Comprehensive Book by Kossacks

As I scroll through diary after diary I am amazed at the number of truly knowledgeable and well-spoken diarists and commenters. What's even more amazing is to find them on frequently on opposite sides of an argument. But locating these diaries--and even more, the comments--is incredibly hit-or-miss. (Tagging helps!)

This would be a huge research project, but I wonder if all these gems could be gathered together and published in a political handbook. (Actually, it would likely expand to cover much more than just politics, but we'll leave it at that for now.)

Possible chapters:

Health Care
Education
Energy
Voting Reform
Journalism and Media
The Constitution
The Rich
The Poor
Labor

What else?

Each is a specialty. Seldom are the links between each explored. Establishing cohesion between these subjects and their affects on Americans, and humanity as a whole, would be difficult.

But the knowledge is here. The writers are here. The skills are here.

•  You completely left out wamen

  and reproductive rights--I'd nominate moiv for that one.

  by irishwitch on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:50:29 AM PDT

  •  besides women

    how about Gay Rights...? (or, as FReep has it, "Teh Homosexual Agenda")

    by condoleaser on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:54:08 AM PDT

    •  Yup

      another great idea

      I am I and you are you, and we are both each other too -- Clair Huffaker

      by xysrl on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:58:14 AM PDT

    •  Yup.

      That too.

      by irishwitch on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:11:40 AM PDT

  •  Great

    That would certainly be a good one.

    I am I and you are you, and we are both each other too -- Clair Huffaker

    by xysrl on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:54:58 AM PDT

•  I think this is a very good idea.

  It would lend cohesion to these subjects (in learning how Progressive bloggers feel or what they know) in a way the threads sometimes don't.  I'm thinking of something like a book of quotes format for each topic.  Of course, links would be hard to do.  Maybe simply write in the link addy so the reader can look it up, if desired.

  by rainmanjr on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:53:43 AM PDT

  •  PDF

    On-line publication of book with pdf links would be a good way to remedy this.

    I am I and you are you, and we are both each other too -- Clair Huffaker

    by xysrl on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:57:13 AM PDT

•  A book is too static

  for something like this.  Events and perspectives change, sometimes with lightning speed.

  A series "best of" diaries might work, though.  Could be done on an annual or more frequent basis, open to public nomination.

  by A Mad Mad World on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:55:27 AM PDT

  •  Another

    damned good idea!

    I am I and you are you, and we are both each other too -- Clair Huffaker

    by xysrl on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:57:47 AM PDT

•  Oops

  I left out Religion too

  I am I and you are you, and we are both each other too -- Clair Huffaker

  by xysrl on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 05:59:44 AM PDT

•  Minority Rights

  pointing out that despite civil rights,  we seem to be moving away from freedom.  Jena 6, death rate from violence among young black men, minority religions. ANd you cannot ignore church-state issues.

  by irishwitch on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 06:21:58 AM PDT

•  Oh my god, I would love this

  Not to brag but I think I could help write a great chapter on healthcare and a chapter on elections.

  For example with healthcare we need 5 major reforms

  Single payer (which cuts bureaucracy)

  using our single payer status to negotiate lower prices

  A massive prevention program (75% of healthcare is spent on a handful of chronic diseases)

  Outsourcing of some medical procedures to Thailand or SIngapore. Take the most expensive medical procedures (100k surgeries for example) and have them done in Thailand for 5-10k.

  A massive IT program to increase productivity.

  Doing so could cut $600-800 billion out of healthcare costs.

  http://www.house.gov/...

  $300 billion for single payer, $100 billion for negotiations, $? billion for prevention, $? billion for outsourcing

  http://www.healthaffairs.org/...

  $162-346 billion for an IT program to increase productivity.

  I have alot of these ideas and I am sick of not being able to use them. Let me know if you are serious about this idea.

  by Juche on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 07:09:47 AM PDT

  •  I am serious

    First, anyone with understanding of a topic, which you obviously have, should write a diary (or two or three--however many they need to cover it). Tag it well so researchers can easily find it. Make the title a clear summary statement (e.g., A Proposal for Health Care Reform, To End Poverty--rather than something like Bush Vetos Taylor/Lymon Bill).

    There are some really difficult starting logistics. Getting the attention of writers when this diary disappears into oblivion. Digging up the gems--similar to the Diary Rescues but on a massive scale. Which in turn requires the recruitment of an indeterminate, but large, number of researchers. A system of identification (date and diary [plus indicator of diary itself or comment within it] and author}. Permission from author (What if they're long gone or unreachable now?)

    My specialty is publishing, which I would gladly contribute to a project like this. With all the data gathered, I could take it into a snazzy book and generate a pdf file and ask Kos to upload it and make a highly visible link on the front page. (That would obviate the need for sales/marketing.)

    In addition to the topic writers themselves, we need writers who can show the connections between all the issues (poverty and health care, election reform and gay issues [there might not be much crossover for some], etc.)

    I am dead serious about this project. I, too, am sick--all this knowledge not being used beyond this blog. Such a waste.

    I am I and you are you, and we are both each other too -- Clair Huffaker

    by xysrl on Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 05:19:49 AM PDT

•  You forgot framing and politics

  Like it or not knowing how to connect to people and communicate with them is an important part of elections. So is finding a way to grow the progressive base.

  George Lakoff has written on framing, and info on growing the progressive base is all over the place. But you'd need a chapter on that stuff too.

  by Juche on Fri Nov 30, 2007 at 07:21:11 AM PDT