America: What Went Wrong? (and other stories)

[JHB]

One of the things I find that comes up when talking with people about the economy, globalization, etc., is many peoples' belief that it was all rather inevitable, so complaining about it is like complaining about the tide: you can do it, but it's pointless.

I don't have to wonder why they think that -- the "liberal" media has repeated the theme for nearly thirty years now -- but sometimes I wonder how it is that I became "inoculated" against this. Why am I so sure things didn't have to play out this way and that deliberate political decisions were at least as important as "the invisible hand" in bringing about what Paul Krugman called "The Great Unraveling".

Well, part of it was what I'd been reading. I can't exactly give my full reading list for the last 20 years, but I can recommend a few books that will help when it comes to fixing the "What's the Matter with Kansas?" and "Talking to an Elephant" problems.

Reporters James B. Steele and Donald L. Barlett wrote a series of articles, some for The Philadelphia Enquirer, some for Time, on how the changing economy was playing out for ordinary people. The first, published in book form in 1992, is a little dated, but that actually works in its favor now, since it's entirely pre-Clinton. The later series/books followed up on the same or similar themes, and collectively they serve as quite an information source and teaching tool when you try to explain to people just how far this "squeeze the middle" and "starve the beast" effort goes back.

Pick'em up at your library, or at a bookstore, and get :grr: :grr: :grr:

America: What Went Wrong?
by James B Steele, Donald L. Barlett

Paperback: 252 pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (January 1, 1992)
ISBN: 0836270010
"Worried that you are falling behind, not living as well as you once did?..."

AMERICA: WHO REALLY PAYS THE TAXES?
by Donald L. Barlett

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Remaindered Marked edition (March 23, 1994)
ISBN: 0671871579

America: Who Stole The Dream?
by Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele

Paperback: 276 pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (June 1, 1996)
ISBN: 0836213149
"Let's suppose, for a moment, there was a country where the people in charge charted a course that eliminated millions of good paying jobs..."

The Great American Tax Dodge: How Spiraling Fraud and Avoidance Are Killing Fairness, Destroying the Income Tax, and Costing You
by Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele

Paperback: 302 pages
Publisher: University of California Press; 1st Califo edition (September 2, 2002)
ISBN: 0520236106
"A woman forms a company to conduct "research" for the benefit of her minor children and writes a monthly "rent" check to her husband to..."

Critical Condition : How Health Care in America Became Big Business--and Bad Medicine
by Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (October 5, 2004)
ISBN: 0385504543

:patriot:

[mhr]

1. Barlett And Steele - Two Real Journalists!

Thank for the links!

[JHB]

2. Well, they're not really links...

...(I see no need to favor one bookseller or another like that), but it is the info you need to track them down.

[JHB]

3. auto-impulsion

a.k.a, self- :kick:

[catmandu57]

4. I bought America: What went wrong

When it came out and I couldn't finish it, I became phyically ill, really while reading it. I donated it to the local library, they were happy to have it, but I believe since it's first publishing, the things that made me ill are now sop.