The Cost of Winning: Global Development Policies and Broken Social Contracts

by Michael Cosgrove

Overview

In The Cost of Winning, Michael H. Cosgrove describes how the United States used economic policies to contain the Soviet Union during the post-World War n era and how those policies turned a vibrant American economy into one of broken promises and declining power. Cosgrove defines and examines the five economic building blocks used to contain the Soviets in America's Golden Age: the Marshall Plan, free trade, federal income tax policy, the American defense umbrella, and plentiful and cheap oil from the Middle East. He explains how policies supporting these building blocks allowed U.S. taxpayers to both contain the Soviets and enjoy a rapidly rising standard of living. America's economic superstate began to crumble, however, with President Nixon's August 1971 decision to abandon the gold quasi-standard and Saudi Arabia's 1973 decision to cut oil shipments to America. Lean years for the American economy set in.

When the American economy could no longer deliver the American dream, entitlements were increased in an attempt to fill the gap between expectations and what the private sector could provide. Since the early 1970s, real purchasing power has been steadily eroding for approximately 75 million private sector workers. The American dream that a good education would lead to a decent job and a rising standard of living in a safe neighborhood has been dashed. Violent crime in America increases while expenditures on public safety rapidly increase.

Will America be the first world power to reverse its relative decline? Cosgrove maintains that Congress must initiate the upward process by restructuring itself. Rather than meeting in Washington, D.C., Congress should meet a maximum three to four months per year at a different site each year to achieve "American revitalization." Cosgrove's solutions to the problems of crime include law enforcement through use of bounty hunters to identify and capture alleged criminals, and to establish a fixed penalty system for violent crimes to make costs of committing crime clearer to everyone. Certain to be controversial, this intriguing examination of the state of affairs in the United States, and the author's recommended policies will be compelling reading for sociologists, policymakers, economists, and scholars with an interest in applied public policy for the long haul.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781560002291
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/30/1995
Edition description:	Revised ed.
Pages:	338
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Cosgrove

Table of Contents

Introduction Part I The Past-The Creation 1. It Has Happened Before 2. The Foundation Years 3. Prelude to the Creation 4. The Creation-Building Bloc I, the Marshall Plan 5. The Creation-Building Bloc II, Trade Policy 6. The Creation-Building Bloc III, Military 7. The Creation-Building Bloc IV, Tax Policy 8. The Creation-Building Bloc V, Oil 9. British and American Golden Ages 10. Crumbling Foundation, 1971-1985 Part II The Present-Broken Promises 11. The Lean Years, 1985 to ... 12. Government Taxes and Outlays 13. Purchasing Power Broken Promise 14. Loss of High Paying Jobs-A Broken Promise 15. Creation of Jobs-A Broken Promise 16. Public Education-A Broken Promise 17. Public Safety-A Broken Promise 18. Bounty Hunters and Fixed Penalties 19. Symptoms of Broken Promises-Entitlements 20. More Symptoms Part III The Future- Change 21. The Future? 22. Change

Editorial Reviews

The Cost of Winning is an important and comprehensive look at the development of the American economy over the last half century. It is must-reading for anyone interested in tracing the broader forces that are impacting the economic life of our nation.”—Ralph E. Reed, Jr., executive director, Christian Coalition “I read The Cost of Winning with great interest because it is always valuable to read a political chronicle from the other side. Despite our political differences, I thought Cosgrove’s arguments had a lot of validity. Disturbing as it may be to think that our society is headed for inevitable decline, The Cost of Winning is a shrewd, persuasive account that American society is in for some troubling times. Well done.”—Michael R. Bloomberg, president, Bloomberg Financial Markets Commodities News “Cosgrove provides a much needed and well-written perspective on current economic issues and political controversies facing the United States. In the often heated but unproductive discussions in Washington there has been little appreciation of ‘how we got to the current state of affairs.’ This book provides an excellent perspective on many of the key problems of the day. However, Cosgrove goes even further. He provides several constructive, innovative, yet controversial suggestions for problems as diverse as crime, tax burden, public education, and welfare. Readers may not agree with his suggestions, but they will appreciate his ability to get them to ‘think out of the box.’”—Bruce L. Jaffee, professor, School of Business, Indiana University “The high tax, overregulation and inflationary policies of Richard Nixon did great damage to the American economy in the 1970s. Michael H. Cosgrove highlights this damage and points out that today, the costs of big government continue to threaten America’s future. With the victory over the Soviet Empire, the remaining threat to American prosperity and liberty is the size and cost of the federal government.”—Grover G. Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform “Cosgrove’s thesis is that the United States paid an extremely high price for its victory in the Cold War. The price was much more than the trillions spent on the national defense. The ultimate cost has been the destruction of this nation’s social contract with its citizens, especially its promise of a rising standard of living in a secure domestic environment. . . . Cosgrove takes us through the major events of post-World War II economic history, shows their contribution to the demise of the Soviet system, and their unintended negative consequences to American society. His suggestions for solving America’s social and economic problems are drastic and are sure to generate heated debate but, as he sees it, the seriousness of the situation demands drastic solutions. This book is sure to generate a lot of soul-searching among policy-makers trying to restore the ‘American dream’ as we approach the 21st century.”—Joseph A. Giacalone, Henry George Chair in Economics, St. Johns University

From the Publisher

Cosgrove (management, U. of Dallas) describes how the US used economic policies to contain the Soviet Union during the post-WWII era, and how those policies contributed to the declining power of the American economy. He examines how five factors (the Marshall Plan; free trade; federal income tax policy; the American defense umbrella; and plentiful and cheap oil from the Middle East) allowed US taxpayers to contain the Soviets, and recommends reforms such as restructuring Congress and using bounty hunters to fight crime. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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