The Conservative Nanny State Audiobook By Dean Baker cover art

The Conservative Nanny State

How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer

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The Conservative Nanny State

By: Dean Baker
Narrated by: Sandra Swafford
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In his new book, economist Dean Baker debunks the myth that conservatives favor the market over government intervention. In fact, conservatives rely on a range of "nanny state" policies that ensure the rich get richer while leaving most Americans worse off. It's time for the rules to change. Sound economic policy should harness the market in ways that produce desirable social outcomes: decent wages, good jobs, and affordable health care.©2006 Dean Baker (P)2006 Polity Audio LLC and Creative Commons Economics Political Science Politics & Government Government Taxation
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The premise of the book is the Conservatives in the United States have been able to frame the discussions on budget by claiming that they want less government, and the Liberals want more. In reality both want as much government, it's just the Conservative's want their government to protect the business interests and the 1% with tax breaks, protectionism and corporate welfare. The Liberals want the government to help the middle class and poor.

Things that did soak through my addled brain were:
1. We need to stand up to the Conservatives and re frame the discussion on their "less government" stance.
2. One of the reasons our healthcare system is in trouble is the salaries paid to doctors are higher than any where else in the world and the fact the government frowns on too many doctors from other countries practicing here. Same for lawyers and CEO's salaries are out the roof.
3. Mr. Baker wants to do away with patents and install a system of vouchers so entrepreneurs can be paid for their work. (Didn't understand where the money would come from, but understand the idea that people like Bill Gates made an exorbitant profit from his patents.)

The best part of this book is the new ideas that are coming to change the way we do business. I am not sure if they will all work but I welcome the innovation.

I enjoyed the narration and liked the way the footnotes were handled.

Tax breaks to businesses or the poor? Which way?

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(I am mostly repeating my review of the Audible version of the book from amazon.com. I'm not sure why Amazon didn't just stick it over here, but so it goes...)

I listened to this book - even the notes and introductions. With respect to the Audible version of the book, the narrator is fine and does a good job. However, the Audible organization of appendices and text notes is beyond bizarre. I would greatly recommend getting the text version over the Audible version, especially if you suspect you will be familiar with some of the arguments.

Content-wise, unfortunately Dean Baker mostly parrots what the Libertarians have been crying about for decades, while both major parties turn a deaf ear. I was really hoping for something new, or at least creatively packaged.

On the plus side, Baker has a good point that Conservatives (nit - I'd say "corporatist Republicans" but whatever) have won the language debate, and love to hide corporate welfare under pleasant-sounding names. Politicians of all stripes love to give government incentives and protectionism to their buddies, and at least half of those (R) were mentioned. Baker also has a good point that immigration is a horrid mess. If you don't have much economic knowledge, then maybe these will be interesting for you. Even if the points are a review, maybe they'll revive some latent fire in your belly and you'll want to go beat down a Tea Partier. For me, they were disappointingly more of the same.

If you've read Libertarian propaganda from the past 20 years you've probably read every point in the book, and then some. Love them or hate them, the die-hard Libertarians are at least honest about welfare regardless of who is getting it. Still, different audience, I get why it could be interesting to some folks.

The most frustrating part of the book, and the reason I rate it so low, is that on many points Baker vacillates wildly. Protectionism is bad for doctors and lawyers, but not for dishwashers. Unions are good, but the AMA and Bar are not. Immigration is good, but only for "skilled" individuals. There are a few dozen examples of these inconsistencies throughout the book, running about the same frequency I might encounter with a thoughtless partisan friend. I was expecting more from an actual, published, edited book; I would love to have been able to recommend it to politically disagreeing friends, but frankly any corporatist Republican is going to be able to tear it to shreds without much trouble.

Great Thesis, Poor Delivery

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It's a good book, not without its share of demagogy. But, considering the fact that almost all economy education these days is using the rhetoric that this book combatants, it gives some very good points for thought.

For those interested in economy and public policy - give it a go. For the internationals, take into account that it is very U.S focused.


a good read

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This book is trying to intentionally push ideas of what is possible. The point is not the political viabilies of different economic ideas, but reality that different ideas exist. Yes there would be some unintended consequences, but there are unintended consequences now. The author is intentionally trying to push conservatives buttons and there is fair amount of snark and humor (most of which is lost in the reading.)

I did like the way footnotes were handled.

Interesting alternatives, not politically viable

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An interesting look at modern politics and some it's biggest contradictions, what happen to be many in number.

Political Dichotomies

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