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A Review By John McCone

It has become customary, in some circles, to dismiss vast swathes of Middle America as “The Flyover States.” A region not worth paying much attention to; a region best ignored; a region one should drive through, or fly over, as rapidly as possible. In his book, The War On Normal People, Andrew Yang, who has travelled all over the U.S., forces readers to take a long, hard look at the communities in these “flyover states” and makes the strong case that the economic decline in some of these regions is due to them being the first victims of automation’s Long March through agriculture, manufacturing, (in the not too distant future) much of the service sector, and sooner or later: Everything.

His message is simple: Much of Middle America is now worse off than the Coastal States because the regional economies there depended heavily on agriculture and manufacturing. When these sectors were automated, the result was rampant unemployment and economic decline in many towns. The economies of the coastal states, on the other hand, have done better as they are based on the service sectors, finance and technology. Sectors that have not been automated – yet. He concludes that without profoundly restructuring our wealth distribution system, once services get heavily automated, the coastal states will increasingly resemble the ghost towns in certain parts of Middle America. As automation progresses, and rampant unemployment follows, every state will become a flyover state.

Furthermore, trucking, a major employer in many Central States, will be the next sector on the chopping block of automation. This will in turn hasten the economic decline of, and devastate, many regions.

In addition to characterizing the economic decline of sectors and regions which automation has devastated, The War On Normal People also outlines its social costs: failing (or less) marriages, widespread dependence on disability benefits, drugs and video games, a dramatic reduction in start up businesses, and a soulless hypercompetitive college system which creates a class of achievers who are stressed out, worked to the bone, and terrified of failure. Furthermore, he presents a terrifyingly convincing case that social conditions across the U.S. are in danger of fragmenting to the point where Civil War may become a serious possibility.

Finally, solutions are proposed to reform the economy and enable humanity to survive – and thrive – in an automated future. The most important one being basic income, as well as reforms to healthcare and education, in addition to programs which promote greater social engagement within and between communities across the country.

This book by Andrew Yang combines intense passion, concern and determination, with an impressive clarity of thought that combines first hand experiences with statistics and data to yield a comprehensive, well-backed up picture of where America is heading if jobs continue to get automated and nothing is done to address it.

The War On Normal People is a must read eye-opener on the potentially devastating social consequences of automation in America and the rest of the world. If you support Andrew Yang, buy the book. If you don’t support Andrew Yang, buy the book. If you support Andrew Yang and have read the book, buy the book and give it to your friends who either don’t support him, or haven’t heard of him.

A small window of opportunity has opened up to significantly reform politics before it’s too late.

The future of humanity is at stake.

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