The Vampire State: And Other Myths and Fallacies About the U.S.Economy - Hardcover

Block, Fred L.

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9781565841932: The Vampire State: And Other Myths and Fallacies About the U.S.Economy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 156584193X ISBN 13: 9781565841932

Publisher: The New Press, 1996

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Argues that balancing the federal budget will not solve America's economic problems, discusses the flaws of a global free trade regime, and analyzes proposed economic reforms

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Synopsis:

Much right-wing political effort has gone into creating an image of the US government as a "vampire", sucking the lifeblood from the economy. Americans have been told that if they want a healthy economy, they have to tighten their belts, save more, and eliminate the federal budget deficit by drastically downsizing the government. This work argues that these claims derive their persuasiveness not from good economics but from popular allegories and metaphors that have shaped public understanding for generations. Robert Block shows the ways in which these metaphors distort understanding of the US and global economy. He explains why balancing the federal budget will not solve economic problems, shows the flaws in the arguments for a global free-trade regime, and uses a series of alternative metaphors to provide a realistic analysis of the reforms that the US needs.

About the Author:

Fred L. Block is a professor of sociology at the University of California at Davis.

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