Review: Uncle Sam's Plantation

Wow ... whether you're affiliated with the Democrats, Republicans, Tea-Party, or Independant parties you should read Star Parker's book, Uncle Sam's Plantation: How Big Government Enslaves America's Poor and What We Can Do About It.  This book is a riveting read proving that the Federal Government's involvement in welfare programs for the past decades (dating to just before Johnson's "War on Poverty") has actaully worsened the situation of America's poor (predominately African-Americans), run up the highest debt imaginable, and created an adversarial relationship between the haves and the have-nots, between people of ANY color, and generally wreaked havoc on our country.

Parker knows of what she speaks -- she herself was a self-professed "welfare junkie" who believed it was Uncle Sam's duty to provide for her and her child:  she is black, an unwed mother, an unemployed, homeless young woman.  She dumped the welfare programs and fixed her problems herself; she is founder and president of a non-profit think tank called Center for Urban Renewal and Education and a well-known advocate on people-based solutions to the social problems. 

I really enjoyed reading this book as I too believe we can do more good on a personal level, with occasional SHORT-TERM assistance from the government, than we can ever do with bigger and bigger government funded and run programs.  I loved her swimming pool analogy as well as her personal anecdotes and the statistical facts she includes.

And this book isn't just bashing Democrats or liberals.  This book shows that our government has gotten into things that it shouldn't, regardless of who is in the White House or which party rules the Capitol (altho traditionally, the most wastage and increased number of federal solutions to the War on Poverty comes during Democrat-led committees and administrations).  She defines and illustrates solutions that sound sane and workable -- and may just be what WILL finally end the War on Poverty (that we've been fighting for 40 years!). 

Highly recommend this book -- especially to politicians on either/both sides of the aisle -- read it, try and refute her analyses with facts and let me know what you decide should occur in our country.  Then VOTE that way.

---

This book was received as part of Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze program.  The above review is my honest critique of this revised and expanded edition of Uncle Sam's Plantation.