The Return of Thrift.

• Author: Penny, Timothy J.

Addiction is the underlying theme in Phillip Longman's book The Return of Thrift. Longman begins with the now-classic story of alcoholics who qualified for Social Security disability and received their government checks in care of the local liquor store. However, the author avoids the familiar assault on government waste, fraud, and abuse. Rather, his central message is that popular "middle-class entitlements" are the true cause of our nation's fiscal crisis. He presents sobering evidence to document America's addiction to government subsidies. According to Longman, federal entitlement programs have created a culture of dependency that afflicts senior citizens, farmers, veterans, homeowners, and business executives alike. He acknowledges that breaking the addiction "won't be easier for most Americans than withdrawal from a powerful narcotic."

Throughout the book, Longman questions conventional wisdom that entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare are "earned rights." He exposes the "trust fund" myth by documenting that "the core of every social insurance plan is an unfunded liability." His analysis is compelling and his arguments persuasive. He makes it clear that our national entitlement binge can only be financed by mortgaging the future.

During my years in public office, I did my best to adhere to the following principle: You can trust the voters with the truth. Yet, too often voters do not hear the truth from their political leaders. As Democrats and Republicans jockey for political advantage, misinformation abounds about the deficit and its underlying causes. Longman's book offers voters...