Cracks in the Foundation: Refuting the Conservative Case for Low Taxes and Small Government

Product Description

Cracks in the Foundation exposes flaws in the conservative position on taxes and government. Based on evidence, not opinions, the author shows that:

- Our tax burden grew during most of the 20th century, but didn t prevent our prosperity.
- Wealthy countries including several with high economic growth have high tax burdens; poor countries have low tax burdens.
- Investment in the public sector makes us healthier, wealthier, and freer.
- In the federal government, contractors and grant recipients outnumber civil servants more than four to one.
- Outsourcing more government work to the private sector is apt to have a very limited effect on the cost of government.
- The private sector cannot replace government in caring for the needy.
- Faith-based initiatives may help the urban poor but they are no panacea.

Customer Reviews:

Evidence against cherished assumptions.......2004-12-28

Even as those on the Right achieve unprecedented political power, Ms Handelman offers evidence discrediting several of their cherished assumptions. She does so, however, by analyzing a wide variety of vital data and not by trashing her opponents. She points out that if taxes suppressed incentives and drove out venture capital as the Right claims, then the overall tax burden, which increased throughout most of the twentieth century, should have caused the US economy to wither. Instead it grew into the greatest economy in the history of the world. The author convincingly refutes Ronald Reagan's assertion that "government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector." Her examination of outsourcing over time demonstrates that outsourcing of government work to the private sector is not proving to be a significant cost saver. And government's efficiency can exceed that of the private sector: Medicare provides more bang of the buck than private health insurance companies, and its customer satisfaction scores, measured independently, are also higher. Finally, the author provides the numbers to show that the private sector - even with tax incentives - will not be able to become the primary, much less the total support of those in society who need assistance.
Leonard S. Robins, PhD
Professor Public Administration Program, retired
Roosevelt University
Chicago IL

Book Description

Mark Haggerty was a promising young robotics engineer with a smart, sexy wife, and a bright future just within his grasp - until his body became fused with an experimental robot suit during a routine testing session. Trapped inside a powerful, high-tech body that's as mysterious as it is cool and suddenly the unwilling pawn between two opposing forces who wish to recruit him for their own uses, Mark's life is forever changed. And the outlook for life returning to anything close to "normal," well, it's not looking too good. With his human body consumed more each day by the Cy-bot suit, his marriage suffering, and the most dangerous elements in the world closing in around him, Mark's just doing what he can to get through each day. The sudden appearance of a bizarre super-villain at the military base he calls home spins Mark's world even more violently out of control. And soon he realizes one thing - his only recourse is to keep fighting whatever gets in his way, until he gets his life back!

Book Description

In George Washington's Expense Account -- the best-selling expense account in history -- Kitman shows how Washington brilliantly turned his noble gesture of refusing payment for his services as commander in chief of the Continental Army into an opportunity to indulge his insatiable lust for fine food and drink, extravagant clothing, and lavish accommodations. In a close analysis of the document that financed our Revolution, Kitman uncovers more scandals than you can shake a Nixon Cabinet member at -- and serves each up with verve and wit.

Customer Reviews:

Worthless as a Continental.......2004-12-30

Did anyone ever hear the term "Worthless as a Continental". It refers to the Continental Dollar, which was, at that time, so inflated it was practically worthless. What may have sounded like a lavish feast would have cost unbelievable amounts of this worthless currency. If they had McDonald's back then, a Big Mac probably would have cost at least a $100.00. A horse cost thousands of dollars. Many merchants wouldn't even except it. You needed bushel baskets full of the stuff to buy anything of importance. When Washington submitted his expense account to Congress, the problem still existed. It wasn't until Washington was President and Alexander Hamilton fixed this problem that the dollar was worth anything.

The American Revolution lasted eight years, the equivalent of two presidential terms! Given the value of the Continental, using it for that length of time would definitely create one hell of a bill. I'm just surprised the expense account wasn't bigger.

The author must be one of those "Deconstructionists" that like to paint all of American History as a cynical lie.

This is recommended reading to those who revel in anti-American mythology and half truths.

entertaining bookkeeping.......2003-10-29

Was George Washington first in war; first in peace; and first in discovering the joys of an unlimited expense account? Hint: Generals earned $166 per month. At the end of 8 years of war George Washington presented an expense account of $499,261.51. That was when a dollar was a continental. Washington included interest for money he loaned himself and depreciation. He later offered to work only for expenses as president and got a salary in stead.

Very Humorous Read of American History.......1998-12-18

Marvin Kitman has done a masterful job of giving us a different outlook on the Revolutionary War. When George Washington was made General of the Armies, congress offered him a salary but Washington nobly declined and instead requested that they only pay his expenses. The actual journal of his expenses are included in this book and then many journal entries are humorously interrupted by Kitman. Needless to say at war's end, the country would have been better off paying Washington a salary. Congress didn't make the same mistake when Washington became president and made the same offer. This book is easy and light reading and shows how ,in Kitman's words, George Washington became the father of the American expense account.

Average customer rating:

George Washington's Expense Account
General George Washington , and Pfc.(Ret.) Marvin Kitman
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HF52TC

Average customer rating:

George Washington's Expense Account
WASHINGTON George General
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster, 1970
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K5QKYU

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George Washington's Expense Account
Kitman Marvin
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NYGQD8

Average customer rating:

George Washington's Expense Account
Marvin Kitman
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUIEG4

George Washington's Expense Account by General George Washington &...

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George Washington's Expense Account by General George Washington &...
MARVIN- KITMAN
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQAZJI

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George Washington's Expense Account.
GENERAL GEORGE & MARVIN KITMAN WASHINGTON
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books, NY,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TBDN4A

General Washington's account of expenses during the Revolutionary War: In his own hand writing, is on file in this office. The annexed is a fac simile copy of it

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General Washington's account of expenses during the Revolutionary War: In his own hand writing, is on file in this office. The annexed is a fac simile copy of it
George Washington
Manufacturer: Treasury Dept., Register's office
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008ACJWE

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S ACCOUNTS OF EXPENSES WHILE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY 1775-1783

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GEORGE WASHINGTON'S ACCOUNTS OF EXPENSES WHILE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY 1775-1783
John C. (ed.) Fitzpatrick
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M0SFQY

George Washington's accounts of expenses while commander-in-chief of the Continental army, 1775-1783,: Reproduced in facsimile, with annotations

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George Washington's accounts of expenses while commander-in-chief of the Continental army, 1775-1783,: Reproduced in facsimile, with annotations
George Washington
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

P. J. O’Connell traces Robert Drew’s influence on cinema verite through extensive interviews with Drew and with some of the founding fathers of American cinema verite filmmaking—Donn Alan Pennebaker, Gregory Shuker, and Richard Leacock.

In a forty-minute magazine show, his first attempt at revolutionizing television journalism, Drew realized that his heavy equipment and the crew needed to carry it intruded too much into the real-life situations he was trying to capture. He persuaded Time-Life Broadcasting to sponsor the development of new, lightweight, portable synchronous sound equipment that freed documentary filmmakers from the bulky, tripod-mounted, AC-powered equipment of the past.

Drew formed a like-minded staff and, using the new technology to go beyond the interview-and-narration form of television journalism, filmed Primary, which documented the 1960 Wisconsin Democratic primary election. By capturing intense moments as they happened, this film fulfilled Drew’s dream of making an audience feel personally involved in the events he presented.

Book Description

Gary Lee Downey investigates the body/machine interface in his remarkable ethnography of computer engineers. Drawing on interviews, observations and personal interaction with engineers, he documents the everyday power of technology's dominant image in our society, a force widely regarded as monolithically progressive.

The Machine in Me will lead the reader to understand how deeply connected we are to The Machine and how beneficial it would be for us to really understand ourselves and machines as partially configured of the other--we as part machine, machines as part human. In this way, we can begin to see both the power and limitations of technology.

Customer Reviews:

In search of an audience.......2001-03-29

On reading Downey's book, I was hard-pressed to tell exactly what kind of audience _The Machine In Me_ was aiming for. Too technical for most anthropologists and too loaded with anthropological jargon for most technology types, _The Machine In Me_ seems to fit only the narrow field of anthropological technology studies, thus depriving related audiences (general cultural anthropologists and techies) of its many interesting insights. Downey's examination of how a class of engineering students struggled, interacted, and in some ways became part of the CAD/CAM software with which they worked was fascinating. His success in communicating his sometimes complex observations about the social dynamics of technological fields and the nature of the students' relationships with the software, however, are obscured by unnecessarily complex and roundabout prose. Downey is left talking about "transcribing human agency into technology" without ever employing the clearly appropriate term "cyborg." In fact, Downey's book is unmistakably a work in the burgeoning field of cyborg anthropology, yet the book avoids all mention of the term. The end result, I think, is a book without a clearly defined audience, one that refuses to position itself inside a discipline and therefore is likely to be passed over by those who would benefit most from it.

Book Description

The top Blackjack authorities have come together for the first time to bring the reader the ins and outs of the game of Blackjack: Stanley Roberts, Edward O. Thorp, Ken Uston, Lance Humble, Julian Braun, Jerry Paterson, and other experts in this field.

Customer Reviews:

The Gambling Times Guide to Blackjack.......2000-09-19

The author Stanley Roberts calls himself the Blackjack Guru of the 80's. gu·ru ( A teacher and guide in spiritual and philosophical matters. A trusted counselor and adviser; a mentor. A recognized leader in a field: the guru of high finance. An acknowledged and influential advocate, as of a movement or idea: This description is totally accurate. A contemporary and a contributor to the founding fathers of Blackjack. Stanley Roberts writes to the beginning Blackjack Player and shows them how to advance through the levels of play needed to become an expert Player. Stanley does this with a minimum of "hype" for any particular system which is so evident in many other Blackjack books. Stanley starts with the development of Blackjack theory and methodology for beating the game. He expalains about the affect of casino rules on the house advantage over the player using noted author Lance Humble as his expert. Stanley explains the use of Basic Strategy as well as any other author. He even goes on with the help of Julian Braun to give the extremely rare and vital information on Double Exposure and Home Game basic strategy. Arnold "the Bishop" Snyder contributes a chapter on the casino conditions and other topics. Jerry Patterson contributes a chapter on a topic that became the next area of attack against the casino, the order of the cards and how it is affected by the shuffle procedure. After all the mathematics of the strategy and count systems had been developed then teams came into play. Ken Uston writes two of the most interesting chapters on team play and getting Barred. All areas of play are discussed including cheating, bankroll management and a plan for progressing up the ranks to an advanced player. This is a terrific for a beginner. There is no advanced strategy for Sale. But, it is written by a true visionary in the gaming world at a time when Blackjack was a Main course on the casino platter.

Average customer rating:

The Gambling Times Guide to BlackJack
Stanley Roberts
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

An Amazing Guide to Winning Every Time You Play Blackjack

Average customer rating:

This book is trash
You are wrong! This book is great!
An Amazing Guide to Winning Every Time You Play Blackjack
A wonderful book! Hits the bull's-eye!
Great book. I am sure casinos will try to sabotage it.

An Amazing Guide to Winning Every Time You Play Blackjack
Christopher Lamparello
Manufacturer: City Books Publishing Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

'An Amazing Guide to Winning Every Time You Play Blackjack' reveals the method that author Christopher Lamparello has used at the blackjack tables to beat the game. He has never left Las Vegas a loser, and he shows you what he did to achieve that feat...without counting cards. Much more than a 'basic strategy' book, 'An Amazing Guide' will reveal some secrets about the game that many dealers themselves do not know. Enjoyable, entertaining, a fun read, but most of all, a method that finally works.

Customer Reviews:

This book is trash.......2000-10-23

This book is trash, and the title is misleading. NO ONE can win EVERYTIME they play, that is impossible. The ONLY way to win consistently is to play under favorable conditions and count cards. Even playing with good rules, and single deck games, one can and often does lose money. But under ideal conditons, the skilled counter will win in the long run. This book attempts to convince you that ANYONE regardless of skill level will win EVERYTIME they play. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Stay away from this book, don't waste your money.

You are wrong! This book is great!.......2000-04-20

I am a representative of the publisher and I am writing to say one thing. You are wrong when you say that the testimonial was written by the publisher! Not only would that be unethical, it would be fraudulent!

Sorry that YOU didn't like the book, but it is a stunning, excellent book that has made many people winners . . . WITHOUT counting cards which is a completely LOSING proposition!

As you know, casinos now deal up to eight decks, deal only half way into the shoe, and have pit bosses watch the player's every move which prevent the player from staggering his bets to the extent that is necessary to gain the edge by counting cards. You are WRONG on that. Card-counting worked years ago, but the casinos have put that one to bed.

This book teaches the truth about the great game of blackjack, which is more than can be said for most of the other blackjack books. Let people judge for themselves. The methods in this book are proven wisdom. Reread the book and judge it on its advice. You cannot argue with its teachings, especially pages 68 to 89.

An Amazing Guide to Winning Every Time You Play Blackjack.......2000-04-08

Listen to me very, very carefully. In the world of blackjack, a lot of books get written. Blackjack books make a nice little profit for everyone involved. Many, many BJ books are complete trash, promising riches and sure-fire systems and appeal to gamblers who are tired of losing the rent or mortgage money. They will believe (and buy) anything.Amazon allows reviews. Anyone can write them. Add the two together and you get utterly worthless blackjakc books like this. Read all the reviews listed, all the testimonials, look at all the five-star ratings. These were all written by the author and/or publisher. Posting good reviews on Amazon is part of their marketing plan.Check out the title. It was written to sell books to desparate losers. Listen to me the final time. THE ONLY WAY TO WIN AT BLACKJACK IS TO COUNT CARDS. Any other theory in books exists to take your money as easily as you will lose it at the table.The Author checks this site often and will write a rebuttal. Watch for it.Now go out and buy either Knockout Blackjack if you want a good, easy, level 1 counting system, or buy Blackbelt in Blackjack if you want a more powerful Level 2 system. If you've followed what I've said so far, you are easily smart enough to count cards. This book will only cost you money.

A wonderful book! Hits the bull's-eye!.......2000-02-13

I have been waiting for a book like this one to come along for a very long time. It is well-written and easy to read. It has real-life stories that entertain and educate. My game will never be the same because of this book. I am finally starting to win! Thank you, thank you THANK YOU!

Great book. I am sure casinos will try to sabotage it........2000-01-22

This book is great. When I was done reading it, it was like a light was turned on. Best of all, it's not about card-counting. It works if you work it, and I have no doubt the casinos will try to flood this site with bad reviews. An easy, highly entertaining read that exposes the reasons that people lose at the game. If you follow the author's advice, you will realize that you really can make money from blackjack!

Book Description

Firewalls, Network Address Translation (NAT), network logging and accounting are all provided by Linux's Netfilter system, also known by the name of the command used to administer it, iptables. The iptables interface is the most sophisticated ever offered on Linux and makes Linux an extremely flexible system for any kind of network filtering you might do. Large sets of filtering rules can be grouped in ways that makes it easy to test them and turn them on and off. Do you watch for all types of ICMP traffic--some of them quite dangerous? Can you take advantage of stateful filtering to simplify the management of TCP connections? Would you like to track how much traffic of various types you get? This pocket reference will help you at those critical moments when someone asks you to open or close a port in a hurry, either to enable some important traffic or to block an attack. The book will keep the subtle syntax straight and help you remember all the values you have to enter in order to be as secure as possible. The book has an introductory section that describes applications,followed by a reference/encyclopaedic section with all the matches and targets arranged alphabetically.

Customer Reviews:

Great reference.......2005-01-06

Linux iptables Pocket Reference is a great book.

there is a dearth of info on Linux iptables, and this pocket reference is a great book!!

Concise, handy reference for working SysAdmins.......2004-09-24

'Linux iptables Pocket Reference' is an important and sorely needed reference to iptables, the interface to the Linux packetfilter used by System Admins to create firewalls, NAT routers, transparent proxies, and other 'magical' network devices. While not a tutorial, it offers good advice for those with a grasp of basic networking concepts, and a good notion of what a firewall is and what it is used for, in a dense and concise format. Sufficiently detailed information about the protocols involved obviate the need to keep additional references at hand, and make the work relatively self-contained. This should not be the first book you read about firewalls or tcp/ip, but if you are a networking professional, a technically oriented user, or just interested in creating special purpose network devices, this book belongs in your library. Those familiar with iptables will especially appreciate the lucid description of packet flow through the tables and chains, and the supporting diagrams ... they alone are worth the price of purchase.

If you have need for a book on the topic, you will not be disappointed with this one.

for sysadmins.......2004-09-18

This book is written for linux/unix sysadmins, not programmers. The topic of iptables is intimately related to guarding a network against intruders. A sysadmin task. Plus, the compact, pocketbook size lends itself to a common scenario.

You're a harried sysadmin in the machine room of your company, surrounded by racks of computers and cabling. Equipment everywhere and little room for you to prop up a regular sized text on intrusion detection. Quite possibly, the master console is some cheezy old monitor that you got stuck with. Or even worse, it is just a terminal. If the latter, it's really awkward to do a man on iptables and also run it, especially if you're in real time mode against an active intruder. In other words, what this book is ideal for.

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