By drilling down into the day-to-day realities in a handful of little-recognized federal agencies, Lewis convincingly demonstrates how government protects us from some of "the most alarming risks facing humanity."
I think back to the recent shutdown where one of the complaints was that microbrewers would not be able to put out new varieties of beer because the government officials who had to approve new beer labels was out. Imagine the dangers of a world where brewers could ship bottles with unapproved labels. Maybe Stephen King could write a novel about such terror.
The American government continues to function in large part as a make-work project for lackluster but well-connected college grads and drab middle-management bureaucrats who can’t find a foothold in the private sector. The only reason it continues its wasteful and ineffective existence is fear of the massive spike in unemployment should it be downsized to sane levels.