Book Review - Stress Testing the USA
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington, DC
As a tumultuous year comes to its end, it is a good opportunity to discuss a book “Stress Testing the USA”- published by Palgrave MacMillan- by Dr John Rennie Short, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County USA. The subtext of this interesting and informative book is: “Public Policy and Reaction to Disaster Events,” which can be both natural and man-made.
The book begins with a frank statement that the “new millennium was not kind to the United States.” Professor Short then piles on by saying that the “first decade of the twenty-first century was a decade of disasters.” By describing the major events starting with the 9/11 incident, which caused the War on Terror to be unleashed, then discussing Hurricane Katrina followed by the 2008 Financial Crisis, the BP oil spill in 2010, he prepares the reader to study the fundamental fractures in the US society.
Using the “stress testing” concept, Professor Short reminds us that this is a commonly understood way of testing our hearts when the “doctor makes us ride the stationary bike and then monitors our heartbeat and blood pressure,” for example. The banking system as well as software are stress-tested to check for areas of concern.
Just as he talks in conversations across the table during lunch meetings, Professor Short uses language that is relatable. For instance, he states: “I am perhaps genetically programmed to focus on problems. I was born in Europe, Scotland to be precise, where the past hangs heavy.” Moving along, he informs the reader that the book “is meant not to anchor us in despair because of the depth of the structural problems… It is only by identifying the profound problems we can address and overcome them.”
The book is an easy read for someone who wants to dispassionately get a deeper understanding of the US society as it has evolved and become victim of disasters – both natural and man-made, either because of expediency or political opportunism or both. Professor Short gives a good synopsis of historical events such as the Cold War and the Korean War that predate the five events he discusses in a comprehensive though succinct manner.
In shaping the analysis, Professor Short wants the reader to recognize the United States as an empire and provides the historical view of it as it came to become one in modern times. He reminds us of the historical significance of George Kenan’s famous cable from Moscow in 1946 and how the Soviet threat might have been overblown. The costs of maintaining an empire, especially in the 21 st century, will dawn on the readers.
The refreshing aspect of the book is that it does not shy away from discussing how things went horribly bad such as in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, in the “Long War” in Afghanistan, Hurricane Katrina and most recently during the pandemic response. At the same time, Professor Short does not dwell on affixing blame to individuals, many of whom were not only bad actors but also perhaps incompetent. For those who wish to dig deeper into the topics discussed, Professor Short provides copious references and footnotes.
The concluding chapter of the book titled “The United State of Stress,” is an excellent summary of the challenges facing the country. For instance, Professor Short provides valuable statistics on the costs of maintaining the empire. He discusses Climate Change, circles back on Hurricane Katrina, and follows up with an explanation of “Infrastructure Deficit.” The “Enshrinement of Homeownership” is presented in easily understood language.
Professor Short makes a great contribution by highlighting the neoliberal shenanigans in the name of regulatory reform, which removed many societal guardrails. Through this reading, a good number of questions arise about the health of the United States, and it will come as no surprise that the country is unequal and divided, and the system is under stress.
