The Moral Center: How We Can Reclaim Our Country from Die-hard Extremists, Rogue Corporations, Hollywood Hacks, and Pretend Patriots

by David Callahan

Nothing’s the matter with Americans voting their values are responding to a real moral crisis. And in this forceful follow-up to The Cheating Culture, David Callahan argues that the problems for most Americans are not abortion and gay marriage but rather issues that neither party is addressing—the selfishness that is careening out of control, the effect of our violent and consumerist culture on children, and our lack of a greater purpose. As Republicans veer into zealotry, liberals can find common ground with the moderate majority. But to alleviate the moral anxieties that drove GOP electoral victories they need a powerful new vision. In The Moral Center, Callahan articulates that vision and offers an escape from the dead-end culture war. With insights garnered from in-depth research and interviews, he examines some of our most polarized conflicts and presents unexpected solutions that lay out a new road map to the American center.



 



 

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

260 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2006

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give this book a 2.5

The main thrust of this book is free-market capitalism is complicitly responsible for the decline of moral behavior in America. His main thesis states that since free-trade capitalism focuses on individual success and since that is the main value in America it leaves out the sense of sacrifice for the group or whole and thus leads to moral disintegration.

The question this book raises is interesting: how do you ask people to care about what happens to others and the country when the American value system constantly stresses individual success? And if you change the system will it destroy the value of individual and personal responsibility? I think to a certain extent this is why I value the Catholic church because it does teach and ask us to be responsible not only for ourselves but also for society as well.

It is very interesting that the big corporations actually have both the right and the left as allies because both sides have as their platform freedom of the individual on the left and freedom of entrepreneurs to make business on the right so if they get pressure from one group they will run to the other side.

I understand that it is harder for a person to switch on and off their values from the workplace to their personal lives so it makes sense that you are either for individual rights through and through or you are for a certain collectivism.

One disappointing thing that this book brought to light is the Bush allowed to continue tax cuts during the time of war thus allowing the deficit to balloon. I am sure if he appealed especially post-9/11 to rich people to let go of their tax cut as a sense of solidarity with the nation he would have got it. It is really disappointing that the "conservative party" did not pay for the war but instead chose to finance an elective war with Iraq with our children's future. If they wanted a war they should have done it responsibly.

Also he has a point in saying all crime should be prosecuted equally both street and white collar crime should be prosecuted with the same zeal. It disappointing that under the Bush administration white-collar crime was not prosecuted with the same zeal as law and order crime even though the companies caused death due to their negligence of safety rules. Perhaps, I understand if the death due to negligence happens once but the company in question has already a history of negligence that has caused death that need to be addressed (ie: criminally prosecuted) not just fined. Fining a company with low amount will do nothing, you have to hit them where it hurts either charge them criminally or fining them so much that they will have to change their practices.

[Kellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book since I've never really read a political book before. After reading it I found that I actually didn't care for the book. The title implies that he will give ideas on what we can do to "reclaim our country" and the only suggestions I could find were contained within four sentences on the last two pages which I considered to be kind of lame.

I disagree with the idea of a moral center, which before reading this book I didn't actually understand what one was. I feel like he, in theory, disagrees with a moral center, but is trying to create one anyway. I don't like the idea of sitting on the fence and just trying to get things to be "not as bad." It kind of reminds me of the scripture where God says he'll spew us out of his mouth if we don't take a side.

Anyway, I don't really recommend the book. Reading it was kind of like, "Um, I already knew that." There wasn't anything that surprised me or taught me anything, so that was disappointing. Well, I was surprised by the number of women getting married in the 1800s that were already pregnant, but other than that, nada.

[Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callahan opens the book by saying that an important distinction is between the "Cares" and the "Care Nots" (an apparent play on the "Haves" and the "Have Nots"). He notes that many people on both ends of the Left/Right political spectrum care deeply about moral issues, social cohesion, and people's well-being, even though there are many other people who fall prey to consumerist messages of selfishness, hedonism, and apathy. One of the things that matters most is simply whether you care about people, behaviors, values, and structures.

He could have written about how to get members of the Left and Right to talk to each other based on their shared concerns, but this isn't a book about "how to have dialogues." Rather, it expresses a moderate vision for a new kind of patriotism and for compassion described in new language. It is distrustful of existing power structures and steers away from consumerist values. He believes this vision ultimately fits better under the rubric of the Left and of liberalism, although, in many respects, he proposes it as a centrist message that a variety of people should be able to agree upon.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This falls right in line with Jim Wallis' God's Politics. Callahan adds, to that book, a sort of handbook for how progressives can move to the center in finding issues to move the voters away from self-centered politics. I was particularly taken by his discussion of personal responsibility v. collective responsibility. It is certainly no secret (among those who know and love me) that this is a personal interest of mine...how we can reflect some sort of corporate responsibility in government action, while not stifling personal responsibility. Find the answer to that and we have found the proverbial "pot of gold". Keep the faith.

[Elizabeth Vasquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought at an airport to pass time