Have you ever wondered why government programs seem to have a reverse Midas Touch, turning gold into failed programs? Why doesn’t spending more money ever appear to solve homelessness, congested roads, or social inequity? How about why those pesky libertarians are always screaming about taxation being theft? If it is illegal for politicians to get bribes, why are they all rich? Bureaucracy, it seems, always makes things worse, but why is that? Kleptonomics dives into these issues while providing some background on rights, government, and how the incentives of power make it impossible to keep a clean and effective government.
Government theft can be hidden in plain sight and, in many cases, is sheltered by mainstream political and economic theories. Kleptonomics helps peel back the veneer of obfuscation created by decades of bureaucratic buildup and political headbutting to get at the core of how good concepts become perverted over time.
Mind you, this was a gift from someone close to me who knows we have some differences of opinion. For me, the book started off slow, with noticeable typos, and jumps in logic. However, I felt like it got on more stable ground as it went on. It did help explain a POV I didn't understand as well before.