"Wake-Up" Books for Americans II
Bonnie Alba
August 10, 2007
The stresses and pace of postmodern lifestyles leave very little time to read full-length books aimed at information and long-term trends of our nation. Despite the thousands of books, magazines and news published each year, we rarely have a spare moment to reflect on what we do read. I offer the following books from my stack to be better informed.
Topic of Interest: Federal Taxes, IRS and Proposed Reforms. There are two major tax plans on the table; one is reform of the present, complicated income tax system; and the other a total replacement of the withholding-from-wages system with an across-the-board consumption tax.
Flat Tax Revolution” by Steve Forbes. Forbes campaigned on his Flat Tax Plan in both 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns. It wouldn’t get rid of the IRS, but would make it simpler for most Americans to file their annual federal taxes. The Flat Tax proposal sounds good, but compare this simpler-but-same burdensome system we’re under now to the next proposal below.
The FairTax Book” by Neal Boortz, radio talk show host, and Georgia Congressman John Linder. The FairTax is a complete replacement of the present confusing system with a Consumption Tax. If you for eliminating the IRS, the FairTax would be the IDEAL.
Topic of Interest: National Debt and Economics. What we think about the state of our economy and government debt depends on what we read and who we listen to.
Empire of Debt” by William Bonner and Addison Wiggins. They are economic “contrarians” who offer a reasonable assessment of the United States and other global nations on a collision course towards a future, world-wide financial crisis. Their bottom-line theme throughout is that we are being misled about the debt and economic health of our nation.
Basic Economics--A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy” by Thomas Sowell. Easy to read and a excellent, basic educational guide to how economics work, but a heavy tome. Sure to be a supplemental text for college students taking Economics 101.
Exporting America” by CNN’s Lou Dobbs. Subtitle: “Why Corporate Greed is Shipping American Jobs Overseas.” Good assessment of the changes to our once, self-reliant, product-producing nation to one of dependence on an abundance of imports from what were once sole-American companies.
The Grandfather Economic Report,” Michael Hodges, comprehensive information available on the web site: mwhodges.home.att.net/. Points the way toward what our government has done and not done, exhibits reports on status of nation’s debt, Social Security, family incomes and much more. Excellent!
Topic of Interest: America’s Economic Culture Wars. Hits on the postmodern changes to economic lifestyles, careers and all things threatening the economic security of the American public.
War on the Middle Class” by CNN Lou Dobbs. The subtitle is: “How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back.” Eye-opening look at recent, historic corporate and federal government moves to make America a land of consumers and not producers. Possible solutions are offered.
Somebody’s Got to Say It” by Neal Boortz. Attention-getting with short chapters on everything from Fixing our Schools; Minimum Wage; to a Dollar Bill Savings Program. Witty and very Libertarian in his opinions, Neal Boortz never lacks informative and commonsense explanations on any issue. May not always agree, but makes sense which we can’t say for most of our elected officials.
SpyChips” by Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre. You should be concerned by the high-tech plan to track all products and just about anything on Earth you can name, including you. Albrecht is the front-line educator and fighter against the loss of privacy. She has testified before congressional lawmakers about the dangers of the new technology, RFID, Radio Frequency Identification tags. McIntyre is the Communications Director of CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) which Albrecht founded. This is one subject citizens need to catchup on if they are to understand that the use of RFID could erase what little privacy we have in the not too distant future.
It appears that all these trends are too big for average citizens to put their minds around. Lacking depth and facts, the constant information overload drives most of us to apathy towards anything outside our immediate daily lives. There is danger when we ignore present trends which could detrimentally influence our future.
Do we have to wait until we are personally affected before we stand up for the principles we believe for ourselves and for our country? Wake Up America!
More must-read books from Bonnie’s Stack will be offered in future.]
2007 Bonnie Alba
comments: tttalba@hotmail.com
Previous Article: www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=32093
Topic of Interest: Federal Taxes, IRS and Proposed Reforms. There are two major tax plans on the table; one is reform of the present, complicated income tax system; and the other a total replacement of the withholding-from-wages system with an across-the-board consumption tax.
Flat Tax Revolution” by Steve Forbes. Forbes campaigned on his Flat Tax Plan in both 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns. It wouldn’t get rid of the IRS, but would make it simpler for most Americans to file their annual federal taxes. The Flat Tax proposal sounds good, but compare this simpler-but-same burdensome system we’re under now to the next proposal below.
The FairTax Book” by Neal Boortz, radio talk show host, and Georgia Congressman John Linder. The FairTax is a complete replacement of the present confusing system with a Consumption Tax. If you for eliminating the IRS, the FairTax would be the IDEAL.
Topic of Interest: National Debt and Economics. What we think about the state of our economy and government debt depends on what we read and who we listen to.
Empire of Debt” by William Bonner and Addison Wiggins. They are economic “contrarians” who offer a reasonable assessment of the United States and other global nations on a collision course towards a future, world-wide financial crisis. Their bottom-line theme throughout is that we are being misled about the debt and economic health of our nation.
Basic Economics--A Citizen’s Guide to the Economy” by Thomas Sowell. Easy to read and a excellent, basic educational guide to how economics work, but a heavy tome. Sure to be a supplemental text for college students taking Economics 101.
Exporting America” by CNN’s Lou Dobbs. Subtitle: “Why Corporate Greed is Shipping American Jobs Overseas.” Good assessment of the changes to our once, self-reliant, product-producing nation to one of dependence on an abundance of imports from what were once sole-American companies.
The Grandfather Economic Report,” Michael Hodges, comprehensive information available on the web site: mwhodges.home.att.net/. Points the way toward what our government has done and not done, exhibits reports on status of nation’s debt, Social Security, family incomes and much more. Excellent!
Topic of Interest: America’s Economic Culture Wars. Hits on the postmodern changes to economic lifestyles, careers and all things threatening the economic security of the American public.
War on the Middle Class” by CNN Lou Dobbs. The subtitle is: “How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back.” Eye-opening look at recent, historic corporate and federal government moves to make America a land of consumers and not producers. Possible solutions are offered.
Somebody’s Got to Say It” by Neal Boortz. Attention-getting with short chapters on everything from Fixing our Schools; Minimum Wage; to a Dollar Bill Savings Program. Witty and very Libertarian in his opinions, Neal Boortz never lacks informative and commonsense explanations on any issue. May not always agree, but makes sense which we can’t say for most of our elected officials.
SpyChips” by Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre. You should be concerned by the high-tech plan to track all products and just about anything on Earth you can name, including you. Albrecht is the front-line educator and fighter against the loss of privacy. She has testified before congressional lawmakers about the dangers of the new technology, RFID, Radio Frequency Identification tags. McIntyre is the Communications Director of CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) which Albrecht founded. This is one subject citizens need to catchup on if they are to understand that the use of RFID could erase what little privacy we have in the not too distant future.
It appears that all these trends are too big for average citizens to put their minds around. Lacking depth and facts, the constant information overload drives most of us to apathy towards anything outside our immediate daily lives. There is danger when we ignore present trends which could detrimentally influence our future.
Do we have to wait until we are personally affected before we stand up for the principles we believe for ourselves and for our country? Wake Up America!
More must-read books from Bonnie’s Stack will be offered in future.]
2007 Bonnie Alba
comments: tttalba@hotmail.com
Previous Article: www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=32093
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