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No, They Can't: Why Government Fails-But Individuals Succeed
by
John Stossel
The government is not a neutral arbiter of truth. It never has been. It never will be. Doubt everything. John Stossel does. A self-described skeptic, he has dismantled societys sacred cows with unerring common sense. Now he debunks the most sacred of them all: our intuition and belief that government can solve our problems. In No, They Cant, the New York Times bestselling...more
ebook, 336 pages
Published
April 10th 2012
by Threshold Editions
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Fantastic book that helped me get a firmer grasp on how libertarians see the world. And frankly, Stossel may just win me to their cause. I especially loved his discussions on education, gun control, and drug legalization. Concerning the latter, I'm not totally convinced that the libertarian view is the right one, but I'm much more conflicted about it now, which means I'm having to take a good hard look at what my own beliefs are. I appreciate that in any book.
Two things that kept a star off of m...more
Two things that kept a star off of m...more
Libertarianism thought delivered painlessly by nice guy Stossel
Published April 10, 2012 by Simon and Schuster Audio.
Read by the author, John Stossel
Duration: 9 hours, 14 minutes
The title of this audiobook, No, They Can't , is a play on the 2008 campaign slogan of then-candidate Obama, "Yes We Can!" Stossel, of course, is the TV consumer reporter turned anchor of ABC's 20/20 who now hosts a weekly show of Fox Business News and a series on one-hour specials on Fox News. He has won nineteen Emmy Aw...more
Published April 10, 2012 by Simon and Schuster Audio.
Read by the author, John Stossel
Duration: 9 hours, 14 minutes
The title of this audiobook, No, They Can't , is a play on the 2008 campaign slogan of then-candidate Obama, "Yes We Can!" Stossel, of course, is the TV consumer reporter turned anchor of ABC's 20/20 who now hosts a weekly show of Fox Business News and a series on one-hour specials on Fox News. He has won nineteen Emmy Aw...more
This is libertarian John Stossel’s retort to the big government political slogan “Yes We Can”. It is his latest book for individual freedom of choice and against overbearing government. Stossel was a consumer reporter on ABC network and its 20/20 investigative show for a couple of decades. Since becoming more conservative and sanely libertarian he has been on the Fox News network and has his own show on Fox Business Network.
Although a libertarian in the Ron Paul vein, supporting legalization of...more
Although a libertarian in the Ron Paul vein, supporting legalization of...more
I am getting old. That's a good thing because I have the advantage of having watched government for a long time. At one point I thought, incorrectly, that government could solve problems. And I thought I knew everything. Both observations were incorrect. Government throws money at problems. That rarely solves the problems but can sometimes ameliorate the suffering of some individuals involved. That's a good thing...sometimes. When there is too much money, it has a corrosive, corrupting effect. W...more
Apr 11, 2012
Jorge
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
philosophy-ethics,
politics-economics
No, They Can't: Why Government Fails - But Individuals Succeed by John Stossel
"No, They Can't" is the thought-provoking, no-nonsense book that makes the compelling case that government is not the best entity to solve our problems, individuals are. With great eloquence, mastery and in a conversational tone that makes his books a joy to read John Stossel attacks many preconceived notions about the proper scope of the government. Accomplished author and investigative journalist and one of the most...more
"No, They Can't" is the thought-provoking, no-nonsense book that makes the compelling case that government is not the best entity to solve our problems, individuals are. With great eloquence, mastery and in a conversational tone that makes his books a joy to read John Stossel attacks many preconceived notions about the proper scope of the government. Accomplished author and investigative journalist and one of the most...more
Five Stars! Five Stars! No they Can't (an obvious shot at Obama's Yes We Can) makes the strong argument why government fails (so make it smaller) and individuals achieve.
Stossel quit his job at ABC after he found that he couldn't do journalism like he wanted to do. Even though he disagree's much with Fox News (on gay marriage, military spending, legalization of drugs, etc) he took a position with them. He claims the Fox News is more open minded and educated that the other stations.
Stossel is of...more
Stossel quit his job at ABC after he found that he couldn't do journalism like he wanted to do. Even though he disagree's much with Fox News (on gay marriage, military spending, legalization of drugs, etc) he took a position with them. He claims the Fox News is more open minded and educated that the other stations.
Stossel is of...more
I enjoyed this book. John Stossel is a guru when it comes to economics. You can see the teachings of Milton Friedman and F.A. Hayek coming out in his writings. That was really fun.
He also addresses many other areas of government control. You can tell that when he strays from economics his knowledge isn't as strong, but he still did an excellent job of portraying the libertarian perspective.
I'm a conservative who leans libertarian, but I didn't necessarily agree with everything he wrote. However,...more
He also addresses many other areas of government control. You can tell that when he strays from economics his knowledge isn't as strong, but he still did an excellent job of portraying the libertarian perspective.
I'm a conservative who leans libertarian, but I didn't necessarily agree with everything he wrote. However,...more
"I can go to a foreign country, stick a piece of plastic in the wall, and cash will come out. I can give that same piece of plastic to a stranger who doesn't even speak my language--and he'll rent me a car for a week. When I get home, Visa or MasterCard will send me the accounting--correct to the penny. That's capitalism! I just take it for granted.
Government, by contrast, can't even count votes accurately."
John Stossel is the rare libertarian in the mainstream media. Using his position as a we...more
Government, by contrast, can't even count votes accurately."
John Stossel is the rare libertarian in the mainstream media. Using his position as a we...more
I always used to like his special reports on ABC's 20/20. He fights through the rhetoric and gets to the truth. I don't agree with some of the stuff he says in this book, but I do agree with some. We don't necessarily need to spend more on education. Just get government out of the way. We need to spend less on the military and quit nation building. Limit the focus of the military. I'm uncomfortable with his chapter on ending the war on drugs and just legalize all drugs. I suppose that is true. I...more
I've been politically indecisive for ages. I couldn't find a niche. Unfortunately, I still have no niche. I remain Independent. However, this book solidified and articulated a lot of my vague political opinions. I wouldn't call myself a Libertarian necessarily (Murder should NOT be legal and called abortion; people abort missions, ideas, etc. NOT human lives. Grow some balls and call it murder.)
But I certainly agree free markets make more sense. And deregulation. Especially privatizing public sc...more
But I certainly agree free markets make more sense. And deregulation. Especially privatizing public sc...more
A comment that John Stossel made in NO THEY CAN'T gives a compelling reason why people, especially liberals, should read his book.
'Emmy’s are silly awards that the liberal media give to people who confirm their anticapitalist attitudes. I won nineteem Emmy’s before I moved to Fox. I don’t win them anymore."
The Peterson foundation offered $1.2 milllion to six think tanks to write budget proposals and the winner was offered one of Stossel's Emmy's. In an all-too-common display of liberal chutzpah...more
'Emmy’s are silly awards that the liberal media give to people who confirm their anticapitalist attitudes. I won nineteem Emmy’s before I moved to Fox. I don’t win them anymore."
The Peterson foundation offered $1.2 milllion to six think tanks to write budget proposals and the winner was offered one of Stossel's Emmy's. In an all-too-common display of liberal chutzpah...more
Stuck at the train station with almost an hour before the next train and nothing to read, I found myself reluctantly paying too much for this hardcover. Having said that, I'm happy to report I was pleasantly surprised. Given the gimmicky title obviously aimed at appealing to tea party types and other Obamaphobes, my expectations were not very high, but John Stossel actually lays out some great arguments and provides real-world evidence for why individuals (and not government) are capable of solv...more
"No, They Can't!" challenges our assumptions of government, with surprising, reasonable, and persuasive arguments based on logic and evidence, instead of emotion. The books is easy to read, written in short segments, covering a wide range of topics. The big take-away is that government can't (and often shouldn't even try) but individuals can (and should). "People vastly overestimate the ability of central planners to improve upon the independent action of diverse individuals," he states. As a li...more
May 27, 2012
Ti-Leigh Telford
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2012-reads,
nonfiction
First, I have to say that I received this book through GoodReads First, which means I won it through GoodReads giveaways. I'm not one to register for a political book. I' m really more of a historical fiction girl. However, the title caught my eye because philosophically I am a small government citizen. So it required quite a bit of effort on my part to start and read the book. It was bizarre because as I read I started reading faster which means I'm loving it. Some of my deep seated conservatis...more
This book is an awesome exploration of the shortfalls of government. Stossel is my favorite journalist, and every time I read one of his books (or watch one of his TV specials, for that matter) it makes me feel ten times smarter. NO, THEY CAN'T is basically a cross between THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE TO CAPITALISM and something written by Ron Paul. But this book did one thing for me that Ron Paul was never able to do...cause me to start identifying myself as Libertarian! Stossel tackles a lo...more
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I rather enjoyed this book. I think it is enlightening to read books from authors affiliated with different political parties. Even if I do not agree with several issues Stossel brings up (drugs/war), he is definitely not afraid to tell it like it is. He is [obviously] no fan of Government and unions, or the trouble they bring, but he explains why he opposes them in a respectable manner. He, and his Libertarian beliefs make you think [outside] the box. He breaks through the [what is supposed to...more
An easy to read book espousing the Libertarian philosophy on less government. Plenty of anecdotal examples of waste, fraud, and abuse within government programs, education, healthcare, and a myriad of social issues. His premise is competition, the free market, and giving people the ability to make their own decisions is better than the growing nanny state that is designed to reward those in charge. He raises great questions about the role of government and our current direction towards financial...more
I'm not really sure why I continue to read books like this... They generally make me pretty depressed about the state of the American economy. That being said, I really enjoyed the book. Stossel offers some common-sense solutions to fixing America's fiscal problems, and does so in an entertaining way. I especially enjoyed the chapters on free speech, public education, and ending the drug war. If any of my friends ask for a primer on libertarian solutions to some of the bigger problems facing Ame...more
This should be required reading for all Americans, including Presidents and political candidates. I disagree with Stossel on several topics in the book, but completely agree that government is NOT the solution. If government is ineffective and inefficient, what makes us think more will be better? Part of the problem is that those who can shrink the size of the government are unwilling to shrink the size of their power, and they go hand-in-hand. We need politicians with political will or we will...more
REJOICE!
All ye Libertarian leaning and fiscal conservative leaning thinkers.
All ye Free Market democrats.
A splendid analysis and cogent presentation of our case!
"Classical Liberalism: what is now termed Libertarianism."
Stossel has been doing his homework on consumers, markets, and government for many years, interviewing the experts, the specialists, the movers-and-shakers, the entrepreneurs, politicians, the economists, the business owners, the legalists; and he brings us a highly informative an...more
All ye Libertarian leaning and fiscal conservative leaning thinkers.
All ye Free Market democrats.
A splendid analysis and cogent presentation of our case!
"Classical Liberalism: what is now termed Libertarianism."
Stossel has been doing his homework on consumers, markets, and government for many years, interviewing the experts, the specialists, the movers-and-shakers, the entrepreneurs, politicians, the economists, the business owners, the legalists; and he brings us a highly informative an...more
I never heard of John Stossel before I read this book-- mostly because I am not a fan of Fox news. I was drawn to the title, "No, They Can't: Why Government Fails- But Individuals Succeed" because the title suggests that this book would expand on the novel concept of how the people hold the power to change the current flow of society. Essentially this is what Stossel writes about.
It's hard to determine whether I would recommend this book to anyone or not. I agree with some of his opinions (ex. B...more
It's hard to determine whether I would recommend this book to anyone or not. I agree with some of his opinions (ex. B...more
Stossel does this "humble-bragging" thing quite a bit, and it can get kind of annoying, but honestly I don't mind it that much. I disagree with a lot of what he's saying, but I can totally see the appeal of libertarianism after reading both him and Friedman. It's definitely an interesting position, and a good alternative to neo-liberalism and modern religious-right conservatism. So let's just call this a draw, Stossel. I don't like you, and you don't like me, but let's agree to disagree. You see...more
Think I got this book it popped up as 'customers also purchased this' on amazon after buying a few books on economy
Being from the UK and having no idea who this guy is and finding it hard to relate or follow him, I gave up on reading it unfortunately
And he talks too much about himself?..
Perhaps a simple case for the wrong type of book for the wrong person.. So a naive review or unfair
But there's my 2 cents
To Our Continued Success!
Waseem Mirza
http://www.InternetRichesMentor.com
Being from the UK and having no idea who this guy is and finding it hard to relate or follow him, I gave up on reading it unfortunately
And he talks too much about himself?..
Perhaps a simple case for the wrong type of book for the wrong person.. So a naive review or unfair
But there's my 2 cents
To Our Continued Success!
Waseem Mirza
http://www.InternetRichesMentor.com
This is a very informative book on libertarian views. These are mostly my views, and John Stossel has a way of presenting up-to-date facts, examples and figures to sort out topics from drugs, education, unions, healthcare, education, military and others which help me clarify my thinking. He clearly shows how big government is not the answer and will drive this country further into banruptcy and less freedom--the opposite direction our founding fathers intended. Letting individuals free from rule...more
I've seen some folks complaining that Stossel isn't a "serious" author; he's just spouting Republican "Talking Points." Not so fast there, my friend. JS's book, while not the Rosetta Stone for understanding all that the government cannot do, is certainly a primer on thinking about the ways that citizens can take back their freedoms by initiative, resourcefulness, and just plain gumption. His "assumptions" and "what reality taught me" are a good way to start thinking about some of the problems we...more
Stossel lays out his many thoughts on why government intervention in just about everything is less efficient and causes many more problems than the private sector. He was able to verbalize a lot of my own thoughts on the state of the government. It is very Libertarian in content. If you are a staunch, party line toting Republican or Democrat you will love half the book and hate the other half of the book.
He brings about his arguments by saying intuition leads us to believe and then counters it w...more
He brings about his arguments by saying intuition leads us to believe and then counters it w...more
Sep 16, 2012
Mary
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
most-important-candidate
Fantastic read calling out some of the problems with conventional wisdom about the way things work, and essentially highlighting Stossel's journey into Libertarianism after starting out his career as a liberal news media guy. His style is concise and factual. You'll be able to fact check pretty much everything he says, and I love his tendency to point to his own former ways of thinking and what changed his mind.
I thought I had libertarian tendencies before reading this. Now I've been moved deeper into libertarianism. This should not frighten anyone. It's not a cult rather a true understanding of constitutionalism applied to everyday life and an understanding how we're chiseling away at it's foundation during the last century. And it's written in easy, short sentenced, manner in the way Stossel speaks. Brilliant!
Sharing the same beliefs in smaller government to allow the marketplace to decide its own future I can't say this is an unbiased opinion. But, With so many "You're either with us or against us" mentalities out there John takes the time to show what he beluieves and his willingness to have a dialog. For that alone it's a refreshing piece of work.
John makes a good summary of organizing what should be a basic education on the powers of freedom. To many educated in free markets this will all be very basic information but it makes for a good read if you want to get angry all over again and remember how much of our freedom has been stolen and how much we are suffering for it.
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