The full title of this book is "The Fifteen Biggest Lies about the Economy and Everything Else the Right Doesn't Want You to Know about Taxes, Jobs, and Corporate America," which, I'm sure you will agree, is something of a mouthful. Written by a senior writer-editor at Alternet, this is a solidly Leftist book.
Which is fine by me.
The lies, in order, each given a chapter, are:
...that limited government means anything would be better for you, personally.
...that America is still the land of opportunity.
...that modern markets exist without government.
...that tax cuts are a magic bullet for the economy.
...that there is a budget apocalypse just over the horizon.
...that women choose motherhood over work (or vice versa).
...that we have, or had (pre-Obamacare), the greatest health care in the world.
...that those poor oppressed corporations need saving from that socialist Obama.
...that environmental activist want to ruin the economy.
...that more progressive governments are always on the brink of bankruptcy.
...that a border-crossing Mexican stole your job.
...that the U.S. economy is a postracial meritocracy.
...that organized labor is corrupt, lazy, and an artifact of a different age.
...that corporations want fewer rules and everyone else is an isolationist Luddite.
This last one is fascinating; Holland shows in detail how "Free Trade" agreements are bad for both developed and developing economies. Actually, they're all fascinating, and together they debunk a lot of the crap the Right's noise machine puts out daily.
It's readable, fairly dense with examples and numbers, and thoroughly feetnoted. I recommend it to anyone with a "conservative" friend. (Note: this book is five years old; some of its facts need updating before use in argument.)
- Paperback: 296 pages
- Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 1, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0470643927
- ISBN-13: 978-0470643921
- Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 8.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 56 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#1,737,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2895 in Economic Policy
- #2929 in Economic Policy & Development (Books)
- #4026 in Political Conservatism & Liberalism
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