Book Review - The Fifth Risk

 Michael Lewis is a very respected author who truly does his research.  He wrote Moneyball about the mathematics of baseball  -now a recognized science and a Brad Pitt movie. In the Fifth Risk he explores a very scary proposition – What are the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works?

Seriously – we are screwed.  Folks think they don’t want government.  But do you realize how much is really done and with our taxpayer money? And by not filling key jobs, not just at cabinet level – there is a lot being lost.  NOAA – this agency follows weather and patterns. It affects if you are warned about hurricanes, tornadoes, and it saves lives.  USDA. Dept of Commerce. FDA.  Nutrition for our school kids. Health and safety. Feeding old and young. Food stamps – it’s not waste. It saves lives.

We are not talking bleeding heart waste. There are legit scientists, legit data computer gatherers, folks who truly can give data that saves lives. They study soil in the Midwest and monitor rainfall. They save millions of dollars for farmers who can plant at the right time, use fertilizer at the optimal time, and are operating at truly key planting times.

If you do not fill government posts, there is a whole lot that affects regular lives, that will cause a lot of future damage. If you fill posts with people who have no knowledge and experience – you are committing suicide. If you fill posts with folks who gave campaign money, who have business that make money off other folks suffering, you are a fool.

You get what you voted for and there is a lot of ignorance that has been supported.  Read Michael Lewis’s book The Fifth Risk and draw your own conclusions.  Wow.