"Incompetence is so ubiquitous in the United States that it is shaping our economy, hampering our ability to compete, threatening our well being, impinging our quality of life and breaching the social contract," writes Art Carey in The United States of Incompetence. The following are all examples of this rampant disease which is eating away at the fabric of our society: the Exxon Valdez oil spill, shoddy products that don't work, the HUD scandal, surly service, inefficiency in hospitals, the Hubble telescope snafu, failing urban infrastructures, and much more.
What causes this widespread ineptitude on every level of life? Carey points to the decline in morals, the decline in education, the decline of the family, the decline of the work ethic, and the decline of quality. In place of grievance, victimization, and entitlement, Carey calls for self-discipline, social obligation, and taking responsibility for the generations to come.
Incompetence thrives because we accept and tolerate it, says the author. The only way to combat this national problem is by caring about what we do and then doing the best we can do. The United States of Incompetence is a timely book.