An effective description of the problems facing America right now coming at a time when we need a little (or a lot) of self-reflection. Steven Brill does a marvelous job of enumerating problems but also of seeing and describing solutions both in practice and in development. Definitely recommended.

In trying to process the horrific news about Santa Fe High School and the latest school shooting, pause to reflect on the student who when asked whether she felt like a shooting couldn't happen at her school, replied, "It's been happening everywhere. I've always felt it would eventually happen here too." How many students share those sentiments and fears?

Referring to that student comment during Friday's PBS NewsHour Judy Woodruff said, "I was profoundly saddened" and encouraged viewers "to ask if we have crossed a line and whether we owe our younger generation something better." A new book which deal with politics and American values echoes that question: TAILSPIN by award winning journalist Steven Brill.

In a companion Time Magazine article Brill writes, "Yet key measures of the nation's public engagement, satisfaction and confidence – voter turnout, knowledge of public-policy issues, faith that the next generation will fare better than the current one, and respect for basic institutions, especially the government – are far below what they were 50 years ago, and in many cases have reached near historic lows." In soon-to-be published TAILSPIN, Brill describes how key American values such as meritocracy and innovation have led to an isolated elite, reinforcing privileges for corporations and businesses with little or no accountability for government officials. He opines that the protected few do not need government for much whereas the unprotected need it to provide good public schools, health care, a competitive playing field for small businesses, adequate infrastructure and much more. TAILSPIN is a comprehensive and fascinating read, referring to numerous sources such as Putnam's Bowling Alone and the realization that "something important happened to social bonds and civic engagement in America over the last third of the twentieth century." Roughly a fourth of the lengthy book contains footnotes and sources; TAILSPIN received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly and is being published by Knopf on May 29th.

Medieval moats updated

For Steven Brill, “America has increasingly become a Moat Nation, producing a parade of unfair advantages for those with the resources to deploy the knowledge workers to build and fortify their moats while contributing to the overall decline of the country.” The protected classes – the rich, the corporations and the lobbyists – keep building their moats wider and deeper, at the very real expense of the rest of us. They are untouchable, while we become untouchable castes. That is the essence of Tailspin.

Justice has failed us, as companies are too big to fail, too big to jail, and now, even too big to manage. Managers are no longer on the hook for crimes committed under them. Results-based executive bonuses do not take into account fines and settlements, so their compensation can be higher. Supposedly gigantic fines are just the cost doing business, and are well worth paying to keep breaking the law. And besides, companies don’t even have to admit guilt.

There are now 20 lobbyists per lawmaker in The Swamp, and President Trump has been picking among them for prominent posts in government so they can directly favor their clients over voters. Companies can prevent anyone suing by mandating arbitration – and they pick and pay the arbitrators. The Supreme Court has chosen a president by itself, and freed the wealthy corporations to outspend and overwhelm the public with their politics.

The government says it is not its job to retrain Americans as the world economy changes. So millions of jobs go unfilled while millions of people (42%) are in dead-end minimum wage jobs that force them onto food stamps and Obamacare to survive. The savings go to the rich in tax cuts. Meanwhile the US leads in almost no categories with comparable countries, and is near the bottom when it comes to the education, health and welfare of its citizens.

Corporations are claiming anything they say in their labels or advertising or commercials is their “opinion” and not necessarily provable or factual. So they can’t be sued for fraud. (All those fraudulent ratings of mortgage-backed securities that Moody’s and S&P gave five star ratings to? Just opinions.) This is “freedom of speech” taken to absurd reaches. It cancels out all regulation and all protection. Corporations are not people and were not covered by the constitution – but that’s what lawyers and judges now rely on. This is yet another further moat around the protected classes.

Lawmakers spend 4-5 hours every day dialing for dollars, because they have to. Another third of the day is spent with lobbyists at useless receptions, mostly fundraisers. Voters have no voice and no role in Washington’s Swamp. They just get in the way.

The list is endless, and despite Brill’s counterexamples of unknown heroes laboring against the tide, it continues to worsen by the day.

There are so many books like this. They all seem to have the same structure. They bemoan the wrong turns since the Depression that had set us on the right path. They pack in horrid stats to show how far we’ve fallen. They profile individual heroes – usually lawyers – who are fighting the good fight with their small counter-lobbies. The books express hope that Americans will protest the takeover of the country by the corporations and the special interests. As I read, I kept hoping Brill of all people would take it in a new direction with some new insight or conclusion. But no such luck. To that extent, it was a disappointment.

David Wineberg