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Liberal Slams Hammer Down

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By AL HUTCHISON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 29, 2008

"This Land Is Their Land: Reports From A Divided Nation," by Barbara Ehrenreich (Metropolitan Books, $25)

On the cover of this collection of well-crafted essays, the word "Their" in the title is printed in bright red while the rest of the title is in black. Moreover, it is printed above the word "Your," which has been almost obliterated by red slashes. So no reader should be surprised that Barbara Ehrenreich, who is firmly entrenched on the left side of America's political spectrum, is again bashing those who occupy the other side, just as she did in "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America."

In her customary take-no-prisoners manner, Ehrenreich vigorously slams a range of targets, including (in perhaps the book's most controversial chapter) conventional religious faith, executive compensation, those who harp on illegal immigration, contemporary working conditions (for the workers, not their bosses) and a long list of behavior patterns that draw less public attention.

Wal-Mart, not surprisingly, comes in for its share of her wrath. She describes how the retail giant allegedly retaliated against an employee who had objected to "the conditions he found in Central American factories supplying Wal-Mart stores." The chain's high-geared security department, staffed with former top CIA and FBI officials, spied on the employee, whose job title was "factory inspection manager." In other words, he was doing his job. Wal-Mart relied on the spy's findings to accuse him of indiscreet behavior with a female colleague. Ehrenreich's question: Why does a retailer employ such a sophisticated surveillance apparatus?

Wal-Mart's rival, Target, is also a target of Ehrenreich's criticism as she describes how that chain's security apparatus ("asset protection agents") hounded an employee it accused of wrongly giving a colleague a discount on a video game. The employee was fired, although he told the author he couldn't remember "anything about that day, let alone that transaction."

There's a lot more like that, and it's unlikely conservatives will find anything in the book that gives them comfort. In fact, they'll probably view it as a political polemic. Liberals, however, may find their views vigorously reinforced.

The part that may bother readers of contrasting political philosophies is the chapter "God Owes Us an Apology." Open-minded people of faith might welcome her comments, but those who reflexively resent having their lifelong beliefs challenged might be offended, perhaps deeply.

Ehrenreich's arguments are interesting as well as provocative, and because it has become increasingly acceptable in American literary (if not political) circles to express skepticism about religious faith, they won't trigger anything akin to culture shock. She breaks no new ground when, in considering blame for the Indonesian tsunami, she writes that "any religion that is centered on a God who is both all-powerful and all-good ... should be subject to a thorough post-tsunami evaluation."

Al Hutchinson of Citrus County is a freelance writer.

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