Dewey had a crystal ball?

So many of the points Dewey made since hold true today. In fact, I wonder how he might react today knowing that his predictions have come through. This book was no easy read for me, but here's a few things I got from it:

- The public is often an incoherent, almost non-existent force.
- It is likely to remain that way unless some significant situation/turmoil, a.k.a. negatively externality brings it together.
- Dewey believes in the public's ability to protect and deliberate correctly over important matters, but there are too many special and private interests that influence and deter the public's ability to do so, because the public does not get all the pertinent information.
- There is a need for improved communication for the public to come together.
- Democracy must begin at the level of the local community. It is important for people to get actively involved and express their opinions about matters that concern everyone in the community.
- Politics has to compete for people's attention with other things like technology, etc. which people find to be more desirable topics worth discussing.
- Policies need to be flexible rather than rigid.
- Policies also need to be tested properly to study their effectiveness.
- Dewey touches on the issue of how one should live with one's neighbors responsibly and how without doing so, one cannot be a part of "Great Community"

Mr. Bush should have a passage from this book read to him every night...even if it is too late to undo the mess.