More Maddow, Different Medium: Read the Prologue to Maddow’s New Book, ‘Drift’

Jamie’s Team Pick:

Did you know Rachel Maddow is publishing a book later this month? Well it’s a true fact and the prologue has been released for you to devour.

Our current military industrial complex is a hot mess, to say nothing of the financial black hole that is our military budget. Addressing this cumbersome topic with charm, wit and words I’ve never read but welcome with open arms to my actually fairly extensive vocabulary (frowsy? I’ll take it!)  is Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power.


Firstly, the book is dedicated to Dick shoot my friend in the face Cheney. For whatever reason the man refuses to have a sit down with Maddow.

Literally shot a man in the face

For this, she pleads in italics:

Maddow digs into how the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan reflect on a deeper problem for America:

Our national security policy isn’t much related to its stated justifications anymore. To whatever extent we do argue and debate what defense and intelligence policy ought to be, that debate, — our political process — doesn’t actually determine what we do. We’re not directing that policy anymore; it follows its own course. Which means we’ve effectively lost control of a big part of who we are as a country. And we’ve broken faith with some of the best advice the founders gave us.

But read on with hope, my friends for “This book is about how and why we’ve drifted. It isn’t inevitable. And it’s fixable.”

Cheers to that!

For more about the upcoming book to be published at the end of March watch this interview with Slate.

And congratulations to Maddow on her recent win of the  John Steinbeck Award, an annual award given to artists who illustrate, “the spirit of Steinbeck’s empathy, commitment to democratic values, and belief in the dignity of the common man.”

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Jamie J. Hagen

Jamie lives in Boston and is currently a PhD student in Global Governance and Human Security at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is a freelance writer and also a team associate for the Boston chapter of Hollaback!.

Jamie has written 76 articles for us.

17 Comments

  4. I swear everything Rachel Maddow does makes me swoon. Even when it’s something I normally don’t care about like the military.

    I just bought tickets to hear her read from this book and I can’t wait and I’m going to meet her and my friends have banned me from talking about this so I’m going to ramble here instead.

    • I didn’t even THINK ABOUT THE BOOK TOUR! March 29th. NYC.

      I better get in line now.

      • Maybe they’ll sell tickets early? That’s what the bookstore I’m going to did (March 31 Mt Holyoke!)

        • So here is the deal for the reading in NYC:

          Special Instructions
          Please note the later start time for this event. Event space opens at 5:00 pm. Please do not arrive prior to 5:00 pm. Priority seating available with purchase of Drift. Limit of three books. Standby customers who do not wish to purchase the book will be seated at management’s discretion.

          I anticipate mayhem on par with the front row of a Beatles concert.

  9. As fate would have it, I’m going to be in Berkeley when Rachel stops there for her book tour. I’ll have to find some way to blow off a formal dinner reception, but it’s is worth it.

    Only Rachel Maddow could make me so excited to see a political speaker. Even President Obama wouldn’t have me in such a tizzy.

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