I just picked up this book the other day at Barnes And Noble, and finished reading it in one day, about four hours or so. Maybe because so much of it rang true, so much of it crystalized what I have seen happen in America over the course of a lifetime.
The book is not without faults. It can get partisan, particularly towards the end, but Noam Chomsky has too much intellectual honesty to hide the pertinent facts.
The book covers the ten basic principles behind the current economic, social, and political situation the US finds itself in. I think the most revealing is PRINCIPLE #3: REDESIGN THE ECONOMY. Here Chomsky talks about Financialization, Offshoring, and Work Instability as three of the underpinnings behind the growing income gap. I could not agree more.
The author does not deal with the disastrous War On Drugs, or the hugh military presence in other countries, which is unfortunate. It would have been nice to add two brief chapters to give a more complete picture. But even with that said, whether you are from the left, the right, or an independent like me, this book will help you understand what is really going on in the Unites States these days.
At about 170 pages or so, it is a quick read. But I doubt you will find out more in any current book of any size, than you will discover in this book. It also includes ample references to many actual sources (with full documentation) which bolster his points and give historical perspective. I particularly recommend this book to non USA readers who often don’t get a clear, impartial picture of US events. This will at least give you a backdrop to the tumultuous times the Unites States is going through.
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