Greenspan's Fraud: How Two Decades of His Policies Have Undermined the Global Economy
Author: Ravi Batra
For two decades Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has held reign over economic policy, outlasting three presidents. His long tenure has had a profound effect on global economics and on individuals. In this hard-hitting exposé, international bestselling author Ravi Batra takes sharp aim at Greenspan's policies since he came into power. Greenomics, Batra argues, has extracted trillions of dollars from the American middle class and sharply benefited the rich, while protecting big business. Batra proves that Greenomics has also been responsible for periods of irrational exuberance, and exposes the wild inconsistencies in his social security plans. Greenspan's Fraud explores Greenspan's influences and motivations and the discrepancies between his words and actions, while revealing how his policies have national and global impact.
Publishers Weekly
In 1987, Alan Greenspan was appointed chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Batra had a bestseller predicting a depression deeper than the Great Depression, lasting from 1990 to 1996. Batra's second book, two years later, predicting the crash of 1990 did less well, and his books predicting disaster in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 found fewer readers, lucid as they were. Batra did correctly predict a stock market downturn in 2000, but erred by blaming the Y2K computer bug and forecasting high inflation and deep, long lasting negative growth. Now Batra has switched from predicting the future to criticizing the past. Readers expecting sensational charges will be disappointed. "This is not fraud in the legal sense," the author reassures us. Instead, Greenspan has "seriously afflicted the finances of millions of families." Batra faults Greenspan's views on social security, minimum wage, taxes and the trade deficit. As always, his economic arguments are expressed elegantly. Missing is a direct link to Greenspan, who had only a peripheral advisory role in these issues (his job is setting interest rates, financial policy and bank regulation) and voices only highly modulated views when he does give opinions. The misplaced focus weakens the sound economic arguments, and the title is sensationalized at best. 100,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo. (May 9) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
The author of a number of sensationalist books, such as The Great Depression of 1990, Batra (economics, Southern Methodist Univ.) here attacks Alan Greenspan as both economic advisor to President Reagan (for the 1981 income tax cut and for the 1983 Social Security tax hike) and Federal Reserve chair since 1987. Though he spends too much time arguing that Greenspan has aided wealthy friends and politicians, Batra does make many important points. He shows that since 1981, taxes have increased proportionately for middle- and low-income U.S. workers while decreasing for the wealthiest and that wage growth for the average worker has been stagnant despite increases in worker productivity. Because lower-income workers have less disposable income, theorizes Batra, the country has experienced low economic growth and a high level of debt-debt that is now propping up the U.S. stock market and economy. Batra also gives a good explanation of the persistent U.S. trade deficit, which he says results from a combination of currency manipulation by foreign nations and the collapse of domestic manufacturing. Batra's criticisms of Greenspan may be exaggerated, but his economic insights recommend this book to most public and academic libraries.-Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ., Erie, PA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Book about: Modern Systems Analysis and Design or Text Mining Handbook
Al Qaeda in Its Own Words
Author: Gilles Kepel
Despite the frequent appearances of Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri on television screens worldwide, Al Qaeda remains an elusive entity. As the world has grown increasingly familiar with the spectacle of Islamist terrorism, Al Qaeda’s essential worldview has remained bewilderingly opaque. To reveal its inner workings, Gilles Kepel and his collaborators, all scholars of Arabic and Islam, have collected and brilliantly annotated key texts of the major figures from whom the movement has drawn its beliefs and direction. The resulting volume offers an unprecedented glimpse into the assumptions of the salafist jihadists who have reshaped political life at the beginning of the third millennium.
Excerpts from the work of Azzabdallah Azzam, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama Bin Laden, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi—drawn from speeches, internet postings, and published writings—tell the story of Al Qaeda’s evolution, from its origins in the Afghan war through the war in Iraq. These texts reveal the rational, discursive mode used to persuade and to justify violent armed struggle in a universe defined by militant Islam. Substantial interpretive introductions to each leader’s work and extensive critical commentary provide unparalleled access to the intellectual and doctrinal context of Al Qaeda in which these radical ideas have taken shape.
By viewing Al Qaeda from within, this indispensable volume reveals the terrorist network’s insidious role in the global web culture of today and the full dimensions of its frightening threat to world stability and security.
Publishers Weekly
With this book, Kepel and Milelli, professors at the Institute for Political Studies in Paris, have produced a seminal study of al-Qaeda, introducing the key texts and figures inspiring this still shadowy movement. Al-Qaeda's roots can be traced to Palestinian scholar/activist Abdallah Azzam, "the Imam of Jihad," whose writings imbued messianic and militant elements into the struggle in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were profoundly influenced by Azzam's work and eventually established "martyrdom operations" as the vehicle to secure religious legitimacy for their political aims. Al-Qaeda's writings, mostly disseminated electronically, emphasize Islam's unending struggle to establish its domination over its eternal enemies: the unbelievers, the infidels, the apostates. Kepel and Milelli compellingly present the online texts that serve as al-Qaeda's "doctrine," dissecting the discourse and identifying the images and rhetoric al-Qaeda depends upon. This view of al-Qaeda from within presents sobering evidence of the threat al-Qaeda poses and is an indispensable read. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.What People Are Saying
Anne Sa'adah
Most Americans may think they already know everything they need to know about Al Qaeda's founding figures, short of the survivors' physical location. Sooner or later, from natural or unnatural causes, Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri will die. Their positions, arguments, and references, however, will not. This book--and especially the information supplied in the notes--offers its readers a guided tour of Al Qaeda's intellectual and discursive world. It is a tour we all need to take, and the sooner the better. --(Anne Sa'adah, Dartmouth College)
Table of Contents:
Contributors xiNote on the Translation xiii
General Introduction: Al Qaeda, the Essentials Gilles Kepel 1
Osama Bin Laden
Introduction: Osama Bin Laden, the Iconic Orator Omar Saghi 11
The Companions' Den (Excerpts) 41
Declaration of Jihad against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Sanctuaries (Excerpts) 47
Interview with CNN (Excerpts) 51
World Islamic Front Statement Urging Jihad against Jews and Crusaders 53
Interview with Al-Jazeera (Excerpts) 57
Tactical Recommendations (Excerpts) 60
Second Letter to the Muslims of Iraq 66
Message to the American People 71
Abdallah Azzam
Introduction: Abdallah Azzam, the Imam of Jihad Thomas Hegghammer 81
The Defense of Muslim Territories Constitutes the First Individual Duty (Excerpts) 102
Join the Caravan (Excerpts) 110
Morals and Jurisprudence of Jihad (Excerpts) 126
To the Young Muslims of the United States (Excerpts) 136
The Solid Base (Excerpts) 140
Ayman Al-Zawahiri
Introduction: Ayman al-Zawahiri, Veteran of Jihad Stephane Lacroix 147
Bitter Harvest: SixtyYears of the Muslim Brotherhood (Excerpts) 171
Advice to the Community to Reject the Fatwa of Sheikh Bin Baz Authorizing Parliamentary Representation (Excerpts) 182
Knights under the Prophet's Banner (Excerpts) 193
Loyalty and Separation: Changing an Article of Faith and Losing Sight of Reality (Excerpts) 206
Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi
Introduction: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Jihad in "Mesopotamia" Jean-Pierre Milelli 237
Letter to Bin Laden and Zawahiri (Excerpts) 251
Annotation
Notes to Part I: Osama Bin Laden Omar Saghi 271
Notes to Part II: Abdallah Azzam Thomas Hegghammer 294
Notes to Part III: Ayman al-Zawahiri Stephane Lacroix 316
Notes to Part IV: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Jean-Pierre Milelli 341
Index 349
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