"That Used to be Us" is a sobering look at changes in the U.S. in recent history - the loss of the pre-existing blue-collar work, polarization of politics, inability of the politicians and public to deal with real issues (climate change, deficits, public debt, infrastructure, eduction) all pointing to a loss of status of the U.S. in the world, with the trend downward.
I did find the text easy to read, but difficult to read long-term, as the topic was relatively depressing.
I must say that I felt the authors tried their best to be apolitical, and tried to assign the current political problems evenly between democrats and republicans. However, with the recent changes in the political environment in the states being the rise of Fox News, and the conservative radio network, it is perhaps disingenuous to try to keep things "even". It is the coordinated network, and the controlled, consistent messaging that allow for a relatively radical positioning to take hold, which does drive the "other" party to become permanent defenders of the status quo. I personally don't believe the pre-Fox arena was "liberal media", and I don't think there has ever been as coordinated an effort from the "left" to drive an agenda the way the Fox/Limbaughs/Becks/O'Reilly have done in the past 20 years or so.
All in all, I think the book is a necessary read, particularly for anyone who wants to make a difference, or anyone who has a need to understand the changes that have occurred in the world economy in order to understand that which needs to change, and that which is lost forever.
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