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"The Fifth Risk" by Michael Lewis

essguy_

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Nov 1, 2001
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Anybody else reading or read this book?

Lewis has his usual great eye at spotting and interviewing characters to tell a story - in this case the book's tagline: 'What are the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works?"

It's a shame there isn't an illustrated, big print edition for Bone Spurs. It would make a great Christmas gift, if only he could read.
 

Darts

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Jan 15, 2017
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The U.S. have checks and balances and a Constitution. Democracy (except in crazy liberal California is working as it should). Trump will be gone no later than the end of 2019. The GOP majority Senate has already voted twice in favor of Democrat resolutions. (The GOP is like a living organism (orgasm), it will do what it needs to survive.) The GOP will run a Pence/Haley ticket in 2020.
 

essguy_

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Nov 1, 2001
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The U.S. have checks and balances and a Constitution. Democracy (except in crazy liberal California is working as it should). Trump will be gone no later than the end of 2019. The GOP majority Senate has already voted twice in favor of Democrat resolutions. (The GOP is like a living organism (orgasm), it will do what it needs to survive.) The GOP will run a Pence/Haley ticket in 2020.
The book isn't about the politics in Washington - it's about the actual Govt - in the weeds, so to speak - focusing on people who work in various agencies, largely unsung and unnoticed - but doing important work for a healthy, functioning society. It doesn't defend big Govt, but makes a case for the important role certain agencies provide and what happens when a new Administration takes over with no appreciation for any of the functions. It's not a book for people who believe that Govt serves no purpose - it works on the premise that some people and agencies within govt serve a very crucial role in serving the public for the greater good.

Its political slant is how the Trump Admin had no idea how govt works thus no appreciation for any possible purpose for a particular function or agency and how the Trump team was totally and willfully unprepared for the transition - resulting in chaos and disruption which will affect Govt long after Trump is gone.
 

jcpro

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Jan 31, 2014
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That's why there's a Constitution and that's why it's so hard to change it. Because the representative government or a republic, in the case of America, is designed to be run by people with no experience in governing.
 

essguy_

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Nov 1, 2001
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That's why there's a Constitution and that's why it's so hard to change it. Because the representative government or a republic, in the case of America, is designed to be run by people with no experience in governing.
I guess you'll have to read the book, if you are so inclined. It's not about the "governing". It's about the actual people who do things like eg: Dispose of nuclear waste. Non-partisan Govt employees - some of whom have huge responsibility beyond their meagre Govt salary - many are just dedicated public servants doing a job they are passionate about and have years of expertise. And this particular Administration had no regard for any of this expertise - so disposed of a lot of it.

At the very least - if you've read any of Lewis' previous works - beginning with "Liar's Poker" through things like "The Blind Side", "Moneyball", "The Big Short", etc - it's well written and funny in parts.
 

oldjones

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Aug 18, 2001
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That description is the ideal: dedicated experts doing the day to day work, of keeping the nation safe and functioning, making the detailed plans, and laying the solid foundations for the future, guided and directed by the broad policies which the people's representatives build, evolve and hone in debate.

Pretty hard to detect any of that in the goings on south of the Lake.
 

essguy_

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Nov 1, 2001
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Here's a link to a recent interview with Lewis. Fast forward to around the 21:20 mark for the interview. It's particularly interesting to listen to Lewis describe his various works and the people he writes about. He points out that many of the "heroes" of his books do not view themselves as heroes. They simply know to do the right thing even if it's outside the norm. By the same token - many of the so called "villains" amazingly do not view themselves as corrupt. Many are a product of various flawed incentive systems. The so called "Fifth" risk is the longer term one that nobody really cares about because incentives, particularly political, are shorter term. He is very critical of the general mindset held by many that all Govt workers are leeches and unworthy of respect - which seemed to be the mindset of the incoming and unprepared Trump Administration. What defines the Trump Admin is that they do not know anything and worse: are not interested in learning. The people Lewis profiles are true patriots - experts in their field, toiling away at modest salaries doing important work with little or no recognition and how the Trump Admin is culling them from the civil service. Lewis highlights people working on longer term projects that if absent may result in consequences down the road.

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/wnyc/stay-tuned-with-preet?refid=asa
 
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