether these combined efforts will have the strength to create significant and enduring transformations in the food system.
The Fight Over Freedom in 20th- and 21st-Century International Discourse: Moments of ‘self-determination’
by Rita Augestad KnudsenThis book shows how international discourse citing ‘self-determination’ over the last hundred years has functioned as a battleground between two ideas of freedom: a ‘radical’ idea of freedom, and a ‘liberal-conservative’ idea of freedom. The book examines each of the major moments in which ‘self-determination’ has been a central part of the language of high-level international politics and law: the early 20th century discourse of V.I. Lenin and U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, the aftermath of the First World War and the formulation of the UN Charter, the 1950-1960s UN debates on ‘self-determination’, and the 2008-2010 International Court of Justice case on Kosovo’s declaration of independence. At each of these moments in history, ‘self-determination’ was at the top of the international agenda. And at each moment, a fight over the meaning of freedom played out in ‘self-determination’ discourse. Besides providing insights into the historical times in which self-determination was prominently cited internationally, the book offers a recasting and renewal of international debates on freedom in international discourse.
Fight the Power!
by Sean Michael Wilson Polyp Benjamin Dickson Hunt Emerson Adam PasionThis book visualises key moments in history where ordinary people have risen up and fought governments, corporations, even empires. When the 99% have stood up to combat exploitation and abuse or in pursuit of freedom of action and a better life. In other words, to show times in history, when people have struggled forward to FIGHT THE POWER!
Fight the Right
by Warren KinsellaEverywhere you look, these days, Conservatives are winning elections. No matter where you look, the story is the same: white, angry men on the Right are winning power. The Left, meanwhile, is divided and dispirited, and rapidly losing ground. Fight the Right is a handbook on how to survive the nasty, brutish and short-sighted era in which we find ourselves and is designed to help progressives better understand their conservative adversary, and ultimately defeat conservatives wherever the battle is taking shape. It's a manual on how conservatives have appropriated language and values, and how progressives can take both back. Written in a fun, accessible, style, Fight the Right will appeal to those about to launch an advocacy effort, as well as those who are simply curious about how (and if) the Right thinks. It is chock full of war stories and not-so-tall tales about winning progressive campaigns, from everyone from Jean Chretien to Bobby Kennedy, Jr., and it will argue--forcefully--that a United Right can't be defeated until a United Left emerges. Wherever conservative power-brokers are hurting average citizens and hard-working families, Fight the Right will provide a tested road map on how to beat the bullies.
Fight to Live, Live to Fight: Veteran Activism after War (SUNY series in New Political Science)
by Benjamin SchraderWhile veterans are often cast as a "problem" for society, Fight to Live, Live to Fight challenges this view by focusing on the progressive, positive, and productive activism that veterans engage in. Benjamin Schrader weaves his own experiences as a former member of the American military and then as a member of the activist community with the stories of other veteran activists he has encountered across the United States. An accessible blend of political theory, international relations, and American politics, this book critically examines US foreign and domestic policy through the narratives of post-9/11 military veterans who have turned to activism after having exited the military. Veterans are involved in a wide array of activism, including but not limited to antiwar, economic justice, sexual violence prevention, immigration issues, and veteran healing through art. This is an accessible, captivating, and engaging work that may be read and appreciated not just by scholars, but also students and the wider public.
The Fight to Save Juárez: Life in the Heart of Mexico's Drug War
by Ricardo C. AinslieThe city of Juárez is ground zero for the drug war that is raging across Mexico and has claimed close to 60,000 lives since 2007. Almost a quarter of the federal forces that former President Felipe Calderón deployed in the war were sent to Juárez, and nearly 20 percent of the country's drug-related executions have taken place in the city, a city that can be as unforgiving as the hardest places on earth. It is here that the Mexican government came to turn the tide. Whatever happens in Juárez will have lasting repercussions for both Mexico and the United States.
The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America
by Michelle Wilde AndersonA sweeping and eye-opening study of wealth inequality and the dismantling of local government in four working-class US cities that passionately argues for reinvestment in people-centered leadership and offers &“a welcome reminder of what government can accomplish if given the chance&” (San Francisco Chronicle).Decades of cuts to local government amidst rising concentrations of poverty have wreaked havoc on communities left behind by the modern economy. Some of these discarded places are rural. Others are big cities, small cities, or historic suburbs. Some vote blue, others red. Some are the most diverse communities in America, while others are nearly all white, all Latino, or all Black. All are routinely trashed by outsiders for their poverty and their politics. Mostly, their governments are just broke. Forty years after the anti-tax revolution began protecting wealthy taxpayers and their cities, our high-poverty cities and counties have run out of services to cut, properties to sell, bills to defer, and risky loans to take.In this &“astute and powerful vision for improving America&” (Publishers Weekly), urban law expert and author Michelle Wilde Anderson offers unsparing, humanistic portraits of the hardships left behind in four such places. But this book is not a eulogy or a lament. Instead, Anderson travels to four blue-collar communities that are poor, broke, and progressing. Networks of leaders and residents in these places are facing down some of the hardest challenges in American poverty today. In Stockton, California, locals are finding ways, beyond the police department, to reduce gun violence and treat the trauma it leaves behind. In Josephine County, Oregon, community leaders have enacted new taxes to support basic services in a rural area with fiercely anti-government politics. In Lawrence, Massachusetts, leaders are figuring out how to improve job security and wages in an era of backbreaking poverty for the working class. And a social movement in Detroit, Michigan, is pioneering ways to stabilize low-income housing after a wave of foreclosures and housing loss.Our smallest governments shape people&’s safety, comfort, and life chances. For decades, these governments have no longer just reflected inequality—they have helped drive it. But it doesn&’t have to be that way. Anderson shows that &“if we learn to save our towns, we will also be learning to save ourselves&” (The New York Times Book Review).
The Fight to Vote
by Michael WaldmanPraised by the late John Lewis, this is the seminal book about the long and ongoing struggle to win voting rights for all citizens by the president of The Brennan Center, the leading organization on voter rights and election security, now newly revised to describe today&’s intense fights over voting.As Rep. Lewis said, and recent events in state legislatures across the country demonstrate, the struggle for the right to vote is not over. In this &“important and powerful&” (Linda Greenhouse, former New York Times Supreme Court correspondent) book Michael Waldman describes the long struggle to extend the right to vote to all Americans. From the writing of the Constitution, and at every step along the way, as disenfranchised Americans sought this right, others have fought to stop them. Waldman traces this history from the Founders&’ debates to today&’s many restrictions: gerrymandering; voter ID laws; the flood of dark money released by conservative organizations; and the concerted effort in many state legislatures after the 2020 election to enact new limitations on voting.Despite the pandemic, the 2020 election had the highest turnout since 1900. In this updated edition, Waldman describes the nationwide effort that made this possible. He offers new insights into how Donald Trump&’s false claims of fraud—&“the Big Lie&”—led to the January 6 insurrection and the fights over voting laws that followed one of the most dramatic chapters in the story of American democracy.As Waldman shows, this fight, sometimes vicious, has always been at the center of American politics because it determines the outcome of the struggle for power. The Fight to Vote is &“an engaging, concise history…offering many useful reforms that advocates on both sides of the aisle should consider&” (The Wall Street Journal).
The Fighters: Americans In Combat In Afghanistan And Iraq
by C. J. Chivers<P><P>Pulitzer Prize winner C.J. Chivers’ unvarnished account of modern combat, told through the eyes of the fighters who have waged America’s longest wars. <P><P>More than 2.7 million Americans have served in Afghanistan or Iraq since September 11, 2001. C.J. Chivers reported from both wars from their beginnings. <P><P>The Fighters vividly conveys the physical and emotional experience of war as lived by six combatants: a fighter pilot, a corpsman, a scout helicopter pilot, a grunt, an infantry officer, and a Special Forces sergeant. <P><P>Chivers captures their courage, commitment, sense of purpose, and ultimately their suffering, frustration, and moral confusion as new enemies arise and invasions give way to counterinsurgency duties for which American forces were often not prepared. <P><P>The Fighters is a tour de force, a portrait of modern warfare that parts from slogans to do for American troops what Stephen Ambrose did for the G.I.s of World War II and Michael Herr for the grunts in Vietnam. Told with the empathy and understanding of an author who is himself an infantry veteran, The Fighters presents the long arc of two wars. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>