I.O.U.S.A.: One Nation. Under Stress. In Debt. | 
 enlarge | Authors: Addison Wiggin, Kate Incontrera
Creator: David Walker
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
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Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 568
Media: Paperback
Pages: 266
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 0470222778
Dewey Decimal Number: 330.973
EAN: 9780470222775
ASIN: 0470222778
Publication Date: September 29, 2008
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Product Description
The United States has been spending its way deeper and deeper into the red, and saddling future generations with the mess—but who's paying attention?
To answer that question, the companion book to the critically acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A. talks with some of the most revered voices in the nation, including Warren Buffett; former Treasury Secretaries Paul O’Neill and Robert Rubin; Pete Peterson, CEO of The Blackstone Group; Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas); and bestselling Empire of Debt author Bill Bonner.
Armed with these interviews, historical references, and damning statistics, the book takes a lively and entertaining romp through the four deficits the nation faces: the budget deficit, the personal savings deficit, the trade deficit—and what former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, who resigned abruptly in 2008 over Congress’s lack of action, calls the “leadership deficit” in Washington.
Defiantly non-partisan, the empowering solutions outlined in these pages are a must-read for any American who wants to help change “business-as-usual” in Washington as a new administration heads towards the Oval Office. “We the People” can get our politicians to stop spending, promote responsible economic programs, and hand our children and grandchildren the secure future they deserve.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 I Owe Who? An Agenda in the Making! December 3, 2008
Nelson A. Smith
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
While there is some interesting information here, I found the book sketchy and ominous in more ways than one. It offers an "objective view from all sides," which in the U.S. today means from far right to right to center right. Who is to blame for our debts? Oh, politicians, of course. There is no mention of the "starve the beast" doctrine of intentionally bankrupting governments. No mention of the many well-connected financiers eagerly manufacturing and pushing debt. There are no liberals or leftists to balance out the raving nuts like Arthur Laffer, Steve Forbes, and Ron Paul. The latter was a frightening revelation to me, a true libertarian Hayek-model Austrian government trasher. (If we could just get rid of governments, a benign force called "market pricing" will harmonize the world and we will be free!).
Laffer and Forbes are simply guys who come up with scientific reasons why the rich should be richer. Forbes was born rich, is rich, and wants to be richer, so at least he is rational. Laffer is utterly immune to any sort of evidence, not a scientist but a scientistic ideologue like the old Stalinists. He is deeply concerned about attempts to tax the rich and proves why it mustn't ever, ever be done! (For God's sake, people, don't touch the rich! Everything will collapse!) Well, it's a sure way to make a good living. Rich people will pay a lot for that kind of science.
The basic drift of the book seems to be that we can't afford social security and medicare. The problems are complex and difficult and nearly unfixable. Unless...pssst, we just drop those big, unfunded entitlements. Just one painful whack and capitalism is back in business! Several speakers make the case that it is "immoral" to lay such a burden on the future generations. This is when the background message hit me...
Capitalism has always managed to subdivide what should be unified economic class interests into warring factions. Thus, rich white males and poor white males could unite in their antipathy to poor blacks and the liberals that help them. The main subdivision is into national groups, the illusion that "We Americans" all share a single economic interest in the "American Economy," though economies don't stop at borders. It is clear that the banks who have recently "united" with the taxpayers to rescue the "American Economy" have no necessary interest in the welfare of the nation. What this book suggests is that the next division will be generational. Ron Paul can rally young people to liberate themselves from the immoral burden of the welfare state and refuse to pay taxes to the old boomer middle class trying to rob them.
Ever since FDR there has been a nearly violent cadre of Americans (Bushes among them) trying to end social security, which they regard as socialist theft of their capital. This book may be well-intentioned, but it also lends itself to this dark cause. In reality, the social trust money is already gone. The right wingers are now groping for the right words to declare the deed over and done. They will find many useful quotes herein.
 Can't wait to see the film documentary DVD December 2, 2008
Enlightened Wealth Institute (Las Vegas, NV)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The powerful people interviewed in this book really astounded me. It is a case of 'what do we do now' after reading this book and essential reading to really understand how America got to its current financial turmoil today.
IOUSA November 24, 2008
Richard J. Tichenor (Fullerton Ca.)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Very worth while .Very informative , Has a great deal of information that more americans need to have in order that additional questions will be asked of our elected officials,in reguard to getting the national spending and budget in balance .
Three Cheers for I.O.U.S.A. November 18, 2008
Calvin Bowman (Washington, DC)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The construction of the book meshes well with its organization and lends itself successfully to the study of our national deficit throughout our history. Packed with figures and facts related to the federal budget, the stock market, the GDP, Social Security, et al., I.O.U.S.A is a refreshing look at the state of affairs in our county, and moreover, how it relates to the rest of the world market.
A very good read for accountants and novices alike, I.O.U.S.A. will make you take a step back and analyze not only our country's spending, but our own personal spending habits as well.
Knowing is half the 10 billion dollar battle November 18, 2008
A. Liebert
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
After seeing the film; this book was soon in my shopping cart. There too few books that do not preach, try to sway your vote, or lay blame on one particular person. It tells Americans what has happened to our economy, and what will continue happening if we don't do something about it. And yes, its scary. But guess what- so is the future at the spending rate we are going. Coming from a generation of indulgence and gross self- entitlement, the few bad reviews about this book are being typed on iPhones. This book (and film) is not for the cynic. It's for people like me that want to leave a mark in the world; just not one that cost 10 billion dollars.
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