The Once and Future Liberal

After Identity Politics

By: Mark Lilla

Narrated by: Charles Constant

From one of the most internationally admired political thinkers, a controversial polemic on the failures of identity politics and what comes next for the left - in America and beyond.

Following the shocking results of the US election of 2016, public intellectuals across the globe offered theories and explanations, but few were met with such vitriol, panic, and debate as Mark Lilla’s. The Once and Future Liberal is a passionate plea to liberals to turn from the divisive politics of identity and develop a vision of the future that can persuade all citizens that they share a common destiny.

Driven by a sincere desire to protect society’s most vulnerable, the left has unwittingly balkanized the electorate, encouraged self-absorption rather than solidarity, and invested its energies in social movements rather than party politics. Identity-focused individualism has insidiously conspired with amoral economic individualism to shape an electorate with little sense of a shared future and near-contempt for the idea of the common good.

Now is the time to re-build a sense of common feeling and purpose, and a sense of duty to one another. A fiercely argued, important book, enlivened by acerbic wit and erudition, The Once and Future Liberal is essential listening for our times.

©2017 Mark Lilla (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Thoughtful Insights for a Pragmatic American

What did you like best about this story?

Finally, someone who has the same idea in his head about the course of American polity, but says it a lot better than I.

Any additional comments?

An understandable insight of the political tilt of America now- as the result of the last 50 years of societal development. He paints a picture of the loss of a central idea or vision which unites folks, and its replacement with personal & identity politics. His view of this seems spot-on to me, but disappointed in a too short discussion of how to remedy the situation.

A hard pill to swallow

I thought the book brought up some great points. This will be a tough book for some liberals to get into I think. However, I think it's a very important books for us to talk about. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in saving the United States from its current dilemmas.

Insightful, spot on and dearly needed

For years I have believed that I have remained relatively consistent in my politics and attitudes towards government, democracy and life. I recall my support for Nixon (pre-criminal years), Dole and Heinz because I am a liberal and a patriot. I watched the Republican party drift and drift until anyone like the above named figures no longer had a home in their party. Having lived largely abroad for the last 15 years, I have now experienced the same thing from my own "side" where I now often find myself defending "progressives" and even conservatives against this unimpeachable mob of identity, self, entitled and fetish obsessed politics of the left. I have stood my ground but it has only been in the last 2 years and most definitively since the victory of Donald Trump that voices on the left have started to be heard as the need to question why we keep losing elections though the nation shares our values becomes a question of existential importance. Mark Lilla, from inside the ivory tower of academia tells us in no uncertain terms what are the signs and symptoms of our illness on the left, diagnoses what ails us with an accurate, broad and even sober understanding of history and I believe offers a clear prescription on how to get well and move forward.

This is a must read slap in the face wake up call for those who think of themselves as "woke" to cut that crap out and to focus on the progress that has been made with the cooperation of the whole of society, what unites us, why we must and how to speak with people who disagree with us and why it is essential to do so in a way that displays a mature adult attitude in a democracy that true progress is maintained through open discussion, debate based on facts and not identity and by working within political institutions to win elections from bottom to top by listening, unifying and compromise based about our shared citizenship rather than through our victimhood, personal circumstances and the courts.

We will ignore his assessment at our own peril. Those coddled and sensitive members of what I call the "Regressive Left" need to understand that they are the left version of the selfishness spawned by Reagan on the Right. That is their cultural heritage and if they don't like finding out who their father is, then they have to snap out of their self-delusion and move forward into an era that can still forward their interests without the need to label every one less holy than themselves as evil.

The Perfect Book for an Imperfect Time

Thank you for writing this book. I highly recommend it to liberals and conservatives alike.

Excellent! We should be citizens first and foremost!!!

Well researched and thought out book. It walk through history and ideas in a way that help me understand how things have progressed and not progressed. I thoroughly enjoy the concept of us all being citizens together first. And getting rid of the group and identity politics. This divided us too much. My only issue would be with the book the author fails to point out that mass media is largely line with the left and liberal politics. And goes out of his way to talk about Fox news. But the book is definitely worth a read for anyone independent liberal or conservative.

Makes sense to me

A quick, no-nonsense look at where Liberals in America have to go after getting beat by a big dumb Cheeto

Don't let the word "liberal" scare you

What did you love best about The Once and Future Liberal?

Lilla sheds light on the need for compromise, but also the need for a review of history and civics.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The "once liberal" side of the equation was very interesting. You dive into the south and the Voting Rights Act. Great content of the events from presidents during that time.

What about Charles Constant’s performance did you like?

Easy to understand and provided changes in tone when necessary.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There was so much I wanted to talk about with my friends (both dem and rep.)

Any additional comments?

One of my favorite listens in 9 books so far in 2018.

Necessary Analysis

Once and Future Liberal offers an accurate diagnosis of the current state of affairs. I have myself lamented what now passes for citizenship.

Brilliant and Painfully True

Ever since Trump won the presidency, I've read every book I can get my hands on to figure out why. So far I've read dozens of them (I'm one of those weirdos who listens to a book every single day, rain or shine). This book is far and away the best of them. Invest just a few short hours and you will understand exactly why the Democratic Party doesn't win elections anymore. As a Berkeley alum, this was a painful but necessary wake up call for me.

Couldn’t Agree More!

Your message is exactly right, but from perspective and based on listening to the reaction of hosts of your interviews regarding the book, I see no chance that your observations could move the Democratic Party. I think you are speaking to a brick wall.

I long ago removed my party identification because the messaging both sides subliminally told me I was not welcome. In my view, political parties are myopically focused winning the next election. It is well known that party strategy often is to prioritize keeping a hot button issue unresolved instead of working across the isle to find practical solution I order to use it to drive fund raising and the base voter to the polls next election.

Neither of the parties are concerned about the long term best interest of the nation as a whole. This is a fact of nature of modern mass media politics.

I do wonder however if your message could form the seed of a coalition of those like myself who are motivated by a broader range of factors in choosing a candidate. N