4 Comment on “Decline of America

  1. Laxman says:

    What an eye-opening expose! I wonder if most republican realize how manipulative their leaders are. I was very angry after reading this book and swore to let others know what is going on. I bought extra copies to distribute to my friends.

  2. Bumble Bee says:

    I would not have come across this book if it had not been recommended to me by someone whose advice I take very seriously. Once I started reading it, however, I could not put it down and read through it in one evening. It is a short read and instead of being a lengthy scholarly tome, goes straight to heart of the issues. It does not follow the common format of books in this genre, which provide extensive background information that may be only marginally relevant, or colorful anecdotes that aim to bring a text alive (such as books by Bob Woodward for example). Instead, this book holds the reader’s attention on the basis of the facts it presents and the narrative it weaves together. It is a short, serious and gripping text which cuts out anything that is not relevant to the key themes.

    The book aims to understand and explain the current state of politics in the country, the polarization and the role of extremists in shaping party platforms, the role played by big money, the rise in income inequality, and the lack of opportunity for middle and lower income citizens. To do this, the book goes back to the role of the Founding Fathers, a discussion of how the Constitution was shaped, and how the two major parties evolved. It does so succinctly and compellingly. In a few dozen pages, it takes us to America in the 1960s and the evolution of politics since then, the people shaping it, the sponsors, think-tanks and groups that have helped shape the public debate.

    Not everyone will agree with the conclusions drawn in the book, but everyone interested in the current state of our politics should read it. This is a courageous book, and will no doubt invite invective, but it needs to be read and debated. Any meaningful debate, and I hope it leads to one, will have to begin with agreeing on the facts. I suspect that critics of this book will dispute some of the more damning facts, and this book provides a lot of them. Readers would be well served by agreeing on the facts and then debate the underlying implications, because those are what are troubling. But a discussion is needed, so that citizens understand what the current state of affairs might mean for them and for the nation in the future, and what our role as informed citizens is in shaping the future.

  3. Video Jockey says:

    I always wondered how things got so screwed up politically in America and why they don’t seem to get any better and then I found this book. Wow! This is the best explanation of the whole political process and all of the attached baggage that I have read. A must read for everyone who wants to know what is really behind the many problems facing our nation.

  4. Richard M. Jones says:

    A startling, though not so surprising summary of how big money, fanatical religion, and party politics gave us Donald Trump and the other cast of characters now pandering, with great success to win your vote. While slanted to the left, there is a lot of documentation and persuasive argument about the power of mixing a portion of religion with prejudice and ignorance to achieve political clout.

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