Third World America : : how our Politicians are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream

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Third world America -- Nightmare on Main Street -- America the beautiful [strike through] dilapidated -- CSI USA: Who killed the American dream? -- Saving ourselves from a third world future.
The United States of America is in danger of becoming a Third World nation. The evidence is all around us: Our industrial base is vanishing, taking with it the jobs that have formed the backbone of our economy; our education system is in shambles, making it harder for tomorrow's workforce to land good 21st century jobs; our infrastructure is crumbling; our economic system has been reduced to recurring episodes of Corporations Gone Wild; our political system is in thrall to a small financial elite using the power of the checkbook to control both parties. Our children and grandchildren will enjoy fewer opportunities and face a lower standard of living than we did. Finally, she shows what we need to do to stop our freefall.--From publisher description.

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Not great submitted by emjane on July 14, 2012, 7:08pm In Third World America: How our Politicians are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream, Huffington presents a cavalcade of depressing facts about the state of America, making the point that if we don’t make some big changes, the country will lose its status as a world leader and, indeed, a first-world country. The book is split into five sections, each finishing with first-hand accounts from suffering, formerly middle class Americans. The final section provides actions America needs to take to avoid its great decline.

Politically, I should have felt myself agreeing with the points Huffington made. I should have read what she wrote and been spurred to action. Instead, because it was written in such an abrasive, accusatory matter, I found myself reacting defensively, thinking “She’s being too harsh. It’s not really that bad.” (Even though, chances are good that for many people, it is). Couple the accusatory tone with a glut of weak and clichéd metaphors, awful puns, and out-of-place pop culture references, and you’re left with an unpleasant reading experience.

The final section of the book, where Huffington presents potential solutions, was the best part, though I would have liked to have more actions individuals can take, and fewer proposals of large (and unrealistic) overhauls.