352 p. Illustrations. Appendix. Notes. Index. "This is a glorious America for

352 p. Illustrations. Appendix. Notes. Index. "This is a glorious America for the alert and resourceful, " notes Daniel Friedenberg in this critical review of the American presidency during the last half of the 20th century. But he cautions, "This is an unhappy America for the disadvantaged, the weak in body or mind, and those born without close family ties." The disparity between rich and poor in our immensely wealthy nation and the corrupting influence of money on politics to the advantage of the few over the many form the heart of his critique. Friedenberg emphasizes that the New Deal concern for the underdog-the major social achievement of the first half of the 20th century-has been gradually abandoned by presidents in the latter half of the century, along with tax policies that shifted wealth from the well-to-do to the less privileged. Though paying lip service to democracy, in fact recent presidents have upheld a system designed to maximize the influence of a powerful elite, "a flexible plutocracy, " as Friedenberg describes it. This has good and bad aspects. On the one hand, the innovations launched by powerful business leaders, such as Henry Ford, Thomas J. Watson (IBM), and Bill Gates (Microsoft), have resulted in millions of new jobs and advanced the overall prosperity of the nation. On the other hand, the system does little to help the poor rise to a higher level, and it has kept the middle class stagnating for the last thirty years. The effect of presidential policies is a divide between the haves and have-nots that today is every bit as stark as it was before the Great Depression. Friedenberg pleads for a new focus on improved education for all to narrow the widening gap between rich and poor, instead of the current folly of building gated communities for the wealthy and ever-more prisons for the law-breaking underprivileged. The vast technological resources unleashed by the computer revolution can and should be used to create a more equitable American future. Foreword by Howard Zinn. From an obituary posted on-line: "Friedenberg, Daniel M. 88 Feb. 24, 1923 Aug. 28, 2011 Daniel passed away after a rich life of 88 years. He moved from Connecticut to Portland to be closer to his family. Daniel admired achievement, particularly in scholarship and writing, and published several poems, more than 100 articles and seven books, including "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Land, " about land development and "Sold to the Highest Bidder, " about presidential politics. Daniel was an expert in Judaica and served as part-time Curator of Coins and Medals at the Jewish Museum of New York. He believed in philanthropy and donated his collections to museums and colleges, including significant Judaica, Pre-Columbian art, first edition books and modern art. Daniel earned his living in real estate development and management in New York City, where he headed John Platt Enterprises." From Wikipedia: "Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922 January 27, 2010) was an American historian, author, playwright, and social activist. He was a political science professor at Boston University for 24 years and taught history at Spelman College for 7 years. Zinn wrote more than 20 books, including his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United States. He wrote extensively about the civil rights and anti-war movements, and labor history of the United States. His memoir, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, was also the title of a 2004 documentary about Zinn's life and work....Zinn was professor of history at Spelman College in Atlanta from 1956 to 1963, and visiting professor at both the University of Paris and University of Bologna. In 1964, Zinn accepted a position at Boston University, after writing two books and participating in the Civil Rights Movement in the South. His classes in civil liberties were among the most popular at the university with as many as 400 students subscribing each semester to the non...