When it comes to politics I’ve never connected with the vision of a single group. When I do find myself leaning towards a party, it is typically only because I am leaning away from its opposite. Part of this is because as humans we are much better at knowing what we don’t want. Yet I would like to think that the other reason is that I try to value substance over partisanship.
All this may change; the direction of Abundance, on the surface appears to align perfectly with my emerging world views and biases. If Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson manage to drive the agenda for the future of the Democratic party, I would proudly become a partisan for that cause.
The main idea of their book is the democratic party should become more pragmatic and less ideological. Success should be measured in things built, not in stances taken. The future is uncertain but should be fought for instead of given away passively.
This manifesto is likely not destined for a long shelf life; the Democratic party is currently suffering from an identity crisis. I doubt this vision will gather widespread support—it simply isn’t radical enough to capture attention in our current political climate. Even so, I hope it leaves an imprint, influencing the thinking of those who may one day shape policy from positions of power.