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The Eagle Has Crashed
As the economy chugs along in the spring of 2029, a welder in Columbus, Ohio loses his job along with dozens of coworkers. A Columbus-based airline unexpectedly files for bankruptcy protection. Across the nation unemployment jumps and economic growth mysteriously slows. Policymakers in Washington think it’s just a blip. Even though the “blip” causes revenues to decline—pushing dangerously high national debt even higher—they do nothing, thinking that the economy will bounce back in a month or two. They couldn’t have been more wrong. The Eagle Has Crashed is the story of the day when America’s national debt leads to an economic collapse, and the anger that erupts at policy makers for causing a disaster. Most of The Eagle Has Crashed takes place in central Ohio, and it documents the differing reactions of ordinary Americans to a government-induced calamity. As the economic meltdown caused by excessive federal debt worsens, it brings out the best—and worst—in ordinary Ohioans and Americans across the land. What people are saying about The Eagle Has Crashed: “The Eagle Has Crashed is a compelling novel! Ted Lacksonen’s fictional account of a gigantic debt crisis in America has many teaching moments for all Americans. It will leave you pondering what you can do to help fix our current mess.” Steve Laffey, author of Primary Mistake and producer of the documentary Fixing America “Ted Lacksonen’s scenario of a bleak US economic future is based on quite conventional forecasts. If anything, I would say Lacksonen is too optimistic in his projections.” Economist Dr. Robert P. Murphy The Eagle Has Crashed is the provocative title of Ted Lacksonen’s first novel. Known as The Country Thinker on the Internet, Mr. Lacksonen has written a tale of what may be in store for this country if we don’t sober up and start walking the straight and narrow. His main concern is our mounting debt and how that could destroy our financial future and, through a chain reaction, tear our nation apart. The near-future story follows the fortunes of many different people as a time of tribulations begins. Though a few high ranking officials do play a role, including the President of the United States, most of the characters are ordinary citizens in central Ohio, where Mr. Lacksonen lives. When the economy begins to crack, a series of mishaps, tragedies and catastrophes like a crescendo of disaster wracks the country. People become desperate and respond according to their nature, some digging in to take care of themselves, others making sacrifices for what they see as the good of the country... …The best aspect of the book is the methodical, measured way in which Lacksonen portrays the unraveling of a nation, with a focus on a few representative stories. Of particular interest are the many tentacles of government shown to squeeze hapless small folk who, in trying to wriggle free of one abuse, find themselves ensnared by a dozen others… … The Eagle Has Crashed is a book for right now, for the times we are going through and for the dangers we face ahead. Economist Robert Murphy took a look at Lacksonen’s economic models and pronounced them a bit on the optimistic side. Things could conceivably wind up worse. It is nice to see all the dry data from the dismal science get turned into a living story, so people can see what the real world effects of those soulless numbers actually are. Matthew Alexander, Prometheus Book Review
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 27, 2018
Kudos to Ted for wanting to open people's eyes to just how serious our economy could become. I have not been particularly politically or economically minded, but this book was a good educational experience for me. I knew nothing of Keynesianism. After reading this book, I've got a basic understanding.
The Eagle Has Crashed is well-written, entertaining in its own right, and alarming. I say the latter because although it's a fictional story, the economic calamity it portrays could come to pass. It wouldn't necessarily play out as penned, but it would be a frightening fiscal failure nevertheless. In fact, in his afterward, Ted writes, "Truth is not only stranger than fiction; it is often more frightening."
I like the fact that Mr. Lacksonen included believable, average characters rather than making it completely about bureaucrats, and that he set it largely in middle America.
I'm honored to know Ted personally, so I know that this book is not meant as a prediction. Rather, he is attempting to enlighten the "intellectually curious" and hopefully promote some changes for the better.
The Eagle Has Crashed is well-written, entertaining in its own right, and alarming. I say the latter because although it's a fictional story, the economic calamity it portrays could come to pass. It wouldn't necessarily play out as penned, but it would be a frightening fiscal failure nevertheless. In fact, in his afterward, Ted writes, "Truth is not only stranger than fiction; it is often more frightening."
I like the fact that Mr. Lacksonen included believable, average characters rather than making it completely about bureaucrats, and that he set it largely in middle America.
I'm honored to know Ted personally, so I know that this book is not meant as a prediction. Rather, he is attempting to enlighten the "intellectually curious" and hopefully promote some changes for the better.
January 17, 2012
I recently had a friend ask me to read his new book, The Eagle Has Crashed, and I quickly said yes! Ted has been someone who has been helping me to think outside the box when it comes to the plight of America and politics in general. I respect his opinion deeply and was excited and honored to be asked to read his book. I also promised to write a review.
The genre of, The Eagle Has Crashed, is probably one of my favorite genres – politics and drama. Basically the story is about our government making decisions that literally leave America financially bankrupt. It delves into the probable and predictable consequences that arise as a result.
Furthermore, it also grapples with the unforeseen and unpredictable consequences that could possibly happen if this scenario were ever to become a reality.
The book started out a little slow but I understood that the foundation needed to be carefully laid out in order for the entire story to make sense, and thus, I thought it was well done without being overly indulging.
Once I got past the laying of the story’s foundation I found myself unable to put the book down. I was completely drawn into the story, waiting to see what in the world could possibly happen next.
One of the things that surprised me about The Eagle Has Crashed is the careful balance of political opinion that Ted meticulously laid out. In the story, the reader is introduced to all political perspectives with careful care and consideration. I was not only introduced to those perspectives and how they might indeed play out but I was schooled as to what it means to be a Libertarian, Republican or Democrat.
It was as if I was standing outside of the story – even though I was completely drawn into the story – and was able to watch the many threads and perspectives unwind and interconnect without any bias.
I think the most powerful aspect of this story is its ability to lead the reader to take time to ponder the possibility of such questions such as:
What if America became bankrupt?
What then and what would that look like?
Could we survive something so catastrophic?
Ted does an amazing job showing exactly how America is suddenly unable to accomplish even the simplest tasks like protecting for its citizens from attack, providing its citizens after a natural disaster, its inability to continue caring for the elderly and disabled, or, most stunning perhaps, the government’s inability to run the daily basics of the government at all.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the story was how allowing America to become bankrupt caused such a rift between the Federal government and the states that 16 states receded from America. That one consequence was frightening to me as a Veteran of the Unites States Air Force who served to protect our country – all 50 states. The thought that the mis-management of government finances could lead to the eventual tearing apart of our country was sobering at best.
I cannot, nor do I ever want to, hear or read the following words taken from page 128 of the book.
The federal government of these United States, established by the Constitution of 1787, has materially and impermissible BREACHED its Constitutional duties in egregious, repeated, and continuous way, relieving the State of Texas of any duty to participate in the Union so established; including but not limited to violations of the Interstate Commerce, General Welfare, and Spending Clauses of the Constitution, as well as obscenely destructive fiscal irresponsibility that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of all Americans generally, and Texans specifically.
As an American who is deeply concerned about the current plight of America, this book left me deeply shaken and impacted. It serves as a great reminder that now is the time to act because tomorrow … may indeed be too late.
I highly recommend this book. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
*I received this book free from Ted Lacksonen. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
The genre of, The Eagle Has Crashed, is probably one of my favorite genres – politics and drama. Basically the story is about our government making decisions that literally leave America financially bankrupt. It delves into the probable and predictable consequences that arise as a result.
Furthermore, it also grapples with the unforeseen and unpredictable consequences that could possibly happen if this scenario were ever to become a reality.
The book started out a little slow but I understood that the foundation needed to be carefully laid out in order for the entire story to make sense, and thus, I thought it was well done without being overly indulging.
Once I got past the laying of the story’s foundation I found myself unable to put the book down. I was completely drawn into the story, waiting to see what in the world could possibly happen next.
One of the things that surprised me about The Eagle Has Crashed is the careful balance of political opinion that Ted meticulously laid out. In the story, the reader is introduced to all political perspectives with careful care and consideration. I was not only introduced to those perspectives and how they might indeed play out but I was schooled as to what it means to be a Libertarian, Republican or Democrat.
It was as if I was standing outside of the story – even though I was completely drawn into the story – and was able to watch the many threads and perspectives unwind and interconnect without any bias.
I think the most powerful aspect of this story is its ability to lead the reader to take time to ponder the possibility of such questions such as:
What if America became bankrupt?
What then and what would that look like?
Could we survive something so catastrophic?
Ted does an amazing job showing exactly how America is suddenly unable to accomplish even the simplest tasks like protecting for its citizens from attack, providing its citizens after a natural disaster, its inability to continue caring for the elderly and disabled, or, most stunning perhaps, the government’s inability to run the daily basics of the government at all.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of the story was how allowing America to become bankrupt caused such a rift between the Federal government and the states that 16 states receded from America. That one consequence was frightening to me as a Veteran of the Unites States Air Force who served to protect our country – all 50 states. The thought that the mis-management of government finances could lead to the eventual tearing apart of our country was sobering at best.
I cannot, nor do I ever want to, hear or read the following words taken from page 128 of the book.
The federal government of these United States, established by the Constitution of 1787, has materially and impermissible BREACHED its Constitutional duties in egregious, repeated, and continuous way, relieving the State of Texas of any duty to participate in the Union so established; including but not limited to violations of the Interstate Commerce, General Welfare, and Spending Clauses of the Constitution, as well as obscenely destructive fiscal irresponsibility that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of all Americans generally, and Texans specifically.
As an American who is deeply concerned about the current plight of America, this book left me deeply shaken and impacted. It serves as a great reminder that now is the time to act because tomorrow … may indeed be too late.
I highly recommend this book. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
*I received this book free from Ted Lacksonen. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
March 21, 2012
A Fun Read with a Serious Message
The host of the always entertaining and informative The Country Thinker blog, Ted Lacksonen published his first novel - The Eagle has Crashed - last year. Dedicated to his son, Sami, Lacksonen offers Eagle as a cautionary tale of a dystopian America plunging into Greek-style sovereign insolvency in 2030, but with no one willing or able to bail us out.
Unlike most first novels and far too much political message fiction, Lacksonsen has penned a fun read that flows easily from one chapter to the next. Eagle tells the story of the collapse of the American economy through the alternating perspectives of the Washington D.C. political leadership and everyday Americans in the author's home state of Ohio. The political figures are generally fairly easily identifiable caricatures of Bill Clinton, Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi, with the exceptions being a principled Federal Reserve Chair and pragmatic Democrat vice president who seeks to unite the parties to save the nation. What makes the novel interesting are the fleshed-out average Americans caught up in and then dealing with an economic catastrophe they barely understand. Eagle uses the clever device of offering readers a basic economic education through episodes of Fox News-like talking head shows featuring panels of economists providing analysis of the collapsing United States economy.
Alternative history fiction is so entertaining because the author can rework the world and amateur historian readers like myself can quibble about the author's choices. My quibble is that, as the federal government goes bankrupt, The Eagle has Crashed has the "red states" of the South and Rocky Mountain West, joined by the "blue states" of New England, secede from the Union. Ohio then descends into a war between secessionists and union loyalists like Civil War Missouri. I personally do not see the United States disintegrating during a Second Great Depression, but Lacksonen offers fascinatingly diverse reasons for the secession that makes the narrative work.
The Eagle has Crashed is comparable to political fiction like Fletcher Knebel's Seven Days in May and I heartily recommend it to fans of this genre like myself.
Bart DePalma
Author of Never Allow A Crisis To Go To Waste.
The host of the always entertaining and informative The Country Thinker blog, Ted Lacksonen published his first novel - The Eagle has Crashed - last year. Dedicated to his son, Sami, Lacksonen offers Eagle as a cautionary tale of a dystopian America plunging into Greek-style sovereign insolvency in 2030, but with no one willing or able to bail us out.
Unlike most first novels and far too much political message fiction, Lacksonsen has penned a fun read that flows easily from one chapter to the next. Eagle tells the story of the collapse of the American economy through the alternating perspectives of the Washington D.C. political leadership and everyday Americans in the author's home state of Ohio. The political figures are generally fairly easily identifiable caricatures of Bill Clinton, Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi, with the exceptions being a principled Federal Reserve Chair and pragmatic Democrat vice president who seeks to unite the parties to save the nation. What makes the novel interesting are the fleshed-out average Americans caught up in and then dealing with an economic catastrophe they barely understand. Eagle uses the clever device of offering readers a basic economic education through episodes of Fox News-like talking head shows featuring panels of economists providing analysis of the collapsing United States economy.
Alternative history fiction is so entertaining because the author can rework the world and amateur historian readers like myself can quibble about the author's choices. My quibble is that, as the federal government goes bankrupt, The Eagle has Crashed has the "red states" of the South and Rocky Mountain West, joined by the "blue states" of New England, secede from the Union. Ohio then descends into a war between secessionists and union loyalists like Civil War Missouri. I personally do not see the United States disintegrating during a Second Great Depression, but Lacksonen offers fascinatingly diverse reasons for the secession that makes the narrative work.
The Eagle has Crashed is comparable to political fiction like Fletcher Knebel's Seven Days in May and I heartily recommend it to fans of this genre like myself.
Bart DePalma
Author of Never Allow A Crisis To Go To Waste.
March 21, 2012
This book should be called financial armageddon. Very scary scenario is painted under very modest future growth and spending economic scenarios. I liked the way he thought out of the box and played out what could happen if the US is weakened to the status of a sick-European state. Are we on our way there? yes... can we change the course... absolutely, but not with the current cast of characters in Washington now. This book should be a must read for all in Washington, but I am afraid they would simply yawn and dismiss the clear writing on the wall that this scenario is possible and their children and grandchildren will suffer for it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews