You'll never believe it: I finished a book.I first saw this book on a webpage, I'm sure of it. I think it was Facebook, but it could have been on a blog or... I don't know. I tried to trace back where but didn't find anything. It was during the height of the election this past fall and I immediately felt drawn to read it. It took me a while to get it from the library, and then of course I had to read half of it and return it, repeat. In the intirim, my head has been buzzing with the ideas and perspectives of this both conservative and countercultural author.
The title, Cruncy Cons, in confusing. He means "Cons" as "Conservatives" rather than con-men or convicts, two unfortunately intuitive guesses. I find myself stuttering around the title when I talk about the book: Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, Gun-Loving Organic Gardeners, Evangelical Free-Range Farmers, Hip Homeschooling Mamas, Right-Wing Nature Lovers, and Their Diverse Tribe of Countercultural Conservatives Plan to Save America (or at least the Republican Party). "Crunchy" is in the sense of the granola-types, usually leftists, but not this time.
I struggle with my politics; I feel like so much of what I believe is a logical following of my faith and convictions, yet my attitudes don't seem to match anyone around me. I've been wondering how politics are supposed to fit in anyway, since I can't agree with most of the examples I see. A dear friend of mine once described those who can't seem to pick Republican or Democrat as "morons!" and while he didn't know he was describing me, he didn't change his stance when he found out. Remembering the conversation still makes me chuckle. It wasn't offensive; I understand that I'm the one who doesn't fit. And in a lot of ways I'm not politically well read or educated enough to figure myself out. But this book tied together some threads for me.
This book is full of ideas about stewardship of the land, the ubiquity of overwhelming consumerism and the dangers of elevating the free market economy to the highest good. There was some that resonated with me and some I didn't agree with, but the viewpoint was useful and I definitely recommend the book.
I think I've still got a lot of thinking to do.
I totally want to read this, too! I started in on a book called "God's Politics: Why The Right Gets It Wrong And The Left Doesn't Get It" but I got bogged down and didn't finish. Wanna borrow it and give me a book report?!
ReplyDeleteSure! But my reading has a half-life. In three weeks I can read the first half, then three more weeks to read half of what's left, and so on... ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to hear that anyone thinks an independent voter is a moron! Almost everyone I know has trouble subscribing to any of the established political parties! In fact, I've almost come to think of people who follow one party without fail as just plain lazy.
ReplyDeleteWell, it was a while ago. A lot has changed, particularly in attitudes about mainstream Republicanism, in the last couple of years.
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