Analysis of The Age of Austerity: How Scarcity Will Remake American Politic by Thomas Byrne Edsall - Book Report/Review Example

Book review Thomas Byrne Edsall, The Age of Austerity: How Scarcity Will Remake American Politics A new book of Thomas Byrne Edsall called “The Age of Austerity: How Scarcity Will Remake American Politics” was published in 2012. This book is assumed as a confirmation of Mr. Edsall’s competence and accurate understanding of political processes which are existed nowadays and government policy in the economic, social and political aspects which occurred in United States of America. All this processes are examined in a global level for the country firstly, and for the whole world inclusively. Let us begin with the title of a book. Austerity as a word means poor economic conditions in which people are locked with the lack of money to spent them and when government produce a policy which is directed to cut people’s spending. Mr. Edsall names contemporary situation as a period of money insufficiency and deficiency of means. He presented it as “The Age of Austerity”. Actually under the word austerity he means economic collapse with its beginning in 2008 and its implications till today and even effects for the future. “Austerity had become the watchword for the democratic administration” notes Mr. Edsall (15). Hence, the title prepares us for the serious perception and rather ugly situation in the politic and economic fields. Furthermore, subtitle underpins that unpleasant point and prompted us to make offensive and obnoxious predictions from the book. The volume consists of seven chapters with prologue and coda. All of them structurally distinguished and every chapter is based on some topic which reflected in the names of the chapters. Mr. Edsall touches some aspect of one big problem and developes it through chapter. From all this aspects the credible analytic source of information and smart academic evidence are arouse. The prologue is named Noose which is symbolic. Such appointment to the preface of the book encourages us to think over bed displays of government policy. We can conduct parallel with a physical meaning of a title. That is something which is going to choke people, to take over their breath. In such a way Thomas Byrne Edsall pointed out that American nation considered to be in some kind of trap which captures people. And this leash is the political and economic one. Also prologue suggested some predictions made by Mr. Edsall. “A brutish future stands before us” argues journalist (8). He points out that the conditions in which stands America is not perfect and this nation will face some economic problems. The author depicts a canvas of a current politics in USA. Thomas Byrne Edsall shows counteraction between two political powers in the country.  Republicans and Democrats cannot decide formulate new relevant course which is appropriate to follow. They played with the power thinking over who is who and how much it or that costs. This ideological and economic battle leads to threat to deficit of money and to reducing of living wage in America. That degrades the level of life and causes scarcity. One side of government makes a fight for social-welfare programs for middle-class people while the other side preserves tax cuts and defends the Pentagon's budget. Author argues that racial factor is reflected here somehow. He suggests that Blacks and Latinos sooner will be asked to leave their prosperous jobs with high profits to defray the retirements and rates with low taxes for white people. It is mentioned that United States of America stands in front of two choices. The first one is assimilated to Europe style of economic relations. This means making taxes higher, repartition of adaptation and strict government control on business. And the second way of development is obtained on lover taxes and relational non-intervention of government in the trade and business sphere. In the United Stated a poignant battle for the restrictive resources is comprehended political converse at every level. Fights between opulent and indigent for the different economic issues and benefits are discussed through this dispute. The questions of health care, economic legislation, unemployment favor, sponsorship of mortgage write-offs and others take place there. One of the essential points for Thomas Byrne Edsall is cuts of budget. All spheres of consumerism will suffer from it. Moreover, services which protect us will be affected consequently. Police protection, aids care, garbage collection, number schools and teachers will become lower which influenced people’s life on the local level. Simultaneously, Mr. Edsall presents the arguments of changing politics in a global level. It is mentioned that all small changes lead to big ones. United States of America is a powerful county but it can take over the positions because of governmental polemics. The process of globalization is developing so Mr. Edsall is warned us for the American scarcity period which can be delayed. He provides us with a critical analysis of competition between Republicans and Democrats and its influence on nation and life of ordinary American people. It is conceived to be a resource competition with decisions which have no winner. The author represents us major points of development in the few year which will be next. It contains long-term deficit decrease, titled reforms in terms of Social Security, Healthcare, notable cuts in protection spending, difficulties with the international movement and influence. He made its predictions due to the analysis of contemporary economic situation. Nevertheless Thomas Byrne Edsall adduces no fiscal suggestions for the future. He deserts these indicators on further development without his intervention. The general tone of the book is guerrilla. Thomas Edsall stands on the left side from operating government. Obama administration is seemed uncompromising or even extremists somehow. It caused a progressive critique from the author. He argues that instead of finding a clever compromise and prudent solutions two party tried to demonstrate who the authority owner is. All in all, this book considered to be one of the most provident political watchdogs providing fresh, pertinent account of desperate battles influence for feeble recourses on economical status and level of life all the country. Also, Thomas Edsall suggests how we can avoid or at least alleviate the impairment of this ideological and economic competition. Reference list: Edsall, Thomas Byrne. The Age of Austerity: How Scarcity Will Remake American Politics. United States: Doubleday. 2012. Read More