Common Preservation In a Time of Mutual Destruction

As world leaders eschew cooperation to address climate change, nuclear proliferation, economic meltdown, and other threats to our survival, more and more people experience a pervasive sense of dread and despair. Is there anything we can do? What can put us on the course from mutual destruction to common preservation? In the past, social movements have sometimes made rapid and unexpected changes that countered apparently incurable social problems. In Common Preservation, Brecher shares his experiences and what he has learned that can help ward off mutual destruction, and provides a unique heuristic—a toolkit for thinkers and activists—to understand and create new forms of common preservation.

Jeremy Brecher has participated in movements for nuclear disarmament, civil rights, peace, international labor rights, global economic justice, accountability for war crimes, climate protection, and many others. Todd Vachon is a union carpenter, labor educator, and faculty member in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University.