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Sheldon L. Richman

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Tethered Citizens: Time to Repeal the Welfare State Kindle Edition

by Sheldon Richman (Author), Ron Paul (Foreword), Richard Ebeling (Introduction), Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 14 ratings

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“How tethered are you?” That’s what Sheldon Richman starts out asking in this indispensable book laying bare “the theory and practice of the welfare state.”
Chances are Richman’s answer will widen the eyes even of those who think they’re familiar with the welfare state’s milestones, such as the New Deal. The author digs deeper, unearthing not just milestones but also the very foundation stones of the welfare state. And he shows how deeply welfare-state thinking has penetrated American society.
What distinguishes Richman’s account of the welfare state is his own consistent adherence to a philosophy of reason and individual rights. He doesn’t compromise — and he sees clearly how others who would defend freedom have compromised, and fatally. The author doesn’t confine himself to attacking welfarism; he also demonstrates the virtue and power of individualism, property, and competition. Richman shows that economic competition is nothing more or less than peaceful cooperation in a climate of freedom.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Where libertarian manifestos are popular, this denunciation of the welfare state from a former Cato Institute senior editor, currently a senior fellow at the Future of Freedom Foundation, will have appeal. (Richman has previously attacked public education in Separating School and State, 1994, and the income tax in Your Money or Your Life , 1997.) His latest book argues that welfare states are, at bottom, simply "engines of paternalistic wealth transfers." Historically, he insists, welfare states were constructed to allow venal politicians to toss bribes to groups of voters. Richman traces the shift, in the U.S., from "rugged individualism" to the welfare state and explores the impact of the Civil War, the rise of the social sciences, and a range of movements and intellectuals. After a chapter on how the poor would benefit if the U.S. abolished its welfare state, Richman closes his argument with the fervent assertion that only the elimination of every element of the welfare state "will remove the tethers that prevent individuals from living completely human lives." Most appropriate for true believers. Mary Carroll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

This book is essential reading for understanding how the welfare state is incompatible with constitutional government and a free society. -- Congressman Ron Paul

Richman brilliantly explains how the government breaks its citizens' legs and then hands them crutches. This is a fine book. -- Lowell Ponte, national radio talk show host

This book is an eloquent debunking of the welfare state, from its Prussian origins to its Iron Fist contemporary reality. -- James Bovard, author, Feeling Your Pain: The Explosion and Abuse of Power in the Clinton-Gore Years

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BUVICN0
Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Future of Freedom Foundation (March 14, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 14, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 704 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 150 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,778,568 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #546 in Social Services & Welfare (Kindle Store)
- #3,847 in Social Services & Welfare (Books)
- #4,621 in Ideologies & Doctrines

Customer Reviews:
4.7 14 ratings

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Sheldon L. Richman

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Sheldon Richman is a father, grandfather, pipesmoker, and the author of books and articles relevant to the cause of liberty. He is the executive editor of The Libertarian Institute and a contributing editor to Antiwar dot com. His latest books are Coming to Palestine, What Social Animals Owe to One Another, and America's Counter-Revolution: The Constitution Revisited. He keeps the blogs Free Association and The Logical Atheist.

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4.7 out of 5

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Stefano Querze

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023

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I chose years ago to be out of any type of welfare state, and finding somebody thet thinks like me makes me feel less "out of the group"

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Joseph

Absolutely outstanding book

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2019

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The author clearly explains the dangers of accepting unneeded governmental services and how the people lose their freedoms and tether themselves to the government by accepting these services.

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K. Reaume

Tethered Citizens: Time to Repeal the Welfare State

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2009

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This book is a must read for anyone who is wondering if the push towards a more socialist society can really bring the benefits it's supporters tout. Even if we agree with supporters that there are citizens among us who need our aid, we must understand how various types of assistance can in fact produce more negative consequences.

One person found this helpful

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Aaron

Easy to read book that describes a major issue

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2008

The book can be broken up into several sections: the general history of America's welfare program, how Welfare came to be, where social programs originated, and how to abolish the system.

The US budget figures it uses during its conception is outdated and there are notable changes. The decrease in science spending, while increases in both military and social spending come to mind. These older figures do not impact the book's argument, the book relies on the history of welfare to form the argument.

The book argues that a person on welfare clothes itself in a false blanket of freedom. Since a person on welfare instinctively votes for the candidate that offers increased benefits, welfare recipients are relying on politicians to provide for their needs.

Richman uses the example of pensions for civil war veterans to back up this claim. Politicians initiated a pension plan to buy the votes of a key demographic at the time, veterans.

The book then goes to explain how private charities and institutions were used before the New Deal. A decent sum of the people relied on private companies, pension programs and accident insurance, they paid into and relied on during the depression years.

After a brief history, Richman talks about the European development of social programs. The Poor Laws of England, and Bismark's programs. He describes a strong relation between the US and the late 18th/early 19th European welfare systems.

As for the abolishment of the welfare system, Richman argues that private businesses and charities can make up for the government current spending on welfare.

What I liked about the book was the written notes at the end of each chapter. Here you can see little bits about how the Author feels about certain people and ideas. These notes do not further explain the arguments he makes throughout the book, I see them as mini commentaries about various issues, scholars, or quotes.

I give the book three stars because it is not a deeply elaborate book that dwells into all the alternatives for and against a welfare system, but rather a simple pick me up book that gives a broad understanding of the history of US welfare system and one view on how to combat the problem. There is nothing wrong with this, but it doesn't warrant the book a perfect rating.

7 people found this helpful

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David

GREAT BOOK!!

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2013

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I love reading this book. It explains in a novice for how the welfare state works and the problems with it. I would recomend this book to anyone wants to understand more about welfare as a whole.

One person found this helpful

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T

Fantastic read

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2013

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As a concerned citizen I now want to write a letter to the editor of my local paper. People are now voting for the politician that will offer them the most. This is sure destruction for America

One person found this helpful

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Jon Nelson

A timeless message

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2014

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Sheldon Richman is one of the most important thinkers in the last 50 years. Anyone interested in the harm the welfare state has done to this country should read this book.

One person found this helpful

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A. Locke

Open Your Eyes and See the Shackles

Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2004

Sheldon Richman's book, "Tethered Citizens" is truly an eye-opener. He illustrates persuasively and with much historical evidence why our welfare system fails and why it will always fail. He shows that in fact our welfare system, which many believe helps the poor and uneducated, in fact tethers and enslaves them to the state. He proves convincingly that welfarism does not work no matter where it has been implemented and in what fashion. He also shows how the idea and methods used to implement welfare are inherently wrong and inhumane.

I especially enjoyed Mr. Richman's detailed historical examples which help to brilliantly illustrate and prove the point he is making. Not only does it show the blunder that is the welfare state, it also proves that it is a blunder created not by one of the two major parties, but equally by both.

Richman manages to touch on almost every facet of the welfare state and show how it has failed and why it is wrong to believe the government can solve the problem. Just as Mr. Richman has left you feeling dejected, disillusioned and fearful of a future that continues in the fashion it has for decades, he ends his book with practical and intelligent solutions which could be implemented today if we had a government full of officials who feel truth, honesty and freedom are more important than political careers and power.

I found this book to be an incredible eye-opener even for me, someone who already embraced the ideas of self-sovereignty and freedom. After reading this book many of the issues which I had a limited understanding of became incredibly clear. I use this book now as a brilliant opener for friends and relatives who can not let go of their dependancy on government - whether it be mental and philosophical or monetary. It is a perfect starter to open the mind of someone who was been taught all their lives to depend on an "all-caring and all-knowing government" to solve all of this country's and the world's problems.

8 people found this helpful

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Austin del Rio

Well researched and referenced

Reviewed in Canada on April 14, 2017

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A brilliant analysis of the case for repealing the welfare state. It also contains careful references that further strengthen the arguments. I want to find the equivalent book for Canadians!

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