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Political Racket [Paperback]

Martin L. Gross (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)


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Book Description

May 21, 1996
CLEAN UP AMERICAN POLITICS--AND OUR POLITICIANS!
We blame builders if a home is badly constructed. We blame automakers if a car has to be recalled. But in the case of government, we put the blame everywhere except where it belongs--on the heads of American politicians of both parties, those who make the laws at federal, state, and local levels.
Theres no doubt about the mess: high taxes, government waste in multibillions, a weakened middle class, loss of our manufacturing base, trade deficits, corrupt campaign financing, the failure of welfare, and tolerance for corporate high jinks.
The political system that worked so well for America is now structurally broken. And the entrenched political class, with its deceptions, ignorance, and corruption, is the villain. Meanwhile the parties have become trade unions for self-serving professional politicians.
In The Political Racket, Martin L. Gross, bestselling author of The Government Racket: Washington Waste From A to Z and A Call for Revolution: How Washington is Strangling America, puts American politicians under a microscope for the first time and finds them sadly lacking. His Bill of Indictment against our politicians includes the following:
* They lie so often that they seem pathological--yet they continue to fool the voters.
* They raise too much money, and they trade favors with lobbyists and special interests to get that money.
* Most of them are puppets of their parties and do not act independently for the people.
* A streak of moral turpitude too often runs through the political class.
* Their television ads are often masterpieces of lies and distortions.
* Their two-party system is set up to thwart independents and third parties.
* Their egos damage their work, as some of them begin to believe they are übermenschen.
* They refuse to back term limits despite overwhelming public support for citizen-politicians.
* They have become part of the celebrity culture and too often pander to the media.
* They take advantage of weak conflict-of-interest laws to line their own pockets.
In this hard-hitting investigation, renowned journalist and political analyst Martin L. Gross exposes the secret world of American politicians and outlines a plan to totally reform the system and replace the political class with dedicated citizens.
MAKE POLITICIANS WORK FOR US, NOT FOR THEMSELVES!


Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The advent of Clinton second-term scandals having to do with questionable campaign fundraising makes this a timely offering from the author of The Government Racket: Washington Waste from A to Z. Gross thumbs his nose at the current attempt at campaign spending reform being considered in Congress. He believes the McCain-Feingold-Thompson bill to be as being as inadequate as the post-Watergate reforms that brought us PACs, primarily because it doesn't substantially reduce the amount of money candidates are allowed to raise, and because candidates can opt out of the bill's details entirely (merely by deciding to pay higher rates for television ads and direct mailings). What Gross wants to do instead is enact term limits, hold all presidential primaries on the same day, and disband the Electoral College so that the President has to get an absolute majority of the nationwide popular vote to win office. (If, because of third and fourth party choices, nobody wins, there'd be a run-off between the two top vote getters twenty-eight days later.)

From the Inside Flap

CLEAN UP AMERICAN POLITICS--AND OUR POLITICIANS!
We blame builders if a home is badly constructed. We blame automakers if a car has to be recalled. But in the case of government, we put the blame everywhere except where it belongs--on the heads of American politicians of both parties, those who make the laws at federal, state, and local levels.
Theres no doubt about the mess: high taxes, government waste in multibillions, a weakened middle class, loss of our manufacturing base, trade deficits, corrupt campaign financing, the failure of welfare, and tolerance for corporate high jinks.
The political system that worked so well for America is now structurally broken. And the entrenched political class, with its deceptions, ignorance, and corruption, is the villain. Meanwhile the parties have become trade unions for self-serving professional politicians.
In The Political Racket, Martin L. Gross, bestselling author of The Government Racket: Washington Waste From A to Z and A Call for Revolution: How Washington is Strangling America, puts American politicians under a microscope for the first time and finds them sadly lacking. His Bill of Indictment against our politicians includes the following:
* They lie so often that they seem pathological--yet they continue to fool the voters.
* They raise too much money, and they trade favors with lobbyists and special interests to get that money.
* Most of them are puppets of their parties and do not act independently for the people.
* A streak of moral turpitude too often runs through the political class.
* Their television ads are often masterpieces of lies and distortions.
* Their two-party system is set up to thwart independents and third parties.
* Their egos damage their work, as some of them begin to believe they are übermenschen.
* They refuse to back term limits despite overwhelming public support for citizen-politicians.
* They have become part of the celebrity culture and too often pander to the media.
* They take advantage of weak conflict-of-interest laws to line their own pockets.
In this hard-hitting investigation, renowned journalist and political analyst Martin L. Gross exposes the secret world of American politicians and outlines a plan to totally reform the system and replace the political class with dedicated citizens.
MAKE POLITICIANS WORK FOR US, NOT FOR THEMSELVES!

Product Details

  • Paperback: 261 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (May 21, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345387775
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345387776
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,114,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Monumental Exposure of Corruption, February 1, 2003
This review is from: Political Racket (Paperback)
This is another masterpiece by Martin Gross, the modern master of muckraking. In his book " The Political Racket" Gross exposes the greed, corruption, dishonesty, and downright criminal actions of the political class. Gross exposes the gifts, perks, pay raises, and abuse of campaign finances that pervade modern politics.

While reading this book one is enlightened, yet outraged at the collapse of public service, honor, and citizenship by our elected officials. Gross brings forth the total sham of the current campaign finanace system which is nothing more than legalized bribery. He shows how the political class elevates themselves above the average citizen through perks, abuse of funds,expense accounts, and assistance from lobbyists.

He provides some proposals to clean up politics. One os a National Primary for the Presidential campaign therby minimizing the ridiculous influence of the New Hampshire and Iowa, Abolition of the Electoral College, replacing it with a run off election, and an amendment regulating campaign donations by banning all donations except from indiviuals. A great, great book!

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