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Arrogant Capital : Washington, Wall Street, and the Frustration of American Politics

Arrogant Capital : Washington, Wall Street, and the Frustration of American Politics

List Price: $18.99
Your Price: $18.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: History is repeating itself, unfortunately !
Review: As usual, full of information, knowledge, and insight... This is my 3rd Phillips book and would rate 5 stars except for some huge ommissions. While pointing out the drain on our democracy of "entitlements", lawyers & litigation, duplication in govt... he completely omits the financial and social costs of our massive military expenditures. Also, while criticizing home ownership as "sopping up large amounts of capital thus made unavailable for industrial renewal" he misses the huge piles of capital in corporate coffers and private holdings looking for higher and higher rates of return, not in "industrial renewal" but more often in the "spectronics" he illustrates. Still, Phillips does fine work, one of the few conservatives that speaks with a straight tongue.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best political books on this topic I have read
Review: I am a political science major at Oregon State University. I had to read this book for a class and was pleasantly suprised at how well written and interesting this book is. The author gives a loud and clear call to arms for the American people to change our government. The comparisons to other world empires hit very close to the present day US. His proposals for change are interesting and well thought out. I reccomend this book to anyone who is fed up with Washington and the power of interest groups, financial groups, and lobbyists.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A little off the mark
Review: This book came out in 1994 and its eminently readable today, especially today. Phillips is one of those tireless workers today in America much like the other crusaders like Nader and Michael Moore who keep the truth front and center of what is being done to this country by our so called representatives in Washington. There is one problem with the Phillips prognostication in this book. In 2003 with 20/20 hindsight it becomes clear that Phillips was far too optimistic in his expectation that the body politic here will make a move for change and reform. Alas! he seems to have under estimated or should I say, mis-underestimated the power of the cancer that is now raging rampant in Washington. He prophesies that in the twentyfirst century the two party system will be over. Not only is it ever more full of life blood but a conservative wave is sweeping the nation with the Christian Coalition in full cry. The wolf in sheep's garb leading the faithful on the heels of wherever society may go in the hands of the GOP. Considering this, in my opinion, America is finito. Its over. The ... we send to Washington every election cycle, they will never stop a-... and the people who benefit from this..., viz K-Street and all the corporations will see to it that reform will not even be a whisper a 100 miles from Pennsylvania Avenue. 95% of the seats in Congress are non-competitive, this means that third party candidates are forever shut out. Try running a Green candidate in Orange County. You might have to take out a life insurance policy before doing that. Most of the Senate represents only 16% of the country, i.e. mid-western states in terms of population. Witness the farm bill pork that goes out without fail every year. So, read this book, its a great book but remember America is on a downward spiral, a very long spiral and revolution is probably at the end of that. Look at California right now, they are getting probably 40 cents to every dollar they send to Washington in federal taxes, this burden is going to only increase not decrease. Now, extrapolate that into the future another 10-20 years, what we will have then will be squalid ghettoes in portions of California where there will be a complete breakdown of services. Sewers in San Diego are even now 20-25 years old and there is little sign that they will get fixed in the near future....well you get the picture.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: History is repeating itself, unfortunately !
Review: This has to be one of the best books on contemporary politics. Kevin Phillips did extensive research into the historical pattern of rise and subsequent decline of great powers and found uncanny similarity to where America is today. However, he did suggest 10 solutions that hopefully would arrest the decline of this nation and hoped those would be carried out in the 90s (this book was written in 94). Guess what ? None of his 10 solutions was implemented even to the slightest degree. If anything the problems he mentioned in the book have become even more serious in the past decade.

The decline of this nation is now inevitable. There is no need to shed tears over it, though. It happened to Rome, Greece, Spain, and most recently Britain. To think we can somehow escape was probably wishful thinking to begin with but the failure to take positive action to even to try to slow the decline just makes the ultimate fate that much more certain !


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