Thursday, March 29, 2018

Interview with Author Bruce Berlin




Breaking Big Money's Grip on America: Working Together To Revive Our Democracy


1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book?
I was and still am very angry at how Big Money controls our government and public policy to the detriment of most Americans, including myself. The fact that Pres. Obama let the bankers who caused the Great Recession of 2008 off scotfree while I lost $100,000 that was my daughter's college fund. And, those bankers are doing better than ever while many Americans are still struggling. The fact that the Affordable Care Act was for the most part written by the private healthcare industry to benefit them, more than American consumers. That over 90 % of Americans favor universal background checks, but we don’t have sensible gun control because of the NRA and the gun manufacturers, which puts all our lives at greater risk every day. I’m sick of being dictated to by Big Money’s desires. Our country is a plutocracy run for and by the very wealthy, who already have way more than they need or know what to do with, and the rest of us have practically no say in how our country is run.  

2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader?
Huge sums of money unduly influence elections and public policy in the United States today. A growing number of people see the United States as a plutocracy run by and for the very rich. Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America provides convincing evidence to support this view and explores how a nationwide Democracy Movement can overcome the ruling status of Big Money and convert our government into one that serves the true needs of the American people. Moreover, it demonstrates why breaking Big Money’s grip on our government is critical to solving other crucial issues, like affordable healthcare, climate change, gun violence, immigration reform and income inequality. The book provides a vision as well as concrete strategies for Americans of all persuasions who want to eliminate the corrupting influence of money in politics and establish a political system accountable to the people and the public interest.

My target audience is anyone who is concerned about the future of our country and wants to help build a movement to revive democracy.

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down?
That mass movements are what makes real change in our country. That those movements have been built by ordinary Americans who believed in their cause and were willing to fight against great odds to achieve their goals. That millions of Americans have died to preserve our democratic ideals. And now, it is up to us, We, the people, to overcome Big Money and create a more just and equitable nation by building a grassroots, mass movement for democracy.

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers?
Believe in yourself and only write about what you believe in. That is the only way you will get through the rough times when you want to give it all up.

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
I’m not that familiar with “the book world.” But, I would say one trend is writing about what you know personally and what can grab someone’s emotions.
I think the industry is moving in the direction of more small and independent publishers as well as self-publishing.

6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book?
The great challenge was sticking with it when I felt I wasn’t getting anywhere, or what I was writing wasn’t very good. The challenge was to keep in mind that all the struggle, time and energy it took would be worth it once I had completed my book.

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
If you are concerned about your future, or that of your family, your community and/or your country, Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America is the book you must read. The United States is on the verge of a constitutional crisis. The heart and soul of our democracy is under attack. At the center of this ruthless attack is Big Money. If Americans, including you and me, do not grasp how Big Money is destroying our democracy and that time is running out to save it, the United States may soon become an authoritarian or fascist state. Our personal freedoms will be lost. Our lives will be drained of all real meaning. Breaking Big Money’s Grip on America spells out a clear and easy-to-understand explanation of this critical issue. Moreover, it provides a viable roadmap of how We, the People can come together, overcome Big Money’s control, and revive democracy in America.

A retired, public sector, ethics attorney and social change organizer, Bruce Berlin earned his B.A. in government from Cornell University and his J.D. from NYU School of Law. He has devoted himself to social justice issues for almost 50 years. Berlin is the founder and former executive director of The Trinity Forum for International Security and Conflict Resolution, a nonprofit organization that brought together policymakers, academicians, NGO organizers, and concerned citizens from a wide spectrum of political perspectives, to develop broad-based, bipartisan approaches to a variety of policy issues from national security in the nuclear age to economic development and diversification. In 1988, Berlin was awarded a Jennings Randolph Peace Fellowship from the United States Institute of Peace to bring together parties in the Nicaraguan conflict to explore paths to a peace agreement. During his career, Berlin has been involved in a number of local, state, and national political campaigns. In the early 1980s, as the state coordinator of the New Mexico Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, he directed a successful statewide effort to lobby the New Mexico legislature for the passage of a resolution in support of a US-Soviet freeze on the development and deployment of nuclear weapons. Berlin resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  See more info at: www.breakingbigmoneysgrip.com

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource."

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