Review of Reality Check: The Unreported Good News About America (Hardcover)

As John Adams famously said, "facts are stubborn things..."The purpose of this piece is to debunk certain items of common knowledge about America as she enters the 21st Century.The traditional mass-media often presents various beliefs more or less as truths, which they support with selectively derived anecdotal evidence.The approach taken in the book is to isolate a common (usually media-driven) belief, and then examine it in light of actual statistical data.The dismayingly common result is that we find that many common notions about America's place in the world are simply wrong.

Also by way of disclosure, I went to college with, and was friends with, author Dennis Keegan at UCLA and we both served in the US Army in Germany in the late 1970s.Both of us were tank commanders during that time.

For example, during most of the Bush Administation (of which I am no great fan, I state by way of disclosure), the media has incessantly informed the citizenry that the United States is in recession, with dangerously high unemployment, anemic job creation, and an economy that is losing competitiveness to other countries.Only problem is--this is not so.The authors present statistics that show that the US ranks in the top five countries for GDP growth during most of the past eight years (dropping to number 12 during 2007 only, as the unwinding of the mortgage lending and housing bubble takes a toll).Average GDP growth of the American economy also must be viewed, as the authors point out, in light of what it is that is growing--many economies that have higher growth than America are relatively small.Put in context, during the last eight years the growth component alone of the American economy is larger than the *entire* Chinese economy.Similarly, as the authors point out, America's share of global GDP is greater, not less, than it was 12 years ago.This is not an indicator of a country in decline.

The authors take on many other media-driven myths, and show that such myths do not withstand scrutiny.For example, the notion that tax cuts only benefit the rich, who are not paying "their fair share" of taxes.Hard to reconcile this with the statistic that 1% of taxpayers pay 40% of all Federal taxes, and 86% of the taxes is paid by the top 25% of wage earners.Put simply, persons of modest means in the United States pay far less of their earnings in taxes, in percentage terms, than those in the top earnings strata. One would not know this from the unending media drumbeat about how tax cuts favor the wealthy.

The last example of a debunked media myth that I will mention in this review is the canard that America's industrial base is disappearing.There is no more frequently heard media myth.Problem is, the US exports more manufactured goods than any other country, at least most years. (Further, a lot of European exports constitute trade between relatively small and adjacent European economies; analogous to trade among states in the USA).

Mr. Keegan's particular strength is economics, but the book also contains numerous chapters dealing with more political issues.My favorite is the analysis of Hurricane Katrina.Not surprisingly, here the authors make a strong case that it was the corruption and incompetence of the Louisiana local and state authorities, not FEMA incompetence, that caused the problems that got so much media play.(And of course many of the "problems" were simply media myths.)It is noteworthy that other locations of Katrina devastation fared much better, e.g. Texas and Mississippi.The authors cite a 2006 bipartisan report on the disaster which notes that "It is clear [that] accurate reporting was among Katrina's many victims.If anyone rioted, it was the media."

The real problem that this book tries to take on is the fact that the media usually has an agenda, and if objective facts conflict with that agenda, the media will rely on carefully selected anecdotal evidence rather than objective facts.This is a very real danger to the American republic, which over the long run requires a reasonably well-informed electorate in order to function well.Fortunately, the rise of the internet has begun to supplant, or at least challenge, the traditional media.Aided by books like this one.Recommended.










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Review of The Almanac of the Unelected 2008: Staff of the U.S. Congress (Hardcover)

Now in an up-to-date 21st edition for 2008, The Almanac of the Unelected Staff of the U.S. Congress 2008 remains the ultimate reference of in-depth profiles of more than 600 senior Congressional committee staff members, as well as new members from law firms, government agencies, and the private sector. Unelected staff of the U.S. Senate are also discussed at length. All have been appointed, hired, or otherwise chosen for their task without invoking the popular vote. Each one-page entry lists a black-and-white photograph of the individual, a quick summary of their educational and professional background, and several paragraphs describing the individual's current duties, projects, and philosophies at length, including direct quotes from the person where possible. The entries are organized by committee, with a name index available for quick and easy look up. An absolute must-have for politically involved corporations, lobbyists, or any American citizen who keeps close track of their government, The Almanac of the Unelected Staff of the U.S. Congress 2008 is highly recommended as a superb, easy-to-use resource.




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Review of Toward Liberty: The Idea That Is Changing the World (Hardcover)

Boaz has assembled a very fine collection of essays regarding liberty and the failings of modern societies to create a world in which we can live as free men. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in libertarian (or for that matter free market or conservative) political thought.

Just to tone down my entheusiasm a bit, though, I would add that many of the essays may seem a little elementary to someone who has been reading libertarian publications for a long time. But on the whole, this is a solid, highly readable work full of ammunition for your libertarian debating arsenal.



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Review of The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI (Hardcover)

Ronald Kessler's book, "The Bureau:The Secret History of the FBI" is the most detailed and
well-sourced book about the FBIthat I have ever read. As a kid, I wanted to be an FBI agent and
went to law school solely for that purpose. But, an FBI agent in the Minneapolis office dissuaded
me from my goal and suggested that I become a Treasury agent, which I did. I worked some with
- and was around - the FBI for several years, as well as several other Federal law-enforcement
agencies. Then, I joined the CIA and served mostly overseas. In private security practice in
Dallas, I came to know several former FBI agents.

This book is probably a fair assessment of the FBI, an agency of mostly intelligent and dedicated
employees with a history of disastrous management. We all knew how maniacal J. Edgar Hoover
was about the Bureau's image and his own image. Kessler documents this very well with story
after story. And he documents the many violations of the law Hoover committed, from illegal
entries to wiretaps.

If there was any doubt that Hoover had personal files on celebrities and politicians, which he
used to keep everybody "in line," Ron Kessler provides ample proof. From personal contacts in
the FBI, I had heard about the files many years ago. Hoover was untouchable because of those
files. His private files kept him in office for nearly 48 years! Plain and simple.

Kessler brings us through the inept leadership of Director Sessions, to the tenure of Louis Freeh,
whom he describes as having "... left the FBI in a shambles."Before reading this book, I had no
doubt that the policies of Louis Freeh had handcuffed the FBI in the area of intelligence and
analysis.In the book, you can see decision after decision by Freeh which weakened, almost
destroyed the FBI. That the FBI was using 386 and 486 computers is unpardonable. Congress
was willing to appropriate the money, but did not think Louis Freeh had a clue as to what to do

with it. He had the computer taken out of his office and did not use e-mail. How do such
incompetents as Freeh stay on the job for nearly eight years? Ron Kessler explains.

The culture within the FBI was that "none of us would ever betray our country." That kept
polygraph exams from being administered and periodic background investigations from being
done. So, for many years, Robert Hanssen, who had access to our greatest secrets, betrayed his
country. It is improbable that this will happen again, with the new Security Division and the
checks that are in place. Louis Freeh said at a congressional hearing that he had scheduled a
polygraph for himself, but he left the FBI without ever taking one.

The author was granted the first interview with Robert S. Mueller III, the new director. I had
already formed a very positive and hopeful opinion of Mueller, an ex-Marine and prosecutor.
Kessler reinforces that perception. But the book shows you what a horrendous mess Director
Mueller inherited.

I have a couple of quibble points. In his discussion of Ruby Ridge, I thought Ron glossed over
the FBI's role and actions there. When he spoke of the fatal shooting of Vicki Weaver by an FBI
sharpshooter, which was probably an accident, he says "...second shot blasted through the cabin's
wooden door and into the face of Vicki Weaver." Actually, there were glass panes in the door,
which leaves more open to question the judgement of the sharpshooter - who was looking though
a high-powered scope.I have written at length about Ruby Ridge on my Web site.I had been an
ATF agent. I knew exactly what this case was all about. In ways, it was perhaps a greater tragedy
than Waco, because it was built from the start on a bad premise. Randy Weaver was entrapped by
the ATF.

Perhaps the FBI should have let the ATF stew in its own juices and stayed out of Ruby Ridge.
Nobody had to die over this case! But a U.S. Marshal, Weaver's teenage son, and his wife all
died from gunshots. Eventually, the Justice Department paid Randy Weaver $3.1 million dollars
to settle his wrongful death suit.

In several places, the author speaks of the many clandestine entries (black-bag jobs) made into
foreign embassies in Washington, D.C. by the FBI. I don't think so. Not many, anyway.That
was what I did for the CIA overseas. Embassies are sacred ground and are normally guarded
around the clock. Most electronic penetrations are by wiretap or a bugging device carried in by a
recruited person - or bugs planted before the occupants take possession of the building. Sneaking
into an occupied embassy is mostly the stuff of movie fiction. With rare exceptions.

Every American who cares about our national security ought to read this book. Then, you can
understand what all the shouting is about, and what all the posturing is about that you see in
those congressional hearings about the FBI. And how the FBI fits into the Homeland Security
effort. You also can see what a horrendous mess Director Mueller inherited.

As Ron Kessler seems to suggest, I am optimistic that the FBI will get back on track and will
regain the reputation it once had as the premiere law enforcement agency in the world. If I were a
younger man, I would ignore my FBI friend's original advice. I would apply to become a Special
Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is a worthwhile and honorable career. Now
more than ever before.



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Review of Lulac, Mexican Americans, and National Policy (Fronteras Series, No. 4) (Hardcover)

Although I have not yet had a chance to read Dr. Kaplowitz's book, I am a former student of his and I can attest to his immense knowledge of U.S./Mexican relations.This book covers the recent history of Mexican Americans and how they have been affected by U.S. policies over the years, for better or worse.I give the book four stars because I know it is written by a first-rate scholar and will prove to be a valuable resource to anyone researching U.S./Mexican relations.



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Review of Changing Suburbs: Foundation, Form and Function (Studies in History, Planning, and the Environment) (Hardcover)

This book is of great interest to anyone who is interested in the history and current trends of suburbia in all of the top 4 English-speaking nations (i.e. the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia).

I was especially interested in the one chapter about post-war suburban development in Australia, because I am interested in how Australia's suburbia compares with that of North America (the U.S. and Canada).This is the first book I have found so far that has detalied information on the history and current trends of Australia's suburbia.From what I have read in this book, it doesn't sound as if Australia's suburbia is very different from that of Canada.

I was a little surprised by the fact that the one chapter about Australia's post-war suburbia doesn't give any explanation for why the suburbs of Australia's major cities are served by more extensive networks of commuter rail service than the suburbs of comparably sized Canadian cities.I would never know that from what I read in this book, but I happen to know that from other sources.Knowing from this book that Australia's suburbs are just as spread out as those of Canada, I am surprised that they have more extensive networks of commuter rail service!I know that European cities have more extensive networks of commuter rail service (than Canada) too, but they are also more densely populated and less spread out than those of Canada or Australia.



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Review of Bringing the Jobs Home: How the Left Created the Outsourcing Crisis--and How We Can Fix It (Hardcover)

When I picked up this book I thought it would offer me two things.I thought it would be about outsourcing and it would provide solutions to the problems.Sadly, Buchholz's book did neither.Instead, it provided many critiques from an American capitalist's point of view about society.In that regard it did a satisfactory job, although there are many popular books that did a far better job of doing it (Sowell's Basic Economics and even Stossel's Give me a Break).

The first 20 pages of the book offered hope that it'd stay on the topic of outsourcing; however even they were disappointing.There were few facts supporting free trade or details about why outsourcing can help an economy.After the first chapter Buchholz quickly veers off outsourcing and into taxes, education, tort reform and many other faults within our society.In doing this though he rarely talks about how they relate to outsourcing.This book is especially lacking in any quantitative analysis.Many of these facts are seen as given and therefore don't require support.Finally, his last chapter on our cultural exports seemed to be a socially conservative polemic that was out of place in an otherwise economically focused book.If you are looking for a book about outsourcing or an above introductory look at economic problems in the United States, I'd look elsewhere.Buchholz's book is strictly for those who haven't read alot about modern American politics and are looking for a partisan introduction to them.

The main positive about this book is it's an easy and quick read.At 179 pages you won't waste too much time on it.The author does a very good job at making the book flow.He adds many pop culture references, although they seem forced at times.Because of the very fluid writing style and his obvious intelligence, I might give his other books a chance.But hopefully they'll be a little better content wise than this one.



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Review of The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century (Hardcover)

Thomas Barnett is a remarkable and very admirable fellow who has written a book that should certainly be read by more Americans.The book is well-written and Barnett comes across as someone who sincerely wants to improve the security of the United States and the world.Barnett has a powerful and inspiring (some may say intoxicating) vision of the role of the US in the 21st century.The only problem is that his approach is not workable.

Those who've read the likes of Martin Van Creveld and Thomas Friedman will find some familiar thinking in this book.The author's main contention is that "disconnected" countries, those that aren't connected via information and economic networks to the rest of the world, are a huge source of danger.Such countries are usually run by a nasty elite who essentially tyrannize their populations who are left poor and angry.Having been left poor and angry, these disconnected people are ripe for becoming terrorists and their nations ripe for the location of terrorist networks, crime syndicates, and so forth. Hence, we need to use military force to go in, defeat the nasty people running things, and enforce a new order that will give the oppressed people of these societies hope so they won't need to bomb us.In the process, we'll give them new law enforcement agencies that will crack down on criminal syndicates.

Reactionary types will accuse Mr. Barnett of being some kind of neo-imperialist or perhaps a global fascist.Nevertheless, I personally think that Barnett sincerely believes that what he is proposing would be a "good thing" and that it would improve the lives of the people he seeks to liberate.I'll leave the name-calling to someone else, as there are unquestionably lots of people running around who are willing to do just that.While the moral dimension to Mr. Barnett's proposal is fascinating and worthy of serious discussion (far different from the name-calling and character assassination I've heard up until now) my primary concern is whether or not the proposals in this book are cost-effective or even feasible.

I'm afraid that what Mr. Barnett is proposing is far more complicated, sophisticated, and expensive than what he leads the reader to believe.Barnett frames the issue in either doing something (what he proposes) or doing nothing.He points out that in light of September 11, 2001, we can't do nothing.And then he implies we're only left with his proposal.But he doesn't fully entertain the consequences of failure.Those consequences would be lots of dead young Americans, even higher levels of anti-American sentiment around the globe, and billions of dollars wasted.And due to the complexity of what Mr. Barnett is proposing, failure is more likely than success.

The essential problem here is one of complexity.Mr. Barnett's strategy focuses on the US spending extreme amounts of resources to bring order to troubled lands to harmonize them with current global economic realities.But the universe naturally tends towards disorder.As Mr. Spock pointed out, "Logic suggests that it's easier to destroy than to create."Chaos and disorder come naturally; order takes a significant input of resources.In attempting to create order in disordered places, the United States would be left extremely vulnerable to potential rivals and enemies who would simply try to create or enhance disorder in those places.This process would cost potential rivals very little but could have extremely high costs on the US on a sustained basis.An example would be Iraq, where we are hoping a mere $100 billion will bring about some kind of order.Anyone who wanted to harm us could spend far less money just to destroy that delicate order we've struggled to create.And in looking at Iraq right now, there's no guarantee that we are anywhere close to creating an orderly society.

As Mr. Barnett makes a big point about "disconnectedness defines danger" he doesn't really adequately bring the importance of this back to the home-front of American society.In an increasingly interconnected world, the US benefits not just from additional connectedness to others but to additional connectedness to ourselves.Improvements in infrastructure, a better business climate, improved efficiency, and so forth all serve to make the US a more competitive place on the international level and also serve to make the US a more attractive place for international capital and human resources.Barnett wants to put off making the US more connected in a highly dicey proposition to makedysfunctional societies more safe for international capital and human resources.Considering how intractable so many of our own various social problems have been it's rather presumptuous to assume we can go about fixing other places.And the cost/benefit analysis is lacking and, at least on the surface, not all that appealing.

For all my criticisms of Mr. Barnett's proposals I need to stress that I don't necessarily think his approach will lead to catastrophe on a nationwide scale.I just fear it will be exceptionally costly and put tremendous strain on our society, our military, and our economy.All for results that are highly improbable and quite unlikely to be successfully obtained.In short, it's a prescription for a gigantic waste of resources that even if it were successful would be possibly not worth the price. There are arguably more cost-effective and sure-fire ways of achieving a more secure future for the United States.

Americans who are interested in the future of US strategy need to be familiar with this book.While I strongly disagree with Mr. Barnett's proposals I also very well realize that they are and will continue to be highly influential.If you don't know what Barnett's talking about you can't even begin to understand the future debates about the US's role in the world.If you want to be a part of the discussion, get your hands on this book and become familiar with one of the most highly influential proposals available for the future of the United States and the world.



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Review of The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century (Hardcover)

This is a brilliant piece of work, indeed so compelling that after glancing at it over morning coffee I set aside a work day and simply read the book.I take away one star because there is no index, no bibliography, and the author is very poor about crediting his sources.On page 163, for example, his observations about 300 Chinese cities being water-stressed, and about the Aral Sea disappearing, appear to have come directly from Marq de Villier's superb book on Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource but without attribution.This should have been footnoted.

Having said that, I consider the book itself, despite its run-on Op-Ed character, to be a tour de force that is very logically put forward.Indeed, although I have seen allusions elsewhere, this is the first place that I have seen such a thorough denunciation of how cheap oil underlies everything else including suburbia and Wal-Mart cf. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.I am also quite impressed by the author's logical discourse on how communities have sacrificed their future coherence and sustainability for the sake of a few dollars savings on Wal-Mart products.

There is a great deal in the book that is covered more ably and in more detail by the other 600+ books I have reviewed at Amazon, and indeed, replicates much of what I write about in The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption but, I have to say, with a different twist that I admire very much.

I find the author's exploration of how cheap fuel led to wasted water, helping create cities and mega-agricultural endeavors that reduced our water at the same time that we consumed centuries worth of unrenewable fossil fuel, quite alarming.

I sum the book up on page 180 by writing in the bottom margin: "Fuel Drop + Climate Change + Disease + Water Drop = Great Depression."

I disagree with those that consider the book excessively alarmist, and agree with those that find fault with the author's documentation.An index and an annotated bibliography would have doubled the value of this book.The author is clearly well read, logical, and articulate--an unkind person would say that he has also been lazy in not substantiating his arguments with what intelligence readers value most: an index and a good bibliography that respects the contributions of others to the argument.

The author in passing makes a good argument against our current educational system, and I for one believe that we need to get back to a system of life-long education accompanied by early apprenticeship and real-world employment and grounding for our young people.What passes for education today is actually child care, and the smartest young people, like my teen-ager, consider it to be nothing more than a prison.

On balance, a solid 4, a solid buy, and worth its weight in gold if you act on his advice and begin planning an exit strategy from those places likely to run out of water, fuel, and transport options in the next 20 years.



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Review of Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War (Hardcover)

As a progressive who grew up in exactly the kind of town the author describes, I found "Deer Hunting With Jesus" to be a chilling and dead on accurate account of modern day America.Unless you've had the experience of seeing the house you grew up in only 20 years ago boarded up and sold at a HUD auction, or turned into a crack house as my best friend from high school's house recently was (we were solidly middle class by small town standards), you really can't appreciate what the author is trying to describe.

That said, this is no biased political rant, as the author's staunch defense of gun ownership demonstrates.It is instead a desperate warning to all Americans just how perilously close we are to seeing our way of life destroyed by our own misguided collective actions.The author believes that progressives and the white working class (rednecks as he calls them) ought to be able to find political common ground based upon economic interest.He's also realistic enough to realize that it is unlikely to happen in time to rescue America from the precipice we seemed so determined to fling ourselves over.

Be forewarned, it is depressing as hell and in no way conforms to the Republican OR Democratic narratives of what America needs to do to preserve our way of life.It is the kind of truth-telling book that could only be written by someone who has seen enough of living on both sides of the red-blue divide to truly understand what ails this country.

In all, a perfect antidote to what the author calls the "American Hologram" of our mass media culture.



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Review of The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counterrevolution: 1980-1989 (Hardcover)

The Age of Reagan: 1980-1989 is a fascinating account of the Reagan era and the Reagan presidency--a great read. Here are not only the policies (both domestic and foreign) but the politics, the insider debates and the conflicts.

Many people--including some committed liberal scholars Hayward quotes--think more highly of Reagan now than they did when he left office, for two reasons the author notes:

1) The "dramatic and unexpected end of the Cold War, and the demise of the Soviet Union, for which even Reagan's critics allow him a substantial role in the outcome" and

2) "the revelation of Reagan's extensive writings--radio addresses, letters, speeches, and finally his personal diary--which displayed a lively and informed mind and a greater depth of character than hitherto imagined. . .At long last we had found the rest of him."

Hayward makes good use of Reagan's own writings, which became available between 2001 and 2007, integrating them into the narrative of the broad sweep of the history of these years and giving us the flavor of Reagan's own thinking, decision-making, and sometimes frustrations with the foreign and domestic personalities with whom he was dealing.

Since Hayward wrote, even more of "the rest of him" has become available through recently declassified minutes of many of the National Security Council meetings Reagan chaired.

Hayward acknowledges that he's always been sympathetic to Reagan, but notes that he doesn't shrink from reporting weaknesses or criticizing errors or mistakes.I've found this claim fulfilled as I read the text.Hayward also gives us considerable insights into the political philosophies and debates that continue to this day.The best book yet about the Reagan era.




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Review of Catastrophe (Hardcover)

When the critics start calling this book "Extreme Right Wing Dribble", remember that the author of this dire warning was Bill Clinton's Political Advisor for two decades. He helped make him President of the USA. So if Dick Morris is warning that a very dangerous Government created tidal wave is approaching, maybe we all should take time to check it out and head for the high ground if he is correct? This is not the only voice screaming in the wilderness. Glenn Beck has just published a book of similar warnings called "Common Sense."
This 359-page tome has 16 chapters included in three major sections. Those overall sections are titled "How Obama Is Causing A Catastrophe," "How Congress Causes Catastrophe" and "How Special Interests Cause Catastrophe." The authors don't pull any punches or go easy on any of the guilty parties responsible for this oncoming tragedy. "At a time when we needed a pragmatic centrist to lead us out of recession, we got a doctrinaire socialist who wants to use the crisis to put the government in charge of the economy and enact European Socialism here in the United States. Cars, banks--what's next? He will keep at it until Washington governs every major business in America and sets all our salaries." Never mind that socialism has never worked anywhere in the history of the world.
The individual chapter headings provide a pretty decent idea of the book's content. "Obama's War on Prosperity", "The Bank Bailout That Bombed"," Obama's Health Care Catastrophe", "Obama's Blueprint for Political Domination", "Christopher Dodd and Charles Rangel: From Idealistic Reformers to Privileged Insiders" and "The Sheer Chutzpah of Countryside Financial Executives" reveal much and the material in those chapters backs up the chapter titles. The book also has an excellent introduction and nearly forty pages of Appendixes.
The basic theme is "It's time to take back our country. Now. It's that simple. It's that urgent."
"Obama has cancelled the war on terror and declared a war on prosperity."
The President was not kidding when he told "Joe the plumber" that what he knew about was redistributing wealth. He stopped talking about "Civil War Reparations" early in the campaign and the media went along with burying that hot button issue. The same media ignored Mr. Obama's almost complete lack of work experience and his connections with ACORN which is about to change it's name and go underground and probably re-emerge in control of the tax payer funded "AmeriCorps" and/or a Homeland Security Army. Acorn isn't really "COIN of the realm." It may be the administrations muscle, but it's not yet government financed.
Does anyone else hear any echoes of the rise of Hitler and Nazism?
"Upper-income taxpayers must feel a bit like hogs at the Chicago stockyards--being fattened with stimulus spending so they can be slaughtered with tax increases two years down the road...all to make a nice breakfast for the federal government.""Obama cannot succeed by waging war on the rich. It didn't work when FDR tried it, and it cannot work now."
The speed at which all these changes are being pushed through under the Liberals two favorite disguises "Crisis" and "For the Children" resembles an out-of-control train. As Morris and co-author McGann so clearly report, this government is not only bankrupt but also it is in the process of bankrupting all future generations of Americas. The twin crisis of a bankrupt Social Security System and Medicare will arrive within the next eight years and there will be no money to save it. Worse, the United States won't be able to borrow the money either. Our freedoms and our economy are on the verge of a virtual collapse. Wake Up America! The Snake Oil Salesmen have arrived. Normally, this recession would be over. Not this time. Why?
Believe it or not, it's because the new administration doesn't want it to return to normal and its programs are consciously designed to impede any recovery. Mr. Morris, by the way, predicted all this in print and on television more than a year ago when everything in the economy appeared rosy and now he can sit back and say, "I told you so!" Unfortunately he doesn't want to be able to do that, because the next steps in his predictions will take away most of America's wealth and freedoms. This is a very important read for anyone interested in his freedom and well being.



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