Customer Reviews

America: Who Stole the Dream?

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America, Who Stole the Dream, was a WONDERFUL READ. I find myself leaning more to the right, from a political perspective, but the authors arguments are EXCELLENT at times and they definitely bring up some great points.

This book is the most well argued book I have read about the current demise of the middle class in the U.S. After reading it I would definitely have to say that I have more concern about political decisions being made in Washington as the authors illustrate that consistently the politicians don't do the right thing for the country.

The authors bring up several concerns

1. Middle class demise via outsourcing of manufacturing to lower cost areas
2. Growing disparity of wealth (the rich own more in % terms)
3. The outsourcing of the 'HIGH TECH JOBS' that are to be the savior of the country.
4. Commentary about various social programs set up and how ineffective they are.

In conclusion I would say this book was extremely well researched and I therefore give KUDOS to the authors. While I don't agree with everything they wrote I believe they have put forth an excellent piece of work.

My main contention with the book is that it focuses on the demise of manufacturing and low-end jobs, along with some high tech. The U.S. is expensive from a labor perspective. As we have outsourced much of our manufacturing we have been able to purchase products at cheaper prices in the U.S.. Imagine what some products would cost if we were paying for labor that was, in some cases, 10x higher than current wages in developing countries? NOWHERE in the book do the authors mention the BENEFIT to our standard of living because we can buy more with our dollars than we would be able to do so otherwise. In general, this book is WAY to the left so reader beware.

My background is a B.S. in Acct., an MBA in finance and current interests in economic and social policy development so I found this to be quite an interesting read.

There is little refuting the fact that over the last 15 years the split classes, between not just the rich and poor, but the rich and the working class, has grown sharply. Equally obvious is the control that big money has over every political level, on both sides of the political fence. What this marvelous book does is show specifically how this came to be, what policies caused it to be that way, and is loaded with in depth statistics cementing it's case. It also gives some good examples of how we might remedy the growing plutocracy.

I recommend this book for all working persons, regardless of your political stance.

The book is another installment of the authors' concern for what might be called the `hollowing out of America'. Like the previous books, this one includes valuable facts and figures detailing the decline of America's working class. Much, however, is also repetitive, so not much new ground is broken. Nevertheless, the theme can support retelling since repercussions from the massive shifts in wealth and manufacturing continue to be felt throughout the land. It should also be noted that this decline is ongoing despite the so-called boom economy, whose benefits - as the numbers also show - have overwhelmingly flowed to one wealth bracket,. the upper 10%

One fresh feature in "...Dream" is the mounting assault on skilled high-tech salaries now underway. By and large, this is being done by either contracting out software programming to increasingly skilled Third World countries like India, or by importing these same skilled workers at a fraction of American salary. The latter operates under a legal cover that requires the company to advertise the job before turning to foreign workers as last resort. Apparently, however, compliance is left to the good faith of the company which unsurprisingly applies it insincerely. Viewed cynically, there is perhaps poetic justice in this whitecollar decline after the years of unchallenged blue-collar retreat.

The authors' discussion of the trade deficit reveals an important shortcoming in books such as this that focus mainly on statistics. As B&S show, the numbers indicate that the trade deficit continues to grow despite all the hand-wringing and tough-talk from Washington. Even so, the authors treat this economic negative as something of a mystery, blaming it on a lack of will on the part of successive administrations, as if the only ingredient missing is political gumption. In capsule, an issue such as this highlights a major failing of conventional expose's. On one hand, they focus strongly on the basic reality of class struggle, without, of course, ever using those words; on the other, their brief analysis of an issue like trade relations remains blandly conventional, repeating nothing more than unenlightening nostrums that leave the reader badly misdirected.

Instead, what is called for is a peek at the postwar world of capitalism and America's role since 1947 as arbiter of international capital and regulator of international markets. From this less conventional perspective, reasons for an apparent lack of government resolve readily take shape. In order to avoid consensus damaging trade wars, America has in the last few years opened its domestic manufacturing markets to low priced foreign competition. That is, in order to prevent competitive chaos from breaking out in the rush for international markets narrowed down by an expanded world-wide capacity, the US has sacrificed major portions of its own manufacturing sector, a move that has the collateral incentives of both quelling domestic inflation and undermining the strength of organized labor. Thus the overall interests of capital are served at the expense of one of its parts, a manufacturing sector whose owners have been well-compensated with tax write-offs for their sacrifice. Meanwhile middle-class bluecollar jobs are replaced by low wage service sector employment and the 'hollowing out' continues. From this perspective, a politically explosive one, it is not gumption our administrations lack, it's honesty about real policy and whose interests get served first.

The main problem with books like Barlett and Steele's is not their focus on numbers; it's ultimately their herdlike conventionality that is at once both informative and unenlightening

This book is nothing but the truth so take the wool from your eyes and understand what is going on in this country where the government was formed to serve you, and now it seems that we are here to serve the government.

An accurate, yet disturbing, assessment of the cost of globalization. Corporate CEOs are selling out the American worker in order to increase shareholder value. People at all levels of organizations are being laid off while their jobs are shipped overseas. The book is very well researched and should be read by everyone in America from college age up.

Not many books have the capacity to upset you as this one will. The authors paint a bleak picture for the middle-class in the coming years. From the death of the rose-growing industry to the rapid growth of Lobbyists in governmental decisions, this book will inform, astound and frustrate you.

Essential reading for those who want to know why the United States industrial base is gone. Personally, I think this book is relevant no matter what your political stance is.

I have read some of these authors other works and they fall on the same side as Michael Moore of anything to do with the current business environment. Basically anything a corporation does that is not to the benefit of the worker is just dirty pool. Sure they point out a few rather nasty effects of NAFTA and oversees work forces, but what they fail to also document is that the American public wants the inexpensive goods and is not overly concerned how they get them. Are there trade issues that are not fair to the US, sure there are, but again the authors do not dig deeper to explain more then the surface trade issue. With all trade items there is a political background that is a large part of why we all certain relationships to exist.

For example the authors spend a good deal of time beating up the Japanese for their very protective trade rules. The authors imply that the current sets of politicians are so inept that they do not see the issue and can not correct it. What the authors don't tell you is that the US has to play nice in order to keep the large number of US military bases on Japan to keep North Korea in check. We are also pushing Japan with both hands to beef up their own military to help in Asia issues. Due to these issues the US has to make some concessions on trade. Plus with each country and region of the world there are many different social issues at play. It could be that some of these countries would rather buy their own products. Overall the book was interesting, but I felt it was not the full story. I also grew a little tired of the overall level of complaining.

In this book Barlett and Steele paint a bleak outlook for the dwindling middle class. Due to government manipulating and corporations leaving America the middle class will soon die out. Writen from one-side of the issue and concetrating on individuals the book does not give an acurate portrail of life in America. The myopic view of this book looks past all the new jobs being created in other feilds as manufacturing jobs move away. Also overlooked is the freedom in the system, who wants to give up their rights so things can be more fair.