Have we become a nation of imbeciles incapable of making our own decisions in life? Are we so weak of character that we must depend upon others to protect us from ouselves? According to John Stossel (ABC's 20/20) politicians and lawyers would have you believe that to be fact. Obviously, we are too dense to realize that we shouldn't use an electric hair dryer while we are asleep. So, businesses must spend thousands of dollars, thanks to assinine legislation, to afix lables to their products warning us not to use hair dryers in bed and not to eat fishing lures. Yes, fishing lures carry just such a warning lable thanks to a California (where else?) class action suit.

Government regulation brought on by thousand of class action lawsuits cost this country billions of dollars in needless expenses that drive up consumer costs. For example: Non-lawyers who try to help people fill out legal forms such as wills and non-contested divorces can be arrested and jailed for their efforts. One bookkeeper who worked as a document assistant to indigents and poor people had his bookkeeping business ruined by the legal system. He became an indigent himself. What was his crime? He dared to charge only $90 to do the same thing that lawyers were charging $250 to do. Lawyers have succeeded, with the help of friendly judges and generous donations to political groups, in pushing through government legislation that virtually gaurantees them a monopoly in the business of legal aid.

John Stossel's latest book MYTHS, LIES AND DOWNRIGHT STUPIDITY (Hyperion, NY 2006) gives example after example of government incompetence, interference, and meddling in our lives. Once a liberal consumer reporter Mr. Stossel's years of reporting have convinced him that less government is better and that we have way too many lawyers with too much time on their hands. I suggest you buy this book and read it ...twice.

Submitted to Amazon.com 2/6/06 as a book review.