Barbarians

MGMT 3100

Barbarians Inside The Gates: Insight On The Degeneration Of Our Country

Barbarians Inside The Gates is the title of author Thomas Sowell’s collection of previously-written essays. Sowell’s compilation of written work is appropriately named because all his compositions seem to suggest a deterioration of today’s business-government relationship. The barbarians are the “corruption and decay” that he talks about in society—these social issues ranging anywhere from rap music to social security—and the gates is the United States of America.

With this being said, Sowell gives explicit and factual illustrations of how the U.S. is progressing backwards in society, rather than moving forwards. For example, he explains how crime rates are higher than ever, along with the dooming deficit our country is trying to recover from. The tone throughout his essays is pessimistic, yet insightful. Sowell challenges the reader to think outside the box. He puts upcoming concerns and reoccurring problems in perspective for the general audience to see both or all sides of the issues. In some cases, Sowell plays Devil’s Advocate and tackles matters that the average individual would have never thought of before.

Among the essay topics, there were three that stood out the most in correlation to the business-government relationship in this generation. The following issues are: social security, downsizing the deficit, and affirmative action. These three concerns are relevant in the business and government sector, and sheds light on Sowell’s overall philosophy. To understand Sowell’s motives, an analysis of the three issues must be conducted beginning with social security.

Many would argue that social security is America’s necessary evil. In the process of recovering from the Great Depression, citizens greatly relied on the working generation after them. This provided a great amount of security because there will also be a next generation. But now Americans...