Boomsday by Christopher Buckley

Boomsday is a Washington DC political tale that is based on a plan to incentivize the elderly to "remove themselves from society" voluntarily so as to save on the costs of caring for them. The concept is floated as a political joke, a farce to show that more must be done to help the elderly or a plan like this is inevitable. But it seized upon by those who denounce it not realizing it is a farce, and but those who embrace it as a bold new way of dealing with the problems of budgets and increasing Social Security costs. It's a funny set up, and sadly, the reactions are all too likely from those who can't see sarcasm and from those who would embrace anything to save money.

The inventor of the idea continues to push the concept as though it is true and it becomes the dominant political issue of the day. The books reveals (maybe) how the sausage is made in legislation and the halls of power. It's a fun read and a send-up of everything from the religious right to the insatiable news media and punditocracy to the President and Congress and more, all of which can use a good skewering at times. Perhaps too many caricatures but who's going to complain in a book like this.

I got this for about $1 at HPB and will probably just give it away. It was a fun vacation book--light, quick read, funny but still a little thoughtful. I read it while we were in California in June 2013.