In reading “Free Lunch, How the wealthiest Americans enrich themselves at Government Expense”, the Watchdog questioned what was based upon fact and what was sensationalism. Nevertheless, there was less than a half dozen times when he placed a question mark in the margin.
Upon completion, he turned to the Acknowledgement section. What a surprise. Turns out this was very much a group effort of a score of highly esteemed reporters and academics, often an authority concentrating on a single chapter, others providing perspective and some fact checking. Furthermore, the outrages described had been discussed elsewhere at length at the time when they were first detected.
Warning: This is a depressing book to read. Again and again middle class and poor Americans are victims of predators whose lobbyists obtain preferential treatment and governmental officials who look the other way with the expectation of a well paying job upon retirement. That is not to say that all of the very rich are predators…in fact, as Johnston points out, a few are among the foremost advocates of reforms. (Some like Warren Buffett apparently walk both sides of the street.)
Johnston also tells what can be done to bring about reforms through political activism. He urges readers to talk about what they learned with friends, associates, to write elected representatives and to speak out at public meetings.
It takes time for the middle class to recognize how it is being victimized and to demand reform. Their earnings have remained unchanged in real terms over three decacades while earnings at the top have increased ten fold, many times a hundred times, often with little if any justification but through abuse of position and flouting of laws and decency.
Change starts by people becoming informed. The Watchdog heartily recommends the book. It is available in a paperback edition for $5.98.
