Discussions of the major policy issues facing our country are never more passionate or detailed than during a presidential election year. The next steps to take concerning health care, national security, education and a myriad of other agenda items are discussed on debate stages and around the kitchen table. As a lifelong follower of politics and a former high school government teacher, I am always excited to read an informed perspective concerning these important decisions facing our country. Thoughtful analysis is always helpful in developing my own conclusions on a topic. In his new book, The Next Falling Empire, Marc Boyajian addresses all of the issues making headlines today and provides his prescriptions for a country that he warns is in serious danger. If you want some material for a lively debate at your next dinner party, Boyajian provides some great points to get you started.
Whether you are a seasoned analyst of political opinion or someone new to the subject who just senses that all is not well with our system, you will find The Next Falling Empire to be applicable to your level of background knowledge. Boyajian chooses language and a tone that creates the sense of a conversation with his audience. He regularly asks questions of his readers that are not meant to be rhetorical, but instead used to pull you into the text by creating personal relevance. What parent isn't concerned with what his kids may be learning from television? How many voters complain every election cycle that they are tired of "stupid negative campaigning"? Who hasn't wondered how we can lower the gas prices in a smart and forward-thinking way? Boyajian does a fantastic job of recognizing the concerns felt by most Americans and then tackling the controversy head-on and without apology.
Boyajian covers a wide variety of subjects in his initial offering as an author. Education, taxes, the strength of families and energy policy are just a few of the areas receiving his analysis. However, as diverse as the material may seem at first glance, the author makes a compelling argument that all of the issues must be faced with an integrated approach to create the best possible future for our country. In its structure, each chapter tackles a specific policy issue and generally follows the same format. Boyajian lays out the situation as he sees it, including examples that will be familiar to readers. He describes each problem and its corresponding examples with no shortage of emotional language. The author is clearly frustrated with the direction that our political and social structures are heading, and his forceful choice of words is a great strength of this book. We are not reading dry analysis from another theorist who remains detached from his work. Boyajian brings us the perspective of an everyday American who has taken the time to translate his concerns to the written word.
Finally, as the author rightfully touts, he does not just complain about the problems in The Next Falling Empire. Each challenge is met with his prescription for repair, and not just with sweeping generalities that are often espoused by politicians on the campaign trail. Boyajian shares specific recommendations, from a reconstituted school that in turn would shift our work days and traffic patterns to dropping leaflets on Iraqi citizens with offers of payment in return for civic participation to a trust fund for energy research, the author is not short on inventive plans for our country. For those who consider themselves "numbers people," the author provides specific calculations on his proposed government taxing and spending. If you prefer the human element of a situation, he explains how his ideas will result in concrete improvements of individuals and families both here and abroad. Both sides of your brain will be satisfied with the exercise it receives in every chapter of this policy text.
My recommendation of this book does not stem from the fact that I agree with every solution proposed by Mr. Boyajian, although I certainly share his concern with many of the problems he dissects in the book. There are certainly issues, such as national security and health care, on which the author and I disagree and I would enjoy some lively debates with him. Instead, I appreciate The Next Falling Empire because it is well-written political analysis composed by a man who obviously has a great passion for his country and the direction in which it is heading. When an author writes with conviction and intelligence, the final product is always worth studying. This book should be considered an essential addition to your personal political library.
Simplifying How America Operates, September 4, 2008
The author has a series of easy to understand solutions to a plethora of problems plaguing the United States today. He would have multiple working and school shifts to alleviate crowding and introduce students to work environments earlier in their academic careers.
The volume decries the shear complexity of the tax code and business regulations which limit industrial throughput. Any engineer knows that excess complexity interferes with the throughout or efficiency of any machine or process. Removing complexity speeds processing.
The author believes in a reasonable level of immigration consistent with the needs of the country. Simultaneously, the book outlines how the USA could help neighbors create jobs internally.
The volume decries efforts to impose our ideology on foreign countries. He points out that we are spending 3-4 times the total goods and services in Iraq. Alternatively, a plan has been put forth to provide each family with a simple stipend in exchange for Iraq fixing its own internal problems of governance and infrastructure.
The book provides a reason why the USA has lost jobs to China. The reasons are greed, higher taxes, unions and litigation. He proposes a plethora of solutions to keep jobs in the USA.
The book discusses the breakup of the family. The dual wage earner family has been cited as a further constraint on child-rearing. Government bureaucracy and partisanship are cited as reasons for the unwieldy response to exigencies of all kinds. In addition, America exports its own top talent.
The book cites the flat tax as a simple alternative to the IRS. The author would raise sales taxes by 1% to pay for health care costs. Finally, the USA must create its own energy instead of relying on foreign sources.
The book has some excellent observations for government planners at every level.
Time for America to become America again., September 16, 2008
This is an excellent look at America from one well informed man's perspective.He looks at what goes on in the country he adopted as his new home in 1982;having been born in Syria and raised in Lebanon. He has built a successful life for himself but seems to wonder if America will succeed or become like other empires who have falled in the past. At times, he questions if America has lost its direction.He,at times seems to forget that the ideas that are the foundation of America are uniquely different than any other nation and made America the greatest country on earth from every perspective;and though not perfect,still is.President Reagan so well defined America as "The Shining city on the hill" The founders of America, and those who understood what and why it was intended to be;made it what it was. There have been many people within America ,and most other countries who have opposed what America is all about and either disagreed with her and even felt threatened by what America stands for.The reason for this has always been that the ideals of America are centered on what is best for its people as opposed to what is best for the regimes,elites,ideologies and systems in place in other countries. No doubt about it,it has been a continual struggle to keep America on track ;but it is still the country that places its people before all else.This is what has been its success,and will continue to be.All one has to do is look at the success of America,and see that people from countries all over the world want to be part of it and that the American people ,in spite of any problems,do not see better prospects elsewhere. True, things have changed in recent years and there has been movement away from America's basic fundamentals;and they have not been for its betterment. As a Canadian,who has lived in America for a number of years,it is easy to see the differences. In Canada ,we have a much more Socialist form of government,and are much more inclined to believe in more government and look to and think the government is more able to look after the people than the people themselves,than do Americans.A good example is that our Socialized Medical system. While over 50% of all the money the government collects from our heavier taxes than Americas,long delays in waiting times,unhappy Doctors ,Nurses and health workers,long waits at clinics,abuses by so many who put nothing into the system and look at it as a "free entitlement",patients having no control and no idea of costs,and a system that has resulted in large numbers of people being unable to even find a family doctor.I use this as one example to show that more government and taking more money out of the hands of the people who earn it;and let bureaucrats spend it for them ,is not the answer. If things are off track in America,as many detractors suggest,the answer is not to look to the way things are done in other countries,where Socialism and all its approaches has failed time and time again;the direction where America should turn is to return to the basic approaches that has already given her its successes. The author makes a lot of good proposals and its time to get back to what America has proved to be the answer.This applies to my country as well;as Canada has lost its direction even to a greater extent. In a nutshell ,we need to:
Emphasize that people should take personal responsibility for their own well-being and forget about looking to the government to look after you.
Quit looking to European systems and countries for solutions.This is the source of problems,not solutions.
Learn to wait until you can afford things rather than going into debt for what you can't afford ,but want rather than need.
Reduce the size and influence of government.Enact term limits for all politicians.
Reduce taxes.People can spend their earned money better than the goverment.
Take back the education of the children from the government,elites,unions,bureaucrats,and give control to the people who pay for it so that the student's interests can be put first as opposed to the way it is today.
Oppose Political Correctness for the fraud it is.
Make the country's Defence the best in the world and equipped,trained and manned so that enemies will face severe action if it attacks America.
Strickly control Immigration,eliminate Dual Citizenship.Make Illegal Immigration and Illegals so undesirable,that there is no point in coming into the country,and those that are already here, will want to leave.Multiculturalism is a fraud. Become a loyal national of the country,or leave.
Balance trade with all countries.Put Americans interests first. Be America's friend ,or find someone else to trade with or help you.This applies to Canada too. As for loss of jobs to other countries,especially those who are not your friends. Don't trade for what you already have and don't do business with countries who have principles and regimes that do not have their people's interests at heart.
Strengthen ,encourage ,and celebrate the value and importance of the family unit.
America can and should become self sufficient in energy and not allow itself to be held up for ransom by anyone or any country.
America was founded on Jeudo-Christian principles and it is time for those who want it to change that fact to be exposed and opposed.
So,read this good book,and understand the strenghts of America.I as a Canadian ,am not trying to tell America what she should do;we have also drifted;and the solutions are rhe same for us. We have benefited from being America's friend and neighbor to the north,however many have looked to Europe for the answer;with similar results.
How To Manual for the Pressing Issues of the Day, September 19, 2008
As most would agree, the economy and general welfare of the United States is off track and the overall financial health of the nation has been declining steadily for the past ten or more years. Few politicians seem to have the concrete answers to our financial and social woes and those who do have solutions cannot seem to garner the necessary support to implement their proposals.
Author Marc Boyajian, however, feels he has the solutions Americans have been hoping to find and he presents them in this brief book. This book claims to have the answers to many of the nation's social and financial ills, covering everything from health care, to education, to terrorism, to energy, and even family structure. These and other important issues are addressed, with the author calling for some basic charges to the way we conduct government and private business and to the way we finance public works in order to solve our most pressing problems.
Some of the solutions presented in this book do, indeed, sound worthy of consideration. I like, for example, the book's proposal that we should abolish FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security, replacing their official responsibilities with the National Guard, since it could do the work better and more efficiently. I also like the idea of eliminating the IRS because, like the book says, it would eliminate the sometimes costly and always time- consuming process of filing taxes and also eliminate a good deal of fraud. But other solutions are not that good, like the suggestion that calls for mandatory national service for college students. Service to one's community and country is certainly a noble and respectable concept, but I don't like the idea of making this a requirement. Forcing service on the public would lead to resentment on the part of many and it would basically be, like the military draft, a form of forced enslavement.
This book has answers to problems in many key areas but it would be much better and more believable if it included some statistics and/or estimates of the expected revenues and associated costs to back its claims. Take, for example, the proposal to fix the health care system. It calls for using sales tax to cover all health care costs, including the expenses presently covered by Medicare and Medicaid, thereby eliminating the need for these two government programs. This isn't necessarily a bad idea and it just might work if implemented properly. However, there are no official estimates provided to convince the reader that this system would, indeed, be financially feasible and would provide the necessary revenues to cover the expenses both today and years into the future as the population continues to age and the need for health care becomes greater and greater. It's a nice idea, but it needs something to back it up, in order to better convince the reader.
In spite of its shortcomings, this book is still worth a read. Some of its solutions are not likely to be met with enthusiasm by the public and I doubt they could ever be successfully implemented, given the political attitudes in Washington and the loyalty of politicians to special interests. But I give credit to the author for at least presenting some solutions to these pressing issues. Some are a little too simplistic and they could all benefit from the inclusion of actual numbers to back them up. However, this is still a respectable effort and some of these solutions presented are certainly worth a look. The author has obviously spent some time thinking about how to solve these important issues and he obviously cares about the fate of the nation. And this is more than can be said of the majority of politicians.
