Livros #1
Massey 
Return of the “L” Word. A Liberal Vision for the New Century,
por Douglas S. Massey,
Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2005, 218+xvi pp.
Não só não é possível repensar a esquerda sem o contributo dos “liberais” americanos, como o futuro da esquerda em todo o mundo dependerá, em muito, do futuro da esquerda nos EUA. O livro de Massey constitui um importante contributo para a dinamização da esquerda americana e para a renovação do seu programa político. Fundamental, também, para pensar a esquerda, hoje, em Portugal.
Índice «1. Return of the “L” word; 2. Where liberalism went wrong; 3. Liberalism and the market; 4. Domestic policies; 5. Global policies; 6. Liberalism and its discontents; 7. Liberalism unbound.»
Citação «I will only consider this book a success if liberals in the future take pride in their liberalism. When tagged with the label “liberal” I want people not to shrink and dissemble but to answer back firmly: “Damned right I’m a liberal and this is what I stand for. I believe that government should invest in people by seeing to their health and education, for people are the ultimate resource in society. I believe that markets are not states of nature, but human inventions with imperfections and fallibilities, and that government must work to ensure they function for the good of the many rather than the benefit of the few. I believe it is the obligation of government to make sure that needed markets exist, that competition within them is fair, that transactions are transparent, and that competition is accessible to everyone. I believe that because markets are fallible, and that they can and do break down from time to time, government must create public institutions to protect people from periodic market failures. Finally, I believe that government must ensure equal civil, legal, and political rights for all citizens regardless of background.” Only when liberalism is expressed positively and forcefully will voters understand that in a liberal America the largest number of people will enjoy true access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, finally fulfilling the dream articulated by the Founding Fathers in Philadelphia more than two centuries ago.» [Massey, 2005: xiii]
Douglas S. Massey é professor de sociologia na Universidade de Princeton, sendo especialista no estudo das migrações internacionais e da questão racial. Em 2001, foi Presidente da Associação Americana de Sociologia.
http://www.ssc.upenn.edu/soc/People/masseydouglas.html
