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Reckless!: How Debt, Deregulation, and Dark Money Nearly Bankrupted America (And How We Can Fix It!) |  | Author: Byron L. Dorgan
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
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as of 3/12/2010 02:56 EST details
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Seller: hallstreetbookstore
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 231593
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.7 x 6.5 x 1
ISBN: 0312383037
Dewey Decimal Number: 330.973
EAN: 9780312383039
ASIN: 0312383037
Publication Date: May 26, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
As one of only eight senators to vote against bank deregulation, Byron Dorgan warned America that a free-market system left unchecked is like a driving a car at ninety miles per hour without brakes. With the recent financial collapse having proven him right, Dorgan exposes this modern-day carnival of greed and calls out the corporate executives who reap millions and even billions as a “reward” for self-interest and mismanagement. More poignantly, he argues that public officials we elect to represent the best interests of the people have sold us out, as government has become a partner to Big Oil, Big Media, and Big Pharma.
In his prairie-populist voice peppered with incisive wit, Dorgan argues that we must rescue the economy from the influence of financial conglomerates and power brokers, and to hold our public officials accountable for regulating the economy.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 7
 Dorgan Gives us Hope in These Dark Times February 19, 2010
Sean Mulligan (Alpharetta, Georgia)
Senator Byron Dorgan warned his fellow senators back in 1999 that repealing the banking regulations in Glass-Steagall would be an extremely shortsighted move that would cause severe damage to America's security. Dorgan was provent right by the recent financial crisis. Like in Dorgan's last book "Take This Job and Ship It" Dorgan advocates for the common people who are suffering in America, because of the recent economic recession and the growth of inequality. Dorgan showcases the many ways Corporations dodge taxes, causing the extra taxes to pass to the rest of the country and the deficit to rise. He calls for closing corporate loopholes so that all Americans pay their fair share.
Dorgan shows that massive war profiteering is occuring in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dorgan calls for a new Truman Committee that would expose corruption among military contractors, the same way the original Truman Committee did during World War II. Senator Dorgan makes some good points about immigration, such as the need to legalize most illegal immigrants who are in the country, while stoping corporations from importing cheap labor and undermining American wages and labor rights.
Senator Dorgan has a lot of ideas about reducing our dependence on foreign oil, by conservation measures and supporting alternative energy sources, however, I am dubious about some of his energy proposals such as encouraging ethanol use.
While Senator Dorgan highlights America's many problems, he reassures his readers that we should be optimistic, and that the American spirit of problem solving can steer us through our current rough patch.
 A tunnel at the end of a dark light October 5, 2009
C. Wagner (On the banks of the Wabash far away)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Senator Dorgan explicates information difficult for common sense to deny. For example, our 42nd president, in keeping with the philosophy of the 40th president, allowed financial services to be "modernized" with the freedom to go wild (p.4). However, on page 5, the author is convinced our economy will recover and that a certain computer entrepreneur, who took total advantage of outsourcing while piling up a fantabulous fortune, helped build a stronger economy (pp. 24-25). That one mystified me, gentle reader. Dorgan advocates better not bigger government that would protect the public from the excesses of those who would rule over us. However, I fear this book will do no more to improve our nation's economy for those who actually work for a living than his book "Take This Job and Ship It" did to save the jobs of American workers. His discussion of the Iraq debacle was revealing and the discussion of apalling theft, fraud and general corruption should be read by all. Dorgan stressed the need for energy independence. "So, as we fuel our gas-guzzlers, we fuel Islamic extremism. (p. 193)." The discussion of medical care and wage stagnation were also insightful. But, I am afraid, the book will make no real change in status quo. The words "(And How We Can Fix It!)" from the subtitle remain to be fulfilled. The government is still run by the same lobbyists. But, perhaps, someday, a dedicated gadfly such as Senator Dorgan will make the change for the better.
A good read September 2, 2009
B. C. Dibble (Mesa AZ)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I like his style and how he laid out mistakes that led us to the mess we are in. Wish we had more in Congress like him.
Reckless August 27, 2009
Thelma L. Colvin (La Junta, Colorado)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Enjoyed every bit of it!!! Much of it is old information, but when put together in sequence and understood completely, you can see how we were all fooled and used. Surely when the Republicans realize how they also were duped they will see how The Bush Administration and the Military Industry and the CIA were all involved and promoted companies like Halliburton to access huge amounts of money. Debt we will pay off for years to come. It should make everyone angry.
Interesting arguments August 14, 2009
Mariusz Skonieczny (ClassicValueInvestors . com)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The unchecked free market is like driving a car at ninety miles per hour without brakes - this is best analogy against the free market arguments I have ever heard. I believe that a proper balance is the best. I think that this book is timely because of the current crisis that our country and the entire world are going through.
The author believes that we went too far toward the free market when the public officials that we elected to represent the best interests of the people have betrayed us. Instead of representing us, they aligned themselves with big corporations who contributions, allowing them to call all the shots. He argues that we need to rescue the economy from these influential entities and hold the public officials accountable. But this will not happen unless the people push the government to change.
- Mariusz Skonieczny, author of Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? Learn how to invest your money, how to pick stocks, and how to make money in the stock market
Showing reviews 1-5 of 7
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