Customer Reviews

The American Dream: Can It Survive the 21st Century?

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As one of the editors of this book, I take pride in its nuanced approach to contemporary issues in U.S. public policy. Mr. Daleiden is unpartisan in that he analyzes issues on the basis of an unpartisan political philosophy derived from his prior book THE SCIENCE OF MORALITY, and in the context of the best available data, regardless of the extent to which this data might be distastful to partisans of particular causes. An excellent example of this, inserted in the book after I had edited it, is his analysis of the recently published study of gun laws by J. Lott Jr. and D.Mustard, which argued that if citizens are allowed to carry concealed weapons, crime will be less than would otherwise so, ie. with laws against conceal and carry. Instead of the blanket endorsement or dismissal which we regularly get from the ideologues, Mr. Daleiden shows us some methodological limitations of this study. However, he proceeds to give it its due as a contribution to the debate, particularly with respect to data suggesting a need for further research into the relationship between gun ownership and crime. Another example of his unpartisan approach is his analysis of the immigration issue. Rather than acquiesce in the spurious dichotomy implied by the question, "should we or should we not allow immigration?", he analyzes the implications of various levels of immigration for our demographic prospects. One need not agree with all of his priorities (eg. as regards income distribution) in order to suspect that there is some limit on the ability of this society to absorb massive immigration without producing an intolerable rise in crime. In any case, he devotes over 100 pages to population policy analysis, a major contribution to an overlooked subject. As a whole, the book is a model of the sort of approach too often absent in contemporary public debate.

This book is a superbly crafted examination of the major problems facing America (and thus, the world) today.More importantly, it proposes solutions to these problems. Governmental & institutional policies to implement these solutions is critically important, as Mr. Daleiden shows in his opening pages with two scenarios of the U. S. in the year 2050. Not afraid to take controversial stands, the author forcefully & cogently argues with those who would maintain the status quo in our current policies towards such areas as immigration & population, crime, education, taxes, poverty & welfare, the environment, trade and deficits. The book is an easy read yet exceptionally informative and comprehensive. This is an important study and one can only hope that its influence is felt soon. Mr. Daleiden understands that the problems he points to WILL be resolved. But as he shows, whether they are resolved by reasoned thought or by desperation measures is uncertain.

In the American Dream, Mr. Daleiden takes a holististic view of the forces affecting the economy. His analysis includes areas that most economists will not consider for political (or maybe "politically correct") reasons. The analysis of the long term affects of mass immigration is noteably insiteful and courageous. Mr. Daleiden thinks in different terms and courageously follows his conclusions where ever they take him. I found his unfettered reasoning to be refreshing. As a futurist, I recommend this volume to anybody who wants to get the whole story on future econ/political trends. This holistic/diverse forecasting process is especially relavant to my fellow futurists and our politically hobbled economists.