Cienfuegos’s passion is to drive social change by encouraging citizens to stand up corporate governance—“to make this democratic republic live up to the ideals that we were taught about in school.” Chapters examine how to campaign for change, a multifaceted and highly practical approach to how Democrats could handle the issue of logging, and a deep dive into the “two national constitutions” of the U.S., starting with the Articles of Confederation, a “profoundly more democratic document” in contrast to what was later ratified, “a constitution that is all about the rights of property and says almost nothing about the rights of people.” His prose is inviting, crafted to be persuasive to open-minded readers rather than just to rouse the spirits of longtime fellow travelers, and he’s deft at incorporating historical argument and precedent.
Cienfuegos writes with hope in the national spirit but also clear eyes: though he holds pride in America’s revolutionary history, he simultaneously also condemns the country’s “assaults on the world’s people and nature.” How Dare We also emphasizes the practical, especially “place-based and scale-sensitive” organization and activism. Cienfuegos offers concrete, achievable steps citizens can take to bring about change and hold elected leaders accountable.
Takeaway: Rousing, clear-eyed dispatches from the fight against corporate dominance of American government.
Great for fans of: Paul Starr’s Freedom’s Power, Stephen Duncombe and Steve Lambert’s The Art of Activism.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
