The human race is incredibly fortunate to have the state, an
indispensable and usually benevolent institution also known as simply
“the government”. Without its central planning, life would be miserable,
if existing at all. Children would be working in mines for a dollar a
day, consumer products would be exploding, there would be no science or
art, and we would all be ignoramuses.
At least, that’s the story
the state itself
tells us. This is unsurprising- it is simply pursuing its own
self-interest by perpetuating propaganda that leads the masses to ignore
and be ignorant of other possible solutions to problems the government
claims to solve.
Exploding some of these myths is the goal of
Rollback,
the most recent book by historian Thomas E. Woods. It didn’t come off
the presses a minute too soon, either. Americans face a crisis, and with
that comes the opportunity for change.
What crisis?
“The
federal entitlement programs on which generations of Americans have
been taught to rely and to base their expectations for retirement will
go bust in our lifetimes. The aging of the population guarantees it. The
resources do not and will not exist to make good on these promises.”
A
rosy economic outlook, responsible management of the federal debt, and
readiness to pay much higher interest on the debt will not avert the
looming disaster. Woods meticulously documents the statistics to back up
his claims. It was a pretty startling chapter- that’s coming from
someone who was already somewhat aware of these problems.
As
these problems were created by steady government growth, they will be
solved by reversing the trend. “This is no calamity to be deplored. It
is an opportunity to be seized,” Woods writes. Rahm Emanuel was right
when he observed that a crisis presents the opportunity for change. That
change can be good or bad, and
Rollback attempts to demonstrate the inevitable cutting back of government is actually a boon for all of us.
To do that, the large middle portion of the book is devoted to
addressing a myriad of issues ranging from recent items like health
care, stimulus, the housing bubble, to major but oft-overlooked things
such as the monetary system, military spending, and the war on drugs. He
also wisely spends some time on relatively inexpensive programs and
regulations that “form a significant part of the mythological edifice
that gives rise to the public’s naïve confidence in government”. Woods
rolls back the propaganda and makes some of the best cases for less
government that I have read.
The final chapter discusses possible
solutions but is prefaced with an important warning for those who are
tempted to put their faith in today’s Republican party. The 2010
elections- and no doubt several more to come, will not put genuine
friends of freedom in office who are prepared to responsibly address the
crisis. No, the GOP’s history proves it buys into the
Official Story, just like the Democrats.
The
solutions Woods proposes are mostly unconventional, which seems
appropriate given the severity of the crisis and the failure of
traditional solutions. The chapter is concluded with a brief moral case
for freedom; it’s not a strictly economic problem we face.
Rollback’s
232 pages are jam packed with fascinating information and over 400
footnotes. Despite the tea party appealing cover*, issues are dealt with
in a fair, non-partisan manner. It is a book that makes you think. Both
laypersons and sophisticated political junkies should read this timely
work. In fact, if I were to add just one book to everyone’s reading
list,
Rollback would probably be it.
Read the first chapter for free
here. Or listen free
here.
*That was the publisher’s choice, not the author's.
