Robert Kuttner’s new book is so dense with information that I couldn’t do it justice with a simple one paragraph review when I’m done with the book. Actually, I don’t know if I’ll ever finish the book, as at times it can be incredibly depressing how far our country has fallen. The most alarming issue that Kuttner raises is the control of big business in our politics, and how many of the problems behind the issue won’t even come up in debate, so fringe have the ideas of controlled and regulated markets come, despite how well they served our country in the post WW2 era. Why has this happened? Kuttner blames the successful marketing campaign of rich elites on Wall St. and in the Republican party to unload more and more on the american people while keeping more and more for themselves. I wish I could explain it as well as he does but you only have to read the first 100 pages for it become clear that at this point the average American worker is making less than s/he did 1o, 20, and 30 years ago, while her/his costs have continued to rise unchecked. Kuttner is optimistic though, that the changes aren’t permanent that it is only a matter of viewpoint and politics both of which can be changed, and that it is becoming clear to many that de-regulation was not the panacea it has been touted to be by insiders, but that it will take a new politics and largely new politicians to do it, ones that aren’t in thrall to big business.
More to follow!