Uncle Sam's Plantation

"America has two economic systems: capitalism for the rich and socialism for the poor. This double-minded approach seems to keep the poor enslaved to poverty while the rich get richer. Let’s face it, despite its $400 billion price tag, welfare isn’t working. The solution, asserts Star Parker, is a faith-based, not state-sponsored, plan.

In Uncle Sam’s Plantation, she offers five simple yet profound steps that will allow the nation’s poor to go from entitlement and slavery to empowerment and freedom. Parker shares her own amazing journey up from the lower rungs of the economic system and addresses the importance of extending the free market system to this neglected group of people. Emphasizing personal initiative, faith, and responsibility, she walks readers toward releasing the hold poverty has over their lives."

First, I am not black. Second, I have received in the past medical insurance for my children, temporary financial aid while I was on maternity leave from my full time job because my child's father refused to assist financially, and I have received food stamps in the past from the government. I am a stay at home mom married to a man who works full time. We didn't have cable, a new car, cell phones, or eat steak. I am happy to say that we no longer receive any assistance what so ever. My point to this is that I requested this book to review because I have been there. I have been at the bottom and felt that there wasn't going to be a way out. I wanted to see what another persons perspective on it was.

I was greatly disappointed. Star Parker spends 8 chapters, 220 pages extolling how evil our government is and how all of the assistance programs are designed to enslave people. According to Parker these programs undermine families by providing assistance to unwed mothers thus providing an out for deadbeat dads. Our government is at fault that our children can't tell right from wrong because our schools teach subjective values rather than objective virtues. Hello! Isn't it a parents job to teach virtues to our children? She claims "Uncle Sam" believes "individuals determine morality and values are relative to every new situation in which that individual finds himself. ... the student being trained under this notion is persuaded to believe he is his own god-and how dare anyone tell him what to do!" I disagree and statements such as that make it sound as if she supports state religion, which I firmly disagree with.

Her solutions lie all in one chapter of 21 pages. While Ms. Parker was very outspoken and blunt in previous chapters, this one is more subdued. I felt like she was meekly making suggestions after sitting through all of the previous ranting rather than actually putting forth ideas she believed in.

All in all I was rather aggravated by Parker's finger pointing and name calling. If this is how she approaches people who are currently "on the system" in an attempt to help them up, I can't imagine her being very effective.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”