Are We Really Celebrating Our Independence This July 4th?

Wake Up, America – The American Dream is Dying Newswise — WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Can we really celebrate our independence this 4th of July, or has the ongoing financial crisis put the American dream of independence beyond the reach of many of our nation’s citizens? That’s the question author David Coates is asking in his new book, Making the Progressive Case: Toward a Stronger U.S. Economy. Just as the nation was changed forever by the terrorist attacks in 2001, the U.S. economy was irrevocably altered by the financial meltdown of 2008, says Coates, a Wake Forest University political science professor and Huffington Post political columnist. “Wake up, America. It’s time for all of us to realize we’re not on the same playing field anymore,” Coates says. “Politicians in both parties should take off their blinders and look at the challenges that lie before us.” Offering facts on each side of the debate, Making the Progressive Case examines the myriad economic problems facing the Obama administration and the nation as well as possible remedies. Topics include Obama’s response to the financial meltdown, the green economy, regulated markets and managed trade. The book also includes in-depth information on the roots of the crisis and an economics primer for the lay person. “My hope is that this book will help us move beyond the partisan quagmire and bring forth real political change,” Coates says. “By presenting both sides of the arguments, the goal is to counter the rhetoric and generate real ideas.” Given the rapidly changing political landscape, Making the Progressive Case offers readers an online living book where key issues are updated regularly. Updates are available at www.davidcoates.net. David Coates holds the Worrell Chair of Anglo-American Studies, Department of Political Science at Wake Forest University (NC). He previously held personal chairs at the universities of Leeds and Manchester in the UK. He has written extensively on labor politics, contemporary political economy, and US public policy. He is the author of several books, including Answering Back: Liberal Responses to Conservative Arguments; The Labour Party and the Struggle for Socialism and Models of Capitalism: Growth and Stagnation in the World Economy. Making the Progressive Case June 2011ISBN: 978-1-4411-8650-8/ paperback $24.95/ 272 pagesPolitics