Review of The Myth of California: How Big Government Destroyed the Golden State
- Ruth Shirk
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Review of The Myth of California: How Big Government Destroyed the Golden State
In <i>The Myth of California: How Big Government Destroyed the Golden State</i>, author Chadwick Hagen says that California once epitomized the American Dream, but its unrealistic land prices, cultural shallowness, political dysfunction, poor infrastructure, business overregulation, and competitive economy have caussed the dream to fade as evidenced by its population decay and urban decay. Hagen points out that California is a state where a powerful few individuals wield power given to them by wealthy individuals, rather than a democracy than a democracy, where elected officials represent the people who put them into office.
The author points out that the Californian Dream may have only been a reality during World War II, but since that time, the dream has been an illusion based on San Francisco's venture capitalism and technology, Los Angeles' port and entertainment industry, and San Diego's industries. The author says the dream is further eroding because businesses can rely on remote workers, find better business-friendly conditions in other states, and shifts in the global supply chain. The author believes that venture capitalists are the state's biggest wealth generators, and he includes a transcript of his interview with Tim Drapper, who is a third-generation Californian venture capitalist. In that interview, Drapper says you must only look at the differences between North Korea and South Korea to understand what California's current state policies will mean long-term.
Then, the author turns his attention to California's harsh realities as he discusses the drug cartel, educational system, tax base, business regulations, financial oversight, and environmental stewardship.
While the author may have been trying to add some humor to his book, listing outdated laws seemed out of place in this serious book. They seem particularly out of place because they immediately precede a discussion on the Dream Act, prostitution acts, and children's gender-neutrality laws. I found the way that he organized this section to be insulting to victims of child trafficking and prostitution.
The author asks the reader to ponder what happens if the middle class leaves California entirely, and the illusion created by venture capitalists, big ag, and the shipping industry disappears. He also questions the effect that unions are having on the state's overall health.
In this book, that definitely has a Republican emphasis, I only found a handful of grammatical errors. The only sex in this book is related to laws and examples used to build the author's case. I only found one instance of profanity. I am taking one point away for the length of the second transcript as it did not seem to add much to the story and the poor organization of the laws section. Therefore, I rate this book a 4 out of 5. I think people who enjoy political discussions wil love reading this book.
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The Myth of California: How Big Government Destroyed the Golden State
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