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Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country
America does not need an "upgrade." For years the Right has been tampering with one of the best political operating systems ever designed. The result has been economic and environmental disaster. In this hard-hitting new book, nationally syndicated radio and television host and bestselling author Thom Hartmann outlines eleven common-sense proposals, deeply rooted in America's history, that will once again make America strong and Americans--not corporations and billionaires--prosperous. Some of these ideas will be controversial to both the Left and the Right, but the litmus test for each is not political correctness but whether or not it serves to revitalize this country we all love and make life better for its citizens.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
36 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Thom Hartmann
76 books382 followersThomas Carl Hartmann is an American radio personality, author, businessman, and progressive political commentator. Hartmann has been hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, since 2003 and hosted a nightly television show, The Big Picture, between 2010 and 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 25, 2012
Initially, I found myself not enjoying this book only because I found it depressing: There is so much wrong with the current state of America that it sometimes seems a lost cause. Hartmann, however, is nothing if not optimistic and I found myself becoming more and more engaged with the book's insights and great ideas. The material in this book is vitally important; as with other books by Hartmann, my main impulse after reading it is to somehow get it into the hands of every American.
The information that I found of most interest and importance in this book were Hartmann's discussion of the ramifications of the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling (2010), which is even more disastrous than I thought; and Hartmann's insights into the modern multinational corporation and how inherently undemocratic it is. (Hartmann likens the structure of a corporation to a monarchy--an enlightening observation and one that helps me understand my aversion to much of the Vanguard culture I once was a part of.)
I had hoped that this book would be as thought-provoking as Hartmann's earlier book Screwed. Hartmann did not disappoint. He's an important author and to stay sharp on these issues, and understand the progressive solutions proposed by Hartmann, I want to read another book by him soon.
The information that I found of most interest and importance in this book were Hartmann's discussion of the ramifications of the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling (2010), which is even more disastrous than I thought; and Hartmann's insights into the modern multinational corporation and how inherently undemocratic it is. (Hartmann likens the structure of a corporation to a monarchy--an enlightening observation and one that helps me understand my aversion to much of the Vanguard culture I once was a part of.)
I had hoped that this book would be as thought-provoking as Hartmann's earlier book Screwed. Hartmann did not disappoint. He's an important author and to stay sharp on these issues, and understand the progressive solutions proposed by Hartmann, I want to read another book by him soon.
January 24, 2011
One of the best books I have ever read.
September 11, 2020
Ever wonder why it is that the wealthiest one percent Americans own more wealth than the bottom ninety percent of Americans? The answers lie in Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country. Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country is a book written by progressive commentator Thom Hartmann. Thom Hartmann is the host of the "Thom Hartmann Program" on Free Speech TV(FSTV) & the Ring of Fire (ROF) Network, the former host of the "Big Picture" on Russia Today(RT), and he writes columns for Salon, Raw Story, Alternet, and Common Dreams. In his book Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country, Thom focuses on the policies and actions that lead to the death of the American Middle Class and what we can do to revive it. The book centers on how free trade, corporate personhood, and Trickle Down Economics in particular harm working Americans and benefit the ruling elite in this country. The solutions Hartmann comes up with to solve these problems come from the New Deal, Fair Deal, Square Deal, Great Society, and New Frontier. Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country is one of the most informative books I have ever read and it truly opened my mind to the rot in the American Neoliberal system.
Rebooting The American Dream opens up with a story about George Washington learning he had become President of the United States and how Washington formed his cabinet. This leads Hartmann to introduce Alexander Hamilton and his 11-point trade plan for how the United States of America would handle trading relations from that point on. Hamilton's 11-point plan for American manufacturers is the inspiration for Thom's 11-point plan for rebuilding America's middle class in the book. This is in fact, how Thom introduces his eleven-point plan. Thom first calls for a return to Alexander Hamilton's vision of trade and way from the free trade ideas that have been embraced by Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, this right here shows you that Thom is a non-partisan actor. In fact, he voted for Ralph Nader in 2000. Now that brings us to Thom Hartmann's 11-point plan to restore America's working-class.
Thom Hartmann's Eleven Ways Rebuild Our Country:
1. Bring My Job Home!: Repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, and other free trade agreements and bring manufacturing jobs back home.
2. Roll Back The Reagan Tax Cuts: This is a point Thom has hammered time and time again on his shows, we should roll back the Reagan Tax Cuts and return to the New Deal Tax Rates.
3. Stop Them From Eating My Town: Break up monopolies and enforce the Sherman Antitrust Act.
4. An Informed and Educated Electorate: Create a tuition-free college system so everyone can send their kids to college without drowning in student loan debt.
5. Medicare "Part E"- for Everybody: Implement a Single-Payer Healthcare system like the one proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders.
6. Make Members of Congress Wear NASCAR Patches: Create publicly financed elections
7. Cool Our Fever: Get off fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy, basically pass the Green New Deal.
8. They Will Steal It: End our forever wars, cut military spending, and invest that money on the American people.
9. Put Lou Dobbs out to Pasture: Reform our immigration system, crack down on companies that hire illegal immigrants for the purposes of cheap labor, and strengthen unions.
10. Wal-Mart Is Not a Person: Abolish corporate personhood.
11. In the Shadow of the Dragon: Create and support workers owned businesses.
What I find fascinating about this book is learning about just how progressive many American political figures were. Hartmann puts great emphasis on the progressive beliefs of America's founders such as George Washington. I knew Alexander Hamilton was a proponent of protectionist trade policies, largely from listening to Thom's show. However, I did not know that Thomas Jefferson was a proponent of tuition-free college akin to what Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have been advocated for. It isn't just the founders, American presidents such as Abraham Lincoln were also very strong progressives. Theodore Roosevelt believed in a living wage. Franklin D. Roosevelt supported a federal job guarantee. Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson supported a Single-Payer Healthcare system Medicare For All. Much like the nation’s founders, I knew that some of America’s presidents supported progressive policies and others surprised me. For example, I knew that John F. Kennedy was for a Single-Payer Healthcare system. I did not know that Harry S. Truman supported Single-Payer Healthcare and even proposed a Single Payer Healthcare bill as president until I read this book and watched Thom’s shows.This largely why I like to look at historical figures through a nuanced lens and acknowledge the good and bad aspects of these figures, instead of dwelling on the bad aspects of historical figures. Rebooting The American Dream does a wonderful job at looking at America’s Founding Fathers and presidents through a nuanced lens. We can and should criticize the founders for being slave owners, we should also acknowledge and praise the founders for embracing some progressive ideas. The same goes for American presidents and world leaders. However, this veil of nuance shouldn’t be extended to murderous dictators like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, nor is the veil of nuance in Rebooting The American Dream even extended to them.
When it comes to the time when America starts to steer away from the founders’ vision of America, Thom points to the 1980s and 1990s, and even to some extent the 1970s, but primarily the 1980s. This should come as no surprise to listeners and viewers of Thom’s programs because of how often he criticizes Ronald Reagan on his shows. He is also very critical of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Richard Nixon in his book. He primarily targets Reagan because Thom believes that Reagan’s effort to dismantle Roosevelt’s New Deal enabled the corporate takeover of America. It wasn’t just Reagan’s push for gigantic tax cuts for the wealthy that enabled the corporate takeover of America, but also Reagan’s push for free trade, deregulation, and union-busting that enabled the ruling elite’s takeover of the American economy. George H.W. Bush is largely criticized for continuing the Reagan tax policies and introducing NAFTA. Bill Clinton is criticized for signing NAFTA, repealing Glass-Steagall, and signing the Telecommunications Act into law. George W. Bush is criticized for putting the Reagan tax policies on steroids. Bush is also criticized for trying to privatize Medicare. Richard Nixon helped bring about the unmitigated campaign finance disaster because he packed the courts with conservative ideologues who delivered the Belotti and Buckley v. Valeo rulings that gave corporations the ability to bribe politicians. When it comes to bashing politicians and presidents, Thom does a lot of dual criticisms in his book. His primary punching bags are Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, this is evident in Chapter 4: “An Informed and Educated Electorate” when he discusses how the news media industry became corrupt. He bashes Reagan for blocking Congress’ efforts to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine after the Federal Communications Commission(FCC) abolished, then criticizes Clinton for signing the Telecommunications Act into law which gave five corporations control over all of the news media industry. Thom does give the presidents he criticizes their due credit. For example, he gives Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush credit for rolling back some of the Reagan tax cuts. Again this shows that Thom sees American history through a nuanced and non-partisan lens, which is something I admire about Thom.
Aside from Thom’s infinite knowledge of American history, Rebooting the American Dream also demonstrates Thom’s wide knowledge of American politics and policies. The best example is how Thom Hartmann explains the various forms of Universal Healthcare/Medicare For All systems. Thom first defines the various types of Medicare For All systems single-payer, two-tier, and insurance mandate systems and then provides examples of policies in those systems. For example, when Thom defines a two-tier system he addresses that in Singapore the citizenry gets a catastrophic healthcare program from the government and a health savings plan which they can use to pay for routine care. This helps the reader get a better understanding of what the various Universal Healthcare systems are like and what healthcare is like worldwide vs in the US. On top of that, Thom provides a list of countries with some form of Universal Healthcare System with the type of system and when that system was established, another thing Thom does to help readers understand how various countries handle their healthcare. Aside from defining and utilizing examples to help readers understand the policy, Thom also uses metaphors to help readers understand how policies work. The best example is his usage of a clothing store marking all items for 50% off to describe why Supply-Side Economics doesn’t work. Sales increase as the store’s sale lasts and the store owners have to spend on hiring and new locations and items. However, the budget will be low given the low prices so the store will have to barrow and it will have a debt it needs to pay off. That’s why 50% off sales in stores don’t last more than a week. This metaphor helps readers understand the problems with Supply-Side Economics, when the Government cuts taxes citizens have more money to spend on goods. Meanwhile, the Government has less money to spend on essential services and this creates a debt problem. This is why the Brownback tax experiment failed and the Reagan tax cuts were colossal failures. Thom’s understanding of policy adds to the educational value of the book.
One of the depressing and/or frustrating aspects of the book is how long we have had these policy debates around healthcare, education, taxation, military spending, trade deals, climate change, etc. and these policies have yet to be enacted. This book was written in 2011 and here we are in 2020 no Medicare For All, no Tuition-Free College, no Green New Deal, and we’re still overspending on the military to fight pointless wars. It isn’t just the time between when this book was written and now that we haven’t seen action on these issues, but that these debates have taken place since the founding of the country and we have yet to see action. The debate around free college goes back to Thomas Jefferson and the founding of the University of Missouri and Abraham Lincoln’s land grant college program. The debate around nationalized healthcare dates back to Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Second Bill of Rights and John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson and the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. It was really unfortunate to learn that Harry S.Truman failed to create a Single Payer Healthcare system in the 1940s. Clean energy comes back to Ralph Nader and the creation of the EPA during the presidency of Richard M. Nixon. Thom even mentions figures like Bernie Sanders and Cenk Uygur in his book. This is remarkable given that this book was written long before Bernie Sanders became a household name following his 2016 and 2020 runs for president, and before Cenk Uygur’s show “The Young Turks” and the TYT Network exploded in popularity. That also adds to the frustration of this book, Bernie Sanders has been pushing for a nationalized healthcare system before he ran for president and we have yet to implement one. Cenk Uygur has pushed for campaign finance reform since the time this book was written, and yet we still allow lobbyists, billionaires, and corporations to spend unlimited sums of money in elections. Ultimately, one of the most informative books I’ve read ended up making me angry with my country’s leadership. This is actually a good thing because it’s made me more alert and active in the political process.
Overall, Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country is one of the most informative books I’ve read despite being only 13 chapters long. Thom Hartmann’s book will give you unforgettable lessons in American History and Government. One will also learn a lot about how policies work by reading this book. Ultimately, if you are someone interested in history or politics you should definitely read this, and this book is a must-read for progressives.
Rebooting The American Dream opens up with a story about George Washington learning he had become President of the United States and how Washington formed his cabinet. This leads Hartmann to introduce Alexander Hamilton and his 11-point trade plan for how the United States of America would handle trading relations from that point on. Hamilton's 11-point plan for American manufacturers is the inspiration for Thom's 11-point plan for rebuilding America's middle class in the book. This is in fact, how Thom introduces his eleven-point plan. Thom first calls for a return to Alexander Hamilton's vision of trade and way from the free trade ideas that have been embraced by Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, this right here shows you that Thom is a non-partisan actor. In fact, he voted for Ralph Nader in 2000. Now that brings us to Thom Hartmann's 11-point plan to restore America's working-class.
Thom Hartmann's Eleven Ways Rebuild Our Country:
1. Bring My Job Home!: Repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, and other free trade agreements and bring manufacturing jobs back home.
2. Roll Back The Reagan Tax Cuts: This is a point Thom has hammered time and time again on his shows, we should roll back the Reagan Tax Cuts and return to the New Deal Tax Rates.
3. Stop Them From Eating My Town: Break up monopolies and enforce the Sherman Antitrust Act.
4. An Informed and Educated Electorate: Create a tuition-free college system so everyone can send their kids to college without drowning in student loan debt.
5. Medicare "Part E"- for Everybody: Implement a Single-Payer Healthcare system like the one proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders.
6. Make Members of Congress Wear NASCAR Patches: Create publicly financed elections
7. Cool Our Fever: Get off fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy, basically pass the Green New Deal.
8. They Will Steal It: End our forever wars, cut military spending, and invest that money on the American people.
9. Put Lou Dobbs out to Pasture: Reform our immigration system, crack down on companies that hire illegal immigrants for the purposes of cheap labor, and strengthen unions.
10. Wal-Mart Is Not a Person: Abolish corporate personhood.
11. In the Shadow of the Dragon: Create and support workers owned businesses.
What I find fascinating about this book is learning about just how progressive many American political figures were. Hartmann puts great emphasis on the progressive beliefs of America's founders such as George Washington. I knew Alexander Hamilton was a proponent of protectionist trade policies, largely from listening to Thom's show. However, I did not know that Thomas Jefferson was a proponent of tuition-free college akin to what Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have been advocated for. It isn't just the founders, American presidents such as Abraham Lincoln were also very strong progressives. Theodore Roosevelt believed in a living wage. Franklin D. Roosevelt supported a federal job guarantee. Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson supported a Single-Payer Healthcare system Medicare For All. Much like the nation’s founders, I knew that some of America’s presidents supported progressive policies and others surprised me. For example, I knew that John F. Kennedy was for a Single-Payer Healthcare system. I did not know that Harry S. Truman supported Single-Payer Healthcare and even proposed a Single Payer Healthcare bill as president until I read this book and watched Thom’s shows.This largely why I like to look at historical figures through a nuanced lens and acknowledge the good and bad aspects of these figures, instead of dwelling on the bad aspects of historical figures. Rebooting The American Dream does a wonderful job at looking at America’s Founding Fathers and presidents through a nuanced lens. We can and should criticize the founders for being slave owners, we should also acknowledge and praise the founders for embracing some progressive ideas. The same goes for American presidents and world leaders. However, this veil of nuance shouldn’t be extended to murderous dictators like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, nor is the veil of nuance in Rebooting The American Dream even extended to them.
When it comes to the time when America starts to steer away from the founders’ vision of America, Thom points to the 1980s and 1990s, and even to some extent the 1970s, but primarily the 1980s. This should come as no surprise to listeners and viewers of Thom’s programs because of how often he criticizes Ronald Reagan on his shows. He is also very critical of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Richard Nixon in his book. He primarily targets Reagan because Thom believes that Reagan’s effort to dismantle Roosevelt’s New Deal enabled the corporate takeover of America. It wasn’t just Reagan’s push for gigantic tax cuts for the wealthy that enabled the corporate takeover of America, but also Reagan’s push for free trade, deregulation, and union-busting that enabled the ruling elite’s takeover of the American economy. George H.W. Bush is largely criticized for continuing the Reagan tax policies and introducing NAFTA. Bill Clinton is criticized for signing NAFTA, repealing Glass-Steagall, and signing the Telecommunications Act into law. George W. Bush is criticized for putting the Reagan tax policies on steroids. Bush is also criticized for trying to privatize Medicare. Richard Nixon helped bring about the unmitigated campaign finance disaster because he packed the courts with conservative ideologues who delivered the Belotti and Buckley v. Valeo rulings that gave corporations the ability to bribe politicians. When it comes to bashing politicians and presidents, Thom does a lot of dual criticisms in his book. His primary punching bags are Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, this is evident in Chapter 4: “An Informed and Educated Electorate” when he discusses how the news media industry became corrupt. He bashes Reagan for blocking Congress’ efforts to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine after the Federal Communications Commission(FCC) abolished, then criticizes Clinton for signing the Telecommunications Act into law which gave five corporations control over all of the news media industry. Thom does give the presidents he criticizes their due credit. For example, he gives Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush credit for rolling back some of the Reagan tax cuts. Again this shows that Thom sees American history through a nuanced and non-partisan lens, which is something I admire about Thom.
Aside from Thom’s infinite knowledge of American history, Rebooting the American Dream also demonstrates Thom’s wide knowledge of American politics and policies. The best example is how Thom Hartmann explains the various forms of Universal Healthcare/Medicare For All systems. Thom first defines the various types of Medicare For All systems single-payer, two-tier, and insurance mandate systems and then provides examples of policies in those systems. For example, when Thom defines a two-tier system he addresses that in Singapore the citizenry gets a catastrophic healthcare program from the government and a health savings plan which they can use to pay for routine care. This helps the reader get a better understanding of what the various Universal Healthcare systems are like and what healthcare is like worldwide vs in the US. On top of that, Thom provides a list of countries with some form of Universal Healthcare System with the type of system and when that system was established, another thing Thom does to help readers understand how various countries handle their healthcare. Aside from defining and utilizing examples to help readers understand the policy, Thom also uses metaphors to help readers understand how policies work. The best example is his usage of a clothing store marking all items for 50% off to describe why Supply-Side Economics doesn’t work. Sales increase as the store’s sale lasts and the store owners have to spend on hiring and new locations and items. However, the budget will be low given the low prices so the store will have to barrow and it will have a debt it needs to pay off. That’s why 50% off sales in stores don’t last more than a week. This metaphor helps readers understand the problems with Supply-Side Economics, when the Government cuts taxes citizens have more money to spend on goods. Meanwhile, the Government has less money to spend on essential services and this creates a debt problem. This is why the Brownback tax experiment failed and the Reagan tax cuts were colossal failures. Thom’s understanding of policy adds to the educational value of the book.
One of the depressing and/or frustrating aspects of the book is how long we have had these policy debates around healthcare, education, taxation, military spending, trade deals, climate change, etc. and these policies have yet to be enacted. This book was written in 2011 and here we are in 2020 no Medicare For All, no Tuition-Free College, no Green New Deal, and we’re still overspending on the military to fight pointless wars. It isn’t just the time between when this book was written and now that we haven’t seen action on these issues, but that these debates have taken place since the founding of the country and we have yet to see action. The debate around free college goes back to Thomas Jefferson and the founding of the University of Missouri and Abraham Lincoln’s land grant college program. The debate around nationalized healthcare dates back to Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Second Bill of Rights and John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson and the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. It was really unfortunate to learn that Harry S.Truman failed to create a Single Payer Healthcare system in the 1940s. Clean energy comes back to Ralph Nader and the creation of the EPA during the presidency of Richard M. Nixon. Thom even mentions figures like Bernie Sanders and Cenk Uygur in his book. This is remarkable given that this book was written long before Bernie Sanders became a household name following his 2016 and 2020 runs for president, and before Cenk Uygur’s show “The Young Turks” and the TYT Network exploded in popularity. That also adds to the frustration of this book, Bernie Sanders has been pushing for a nationalized healthcare system before he ran for president and we have yet to implement one. Cenk Uygur has pushed for campaign finance reform since the time this book was written, and yet we still allow lobbyists, billionaires, and corporations to spend unlimited sums of money in elections. Ultimately, one of the most informative books I’ve read ended up making me angry with my country’s leadership. This is actually a good thing because it’s made me more alert and active in the political process.
Overall, Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country is one of the most informative books I’ve read despite being only 13 chapters long. Thom Hartmann’s book will give you unforgettable lessons in American History and Government. One will also learn a lot about how policies work by reading this book. Ultimately, if you are someone interested in history or politics you should definitely read this, and this book is a must-read for progressives.
January 2, 2022
Pretty much in line with what I have come to expect from a Thom Hartmann book. Some intiguingly named chapters:
Make Members of Congress wear NASCAR Patches
Put Lou Dobbs Out to Pasture
I am particularly partial to Cool Our Fever, as it discusses a subject near to my heart: the leading role Germany has taken in using solar energy to meet increasing energy demands.
But the best advice for those readers who want to know how they can effect change they want to see in the world is found in Chapters 3 Stop Them from Eating My Town &
Chapter 4 An Informed and Educated Electorate explains how we got here: repeal of th Fairness Doctrine in 1987, and passage of the Telecommunications act of 1996 among other moves.
Do have at least one quibble: Taxes as a great stabilizer? I am a huge fan of increasing the top marginal tax rate and agree that the think tanks funded by media -aires legitimize the great tax con (see Chapter 2 section called How they did it), but the economy did not grow solely as a result of an increase of the marginal rate. As most young people who weren't asleep during their history classes know, from the 30s to the 80s there were increases in production due to WWII. The analysis here was a bit simplistic. Minus 1 star.
Still a 4* book, as the advice within is even more relevant today.
Make Members of Congress wear NASCAR Patches
Put Lou Dobbs Out to Pasture
I am particularly partial to Cool Our Fever, as it discusses a subject near to my heart: the leading role Germany has taken in using solar energy to meet increasing energy demands.
But the best advice for those readers who want to know how they can effect change they want to see in the world is found in Chapters 3 Stop Them from Eating My Town &
Chapter 4 An Informed and Educated Electorate explains how we got here: repeal of th Fairness Doctrine in 1987, and passage of the Telecommunications act of 1996 among other moves.
Do have at least one quibble: Taxes as a great stabilizer? I am a huge fan of increasing the top marginal tax rate and agree that the think tanks funded by media -aires legitimize the great tax con (see Chapter 2 section called How they did it), but the economy did not grow solely as a result of an increase of the marginal rate. As most young people who weren't asleep during their history classes know, from the 30s to the 80s there were increases in production due to WWII. The analysis here was a bit simplistic. Minus 1 star.
Still a 4* book, as the advice within is even more relevant today.
February 18, 2014
Back to the future; chasing the American dream
The first Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton's 11-point plan for "American manufactures" is a primary inspiration for this book. Does this 220-year old document have any relevance to our modern day problems? The author thinks it does.
In the late 18th century when Alexander Hamilton wrote his fiscal plan, nations were building walls between them, more than two hundred years later these walls are coming down in a universe of global economy. The fundamental concepts of "supply and demand" operating at the global level dictate our economic future and shape our political philosophy. How an age-old solution such as this that never really worked before will have any bearing on the world we live in? For example, in chapter 10, "Wal-Mart Is Not a Person," the author tells the story of 1880s corporations that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant them human rights under the Constitution. Much later, in 2010 the Supreme Court ruled precisely that; corporations are people and have political free-speech rights. The author argues that if this is not fixed soon it will be the complete transformation of this country from a democracy into a corporate plutocracy. Here the author is carried away by unfounded worries. First of all corporations are made of stockholders, bondholders and creditors. These are people who are owners of a business and conducting themselves under law and constitution. What is wrong in the opinion of the Supreme Court? Chapter 6, make similar arguments that asks how we finance political campaigns in this country and chapter 10 takes on the problem of the Court's decision directly. If a company that owns a media outlet such as TV network, newspapers or movie studio, then it can pass along its political philosophy through the media it owns. Then what about companies that do not own media or studios? How do they promote their political and economic ideas? It is through the campaign contribution rights, which gives them an opportunity to speak to the law-makers.
Chapter 9, "Put Lou Dobbs out to Pasture," discusses the "illegal immigration," when, in reality, it is a problem of economics and illegal hiring by American companies. This is true, and illegal immigration must be curbed, but what are the economic consequences? I am not sure if the author has done economic research or even aware of the area of "economics of illegal immigration." Stopping illegal immigration will have serious economic consequences, certainly for states like California, Texas, and Florida. Illegal immigration is an emotional issue but any legislation must consider the economic consequences to the country.
In Chapter 8, "They Will Steal It" the author makes a preposterous and outrageous comment that the detention of Islamic terrorists in Guantanamo Bay and Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan is no different from the atrocities committed against Jews in Nazi Germany. I wished the author had understood the problems properly before he indulged in bashing President Bush for making this country a little safer. Most Islamic countries and Islamists think that 9/11 was orchestrated by CIA and Israel. They not only believe in that but they also hope to convince the rest of the world. This reflects on the nature of Islamists. In order to deal with Islamists who lie in their teeth, harsher interrogation techniques have to be used, some harsher measures have to be taken to protect this country from further attacks. President Bush made the best decision to deal with Islamic terrorism firmly and decisively. The Afghanistan and Iraq wars are due to Islamic terrorism. If there were no 9/11 attacks, there would not have been these wars. Preserving our values and our way of doing business must not be affected by Islamic terrorism or communism. This is not about protecting American interest; this is about protecting and preserving civilization and sanity in the world where United States is playing major role. If our values and our ways of living are replaced by hijab, niqab, burqa, Sharia law, fatwa, jihad, holy war, honor killings, female genital mutilation, death by stoning, death for apostasy, intolerance to other faiths and other beliefs, and death to infidels, then there is not much to live for. The author continues by making false assumption that we are forcing other countries through military might to adopt our values of democracy and an open society. No one is doing that, but when Islamists are forcing the rest of us to accept Islamic ideals we need to fight back and preserve our values.
In introductory chapter "Back to the future" the author states that Ronald Reagan's policy of ending free admission to the University of California systems made "Europe and Asia to overtake us in everything from patent applications to doctor-patient ratios to excellence in engineering and invention." This got be a wild accusation at best. How does one simple decision in the state of California can affect the entire science and technological competitiveness of Western Europe and Asia? The author bashes Ronald Reagan for everything from his character to his economic policies.
If you are an optimist with liberal leanings in politics you may think the ideas of the author are interesting; but if you are a fiscal conservative, then you will think that this book is good for a laugh!
The first Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton's 11-point plan for "American manufactures" is a primary inspiration for this book. Does this 220-year old document have any relevance to our modern day problems? The author thinks it does.
In the late 18th century when Alexander Hamilton wrote his fiscal plan, nations were building walls between them, more than two hundred years later these walls are coming down in a universe of global economy. The fundamental concepts of "supply and demand" operating at the global level dictate our economic future and shape our political philosophy. How an age-old solution such as this that never really worked before will have any bearing on the world we live in? For example, in chapter 10, "Wal-Mart Is Not a Person," the author tells the story of 1880s corporations that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant them human rights under the Constitution. Much later, in 2010 the Supreme Court ruled precisely that; corporations are people and have political free-speech rights. The author argues that if this is not fixed soon it will be the complete transformation of this country from a democracy into a corporate plutocracy. Here the author is carried away by unfounded worries. First of all corporations are made of stockholders, bondholders and creditors. These are people who are owners of a business and conducting themselves under law and constitution. What is wrong in the opinion of the Supreme Court? Chapter 6, make similar arguments that asks how we finance political campaigns in this country and chapter 10 takes on the problem of the Court's decision directly. If a company that owns a media outlet such as TV network, newspapers or movie studio, then it can pass along its political philosophy through the media it owns. Then what about companies that do not own media or studios? How do they promote their political and economic ideas? It is through the campaign contribution rights, which gives them an opportunity to speak to the law-makers.
Chapter 9, "Put Lou Dobbs out to Pasture," discusses the "illegal immigration," when, in reality, it is a problem of economics and illegal hiring by American companies. This is true, and illegal immigration must be curbed, but what are the economic consequences? I am not sure if the author has done economic research or even aware of the area of "economics of illegal immigration." Stopping illegal immigration will have serious economic consequences, certainly for states like California, Texas, and Florida. Illegal immigration is an emotional issue but any legislation must consider the economic consequences to the country.
In Chapter 8, "They Will Steal It" the author makes a preposterous and outrageous comment that the detention of Islamic terrorists in Guantanamo Bay and Bagram Air Force base in Afghanistan is no different from the atrocities committed against Jews in Nazi Germany. I wished the author had understood the problems properly before he indulged in bashing President Bush for making this country a little safer. Most Islamic countries and Islamists think that 9/11 was orchestrated by CIA and Israel. They not only believe in that but they also hope to convince the rest of the world. This reflects on the nature of Islamists. In order to deal with Islamists who lie in their teeth, harsher interrogation techniques have to be used, some harsher measures have to be taken to protect this country from further attacks. President Bush made the best decision to deal with Islamic terrorism firmly and decisively. The Afghanistan and Iraq wars are due to Islamic terrorism. If there were no 9/11 attacks, there would not have been these wars. Preserving our values and our way of doing business must not be affected by Islamic terrorism or communism. This is not about protecting American interest; this is about protecting and preserving civilization and sanity in the world where United States is playing major role. If our values and our ways of living are replaced by hijab, niqab, burqa, Sharia law, fatwa, jihad, holy war, honor killings, female genital mutilation, death by stoning, death for apostasy, intolerance to other faiths and other beliefs, and death to infidels, then there is not much to live for. The author continues by making false assumption that we are forcing other countries through military might to adopt our values of democracy and an open society. No one is doing that, but when Islamists are forcing the rest of us to accept Islamic ideals we need to fight back and preserve our values.
In introductory chapter "Back to the future" the author states that Ronald Reagan's policy of ending free admission to the University of California systems made "Europe and Asia to overtake us in everything from patent applications to doctor-patient ratios to excellence in engineering and invention." This got be a wild accusation at best. How does one simple decision in the state of California can affect the entire science and technological competitiveness of Western Europe and Asia? The author bashes Ronald Reagan for everything from his character to his economic policies.
If you are an optimist with liberal leanings in politics you may think the ideas of the author are interesting; but if you are a fiscal conservative, then you will think that this book is good for a laugh!
January 12, 2026
There's a reason Sen. Bernie Sanders gave this book to his Senate colleagues. Anything and everything by Thom is brilliant. He is smartest person I have ever met (met him in 2019).
March 3, 2020
Published in 2010, this book is a short, concise and eloquent prediction of the destruction of our democracy that citizens united and corporate take over of the democratic process. However, many books give the doomsday description of what is occurring ad nausea and the discussion of what, if anything, that can be done about it are limited to a couple of disjointed paragraphs. This book has a great deal more by way of suggestions about what we can do about it and some that are actually things that the average person can do.
A couple of the websites mentioned in the book actually still exist and I will be reviewing them (Reclaimdemocracy.org and Movetoamend.org) for more ways to take back our democracy. I don't know about you but I'm sick of being demoralized by what used to be the land of the free and home of the brave but now is just The United Empire of Koch, Goldman-Sachs and Exxon.
A couple of the websites mentioned in the book actually still exist and I will be reviewing them (Reclaimdemocracy.org and Movetoamend.org) for more ways to take back our democracy. I don't know about you but I'm sick of being demoralized by what used to be the land of the free and home of the brave but now is just The United Empire of Koch, Goldman-Sachs and Exxon.
March 31, 2011
Great analysis of why things are the way they are. Thom Hartmann is extemely well read and he explains very simple solutions to fixing the America that has been destroyed little by little since Reagan took office. I would recommend this book to the entire U.S.A. Hopefully then the righties will learn something and come to their senses.
April 11, 2011
A progressive liberal view of our founding fathers foundation for the American republic. I don't agree with the progressive movement and this book helps me understand the thinking so I may better debate the issues.
May 28, 2012
Another great read from Hartmann. I love many of his ideas, and am terrified by the implications of having declared corporations as people, with rights to freedom of speech. Will we next make corporations eligible to run for president?
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November 12, 2010Not bad. I agree with most of the things in it, although I think he gets a little overly protectionist at times when talking about free-trade.
December 6, 2011
IF you follow the radio show, then this is just a hard copy. Interesting to have the references.
February 27, 2015
Thom Hartmann is a national treasure.
April 9, 2016
Reading for my Progressive Book Club. first chapter has some real gems.
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