Customer Reviews

War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

An insightful look at the divergence of interests between those that run the country, not just the elected officials but business leaders and special interest groups as well, and the rest of us who live in it. This book is very well researched, elegantly written, relatively objective, and rather deep. It addresses concerns such as trade policy (e.g., NAFTA, GATT, outsourcing), national security (e.g., illigal immigration, border security), social issues (e.g., gay marriage, abortion rights), and a whole lot more. Whether you agree with what's written or not, it really makes you think... The only down side is that it does a bit better job of explaining how we got here than it does on how to "fix" the problem. Since there are no easy answers I'm willing to give it a five star rating anyway.

I never thought I'd say this about any book, but everyone really should read this one. It covers important stuff that affects each and every one of us directly and indirectly. It will give you a lot to think about and a few things to take action on at the voting booth and elsewhere. You can vote with your money, your time, and your actions as well as your ballot.

Although the author has a conservative bias, by no means does he come across as a "party line" hack. In fact he points out the foibles of both major partys rather even-handedly.

Very well done Mr. Dobbs! I'm impressed.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Blinded by the Night, among other titles

I just finished it. Great book.

For a long period of time I have been a bit depressed over politics in general. Both parties have been seemingly captured by zealots. The far left continues to advocate virtually any idea the pushes the moral envelope, or has the potential to showcase their "humanity" at tax payer expense. The far right has a basic economic philosophy of rationalized greed and Social Darwinism.

To a large degree left without a political party is the middle class. People like me who are married with kids in school, a college graduate, with bills and commitments everywhere. We are just trying to make sure we have a job at a livable wage, all the bills are paid, and perhaps we even have a few of beers left in the fridge at the end of the month. Lou Dobbs speaks to me.

His ideas on immigration and trade are dead on. Our basic economic self-interest has been ignored by politicians in favor of grand and ultimately failed intellectual experiments. Illegal immigration devalues manual labor, as does any trade agreement that fosters off shoring of jobs. As Lou put so well illegal immigration is the other side of the same coin as trade agreements such as NAFTA. Simply put businesses and employers who want to do business in a middle class society like America, but do not want to pay a middle class wage. Instead they search for cheap labor then move jobs there. Or in the case of illegal immigration allow the cheap labor to come to them. The bottom line with all of these kinds of policies is more misery in the form of higher taxes, (or increased debt for our kids), and stagnant wages. This for those who play by the rules and try to do the right thing everyday. Nice.

The end of the book was perhaps the most thought provoking and uplifting. After sharing his thoughts on reform, he includes a copy of the United States Constitution. Reading it reminded me that generations have come and gone, and with each the social problems of the day have been overcome. As Americans I think we are all are still up to the tasks at hand.

Dobbs begins by pointing out that America has become a society owned by corporations, and its political system is dominated by corporate and special interests. There is no countervailing influence - labor unions are nearing extinction, the media takes the easy way out (equal time to both sides) and doesn't investigate, universities are dependent on the federal government, corporations, and the wealthy, and churches tend to expand their political energy on issues like gay marriage. The middle class is being beaten down by illegal immigration, inability to pay for health care, declining availability of pensions, outsourcing and corporate bankruptcies, an increasing share of taxes, and rising income inequality and federal deficits.

Corporate income taxes made up 1/3 of federal revenues 50 years ago - now it is only 1/8. Washington D.C. has over 34,000 lobbyists. Foreign countries and major corporations take large stock positions in media companies to influence reporting. Nearly 50% of personal bankruptcies are the result of illness; a majority of filers had health insurance. Meanwhile, Congress runs up huge deficits and tries to repeal the estate tax, and business creates numerous new lobbying groups cloaked in deceitful language and nomenclature.

Trade agreements now incorporate large amounts of international law - violations (eg. "buy American," limits on urban sprawl opposed by foreign investors) would be taken to international court.

Corporate taxes are at the lowest level in about 100 years, profits account for the largest share of national income in 40 years, and the share going to workers is at its lowest level in 40 years. We were told that jobs in manufacturing would be replaced by better ones in technology - now white-collar jobs are being outsourced, with technology leading the way.

The top seven jobs forecasted as having increased demand in the next decade don't even require a college degree.

Northwest Airlines received $250 billion in taxpayer aid to bail it out of 9/11 problems, then offshored maintenance, hired 800 foreign flight attendants to replace Americans on international flights, cut everyone's pay, and bought Airbus planes.

The average manufacturing wage in the U.S. is $16.68, vs. $0.57 in China; in addition, there are also benefit and environment savings. The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates the direct net cost of illegals at about $45 billion/year. The National Academy of Sciences found over 40% of wage losses incurred by low-skilled workers is due to illegals; another study in the 1990's found over 700,000 low-skill workers were jobless because of illegals. Opponents claim it is too difficult to verify legality; (Arizona's governor has required that be done each month for all state employees, and reports "no problems.")

Dobbs then goes on to report that our success is also hampered by a high rate of high-school drop-outs (about 1/3, often misstated by educators as something less), and a large proportion of education spending goes to overhead. (Dobbs overstates the potential impact of improved education, given the 29X greater costs of American labor vs. China.)

Two of Dobbs' suggested remedies - initiatives (eg. Arizona's requiring an ID to prove citizenship prior to receiving public services) and terminating the President's fast-track trade authority. I would suggest two others 1)Repealing NAFTA would achieve two important benefits - reduce our trade deficit and the incentive for illegal immigration caused by NAFTA's allowing subsidized American farm products into Mexico. 2)Requiring verification of citizenship as a condition for employment, as Arizona state government is now doing.

Lou Dobbs' War on the Middle Class is a masterpiece for understanding the main reasons for the decline of the middle class and the American Dream during the last two decades. Congress and the White House have become pawns to large corporations and powerful special interest groups. Both Democrat and Republican parties have succumbed to corporate contributions and squadrons of well-financed lobbyists. Labor unions--once a major defender of working men and women--have lost power and some union officials seem preoccupied with pleasing large corporations, rather than defending their members. Many of our churches failed to stress the importance of the US Constitution, fair trade (not so-called Free Trade) and the protection of our American middle class. His economics are sound. (My education includes a MBA with a minor in economics.)

Dobbs cites the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 as an example of federal legislation largely written by banking and credit card mega corporations. The leading cause of personal bankruptcy is medical costs caused by severe illness or accident. There is no exemption for these victims under this new federal legislation.

National sovereignty--and the protection it affords to US citizens from foreign countries and foreign corporations--has eroded under federal policies of Free Trade and a global marketplace. The US Constitution and our representative Congress are being replaced by UN dictates and fast-track trade agreements signed by the President and cheered on by multinational corporations.

Lou Dobbs has outlined and then detailed the War on the Middle Class. Not only is the US middle class under attack, the lower class is being held down. During the last 10 years, it has become harder to move up into the lower-middle class. Some reasons include: the double-inflation-rate-or-more increases in the cost of college education; reduction in government educational loans; loss of manufacturing jobs, loss of Information Technology jobs; and double-inflation-or-more increases in health insurance and medical costs.

The media--composed of newspapers, magazines, and news networks (wire services, TV and radio)--usually present political and economic news on the basis of Republican and Democrat party viewpoints. But these major political party stances do not come from most of their members; these viewpoints come from less than 100 political bosses, most or all of whom are indebted to large corporations. This is a false "balanced news" approach and ignores many viewpoints of the American people.

Our Declaration of Independence proclaims, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." However, US citizens have not consented to much of state and federal actions and laws during the last 20 years. Our unalienable Rights have been sold and degraded; our pursuit of Happiness has been de-railed and blocked. "Elites are not interested in working people," says Dobbs, but are determined to secure their financial and social standings--at the expense of downtrodden American workers and small business owners.

American middle-class workers now compete with over 3 billion poor workers--most earning under $3 per hour, many earning under $2 per hour. [Personal savings as a percent of disposable income was: 7.3% in 1960; 9.4% in 1970; 10.0% in 1980; 7.0% in 1990; 4.6% in 1995; 2.3% in 2000; and -0.4% (yes, minus 4/10ths %) in 2005. Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce.] Falling real (adjusted for inflation and taxes) wages and decreasing savings by most Americans is the result.

Immigration is an emotionally-charged subject. Chapter 8 exposes the dangers of broken US borders.

Throughout the book and in chapter 12, Lou Dobbs states several major actions that we can take to win. One is to become better informed, active voters and citizens. The American Dream and middle class are engaged in a historical battle.

Author Lou Dobbs brings up a number of pressing issues in our country that are, for the most part, being ignored by our politicans in Washington. Border security, corporate business outsourcing jobs to other countries, failure in our public schools, and the shrinking middle class while the rich get richer are a few of the subjects that Dobbs tackles. What I find especially frightening is the fact the future of our country is at stake while politicans and corporate America engage in self-interest. Leadership is desperately needed and Dobbs suggests people designate themselves as Independents rather than Republicans or Democrats. Neither party should assume they have our vote. It is something to be earned. Education is woefully neglected while it once was a chance for equalization among students. No one can guarantee success for anyone, but all at least deserve a chance at success. College tuition costs have soared beyond the means of many students. Talented teachers are needed, but teachers are often hired into other higher paying jobs. Discipline in schools has deteriorated due to the breakup of the family. Illegal immigrants are taxing our schools, hospitals, jails, and social services in addition to bringing diseases into our country while the powers that be in Washington fiddle. My bottom line? This is not the time to be a kid in America.

Lou Dobbs book War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back is a populist look at what is happening to the middle class, over the last two administrations. He focuses on NAFTA, GATT, Jobs leaving America, the Trade deficit, illegal immigration, The deficits, the scandals, etc., Dobbs takes on both the democrat and republican party's. Its a good read, there is not much hear, I have not already heard, But it should get you fired up to try and make some changes. For example the American people, by a BIG MAJORITY, wanted better border security, and that voice was heard and congress just passed a border security bill which includes 700 Miles of fence, so there is hope. read Dobbs book and let it fire you up for action. And then get into action, get involved in the political party of your choice and make that party better.

This book was scarier than any Stephen King novel. I knew that Washington DC was out of touch with everyday citizens, but I was not aware of how deep pockets can make our elected representatives forget who elected them in the first place. Money really does talk, and if you don't have a lot of it, then it is unlikely the US government cares what you have to say. I have been seeing the gap widen between the rich and the poor with my own eyes as I am in the middle class but my brother is a consultant for a high profile firm on the West coast. He gets a lot of tax breaks for investments and gets to stop paying social security taxes after he hits the $90,000 mark every year. I barely have any money to save, much less invest. Read this book, and then check out Lou's show Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN.

This is a book that outlines exactly what everyone already knows which is how the middle class is growing smaller. If you are looking for a book that she is going to try and show both sides, this is not the book. While I really liked the book, I knew what I was bying and already agreed with the idea behind the book. The book just clarified for me how America is working.

A very insightful look at our current state of affairs. Very well written and timely. A must read

Lou Dobbs doesn't pontificate, "bloviate," or make wild accusations and disparaging remarks about people who disagree with him like some inherent spin-meisters on FOX tend to do. Dobbs, of CNN, doesn't have to. In his book, "War on the Middle Class," he simply lays lays out the facts in a fair and honest way - facts that to anyone but the most ardent hermit are self evident as we all watch the strength and independence of the country get exported or "out-sourced" around the world.

Dobbs gives us the facts of how this country, the Middle Class in particular, have been sold down the river in a generation. How the current government, in league with big business, has degraded American workers from highly paid steel manufacturing jobs to minimum wage hamburger flippers. Sure the economy seems to have grown, but in what areas? In the service sector, where minimum wage rules and Americans are now placed in the position of competing with illegal aliens for work! An environment where many Middle Class families are unable to survive without two meager incomes, while friends of the government get fatter. An environment where our educational system has failed to the point that it mainly produces functional illiterates, which is why we have to import "brains" from Third World countries, like India, to handle the few highly skilled or technical jobs that may be left. The United States, under current management, is becoming a Third World, debtor nation.

Not a naysayer, though. Dobbs lays out the problems as a basis for his argument, but he also gives us the means with which we can begin to fight back - to take back our country. One basic idea is to change party affiliation to Independent, so neither party can take the electorate for granted and politicians, unsure of any solid "base", will actually have to work to convince independent-minded voters where that vote should go. Under such genuine and honest scrutiny, maybe better people will step forward to run for office. Registering as an Independent also sends the message that Americans are angry about what has become of their country.

Another basic fact is not to let your politicians to rave about "wedge" issues, which allows them avoid dealing with the urgent, possibly sensitive, but real issues, such as immigration and border protection that does not work. A Homeland Security that doesn't work very well. And the list is endless. There are also many other tactics.

In short, Lou Dobbs commands respect, unlike the FOX pontificator who COMMANDS respect to feed his own ego. Dobbs is the real deal and his book can help many people. Well worth the full price, but especially the Amazon price.