No, They Can't

Stossel argues that "he has dismantled society’s fat cows with unerring common sense. Now he debunks the most sacred of them all: our intuition and belief that government can solve our problems." The term "no, they can't" is a rebuttal to the chant used in Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign ("Yes we can").[3]

The book gives several examples of government intervention: trade barriers, food and medical regulation, the education system, labor unions, gun control, minimum wage laws, the war on drugs, and advocates of universal health care.[1] Stossel heavily criticizes economic egalitarianism, stating that an incentive for innovation is a higher income. Many of the statements in the book were later reiterated in episodes of Stossel.[4]

No, They Can't entered The New York Times Best Seller list at number 17 in the April 29, 2012, issue.[5] Robert VerBruggen of the National Review and The Washington Times said that the book was "a perfect gift for a libertarian to give a friend or family member who has liberal instincts, so long as those instincts are accompanied by an open mind."[6] A television special was created to accompany the book, first shown on April 15, 2012.[7] Stossel went on a twenty-day tour to promote the book; the eighth day of the tour was filmed as an episode of Stossel.[2]