Dark Money
How a Secretive Group of Billionaires Is Trying to Buy Political Control in the US
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4.0 • 5 Ratings
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
Why is America living in an age of profound economic inequality? Why, despite the desperate need to address climate change, have even modest environmental efforts been defeated again and again? Why have protections for employees been decimated? Why do hedge-fund billionaires pay a far lower tax rate than middle-class workers?
The conventional answer is that a popular uprising against ‘big government’ led to the rise of a broad-based conservative movement. But as Jane Mayer shows in this powerful, meticulously reported history, a network of exceedingly wealthy people with extreme libertarian views also played a key role by bankrolling a systematic, step-by-step plan to fundamentally alter the American political system.
Jane Mayer spent five years conducting hundreds of interviews-including with several sources within the network-and scoured public records, private papers, and court proceedings in reporting this book. In a taut and utterly convincing narrative, she traces the byzantine trail of the billions of dollars spent by the network and provides vivid portraits of the colourful figures behind the new American oligarchy.
Dark Money is a book that must be read by anyone who cares about the future of American democracy.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Journalist Jane Mayer’s book is a remarkable feat: a scintillating family drama and dystopian political saga that happens to be completely true. Dark Money is the jaw-dropping story of the Koch family’s seven decades of American political influence and the network of moneyed, right-wing ideologues who use their fortunes and corporate profits to buy the government that suits their needs. Meticulously researched and superbly written, this book is essential reading for anyone who lives in—or hopes to fully understand—today’s United States.
Customer Reviews
Money spinner
3.5 stars
Author
American. 'New Yorker' journalist who has been digging for years into the issue extremely wealthy donors to libertarian political causes in the USA.
Summary
Most prominent among the above mentioned wealthy donors are/were the Koch (pronounced "coke") brothers - Charles and David - who ranked number five and six on a list the ten richest people in the world in 2016. Charles is still top 10; David died in 2019 aged 79 and was in no way related to our much loved (or not) “Kochie" on Sunrise. Their brothers' personal income at the time Ms Mayer wrote this book was greater than the GDP of more than half the countries on the planet. The Kochs are secretive buggers too. Litigious in the extreme, they are/were capable of putting enormous pressure on people to ensure their agenda proceeds. As major funders of the disruptive "Tea Party" movement, their sway with State legislatures and Governors in the US is significantly greater than it is federally. They also drive teaching and research at a number of universities. In fact, when it comes to the Land of the allegedly Free, there's no end to them, as Ms Mayer ably shows us, much to the chagrin of her subjects.
Bottom line
It's fair to say the author's own biases are on prominent display. The referencing could be better too, but even if only half of what she describes is true, it's still extremely frightening. An eye-opener, although unlikely to interest those with limited interest in the machinations of US government, @realDonaldTrump for instance.