It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism
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4.3 • 29 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A progressive takedown of the uber-capitalist status quo that has enriched millionaires and billionaires at the expense of the working class, and a blueprint for what transformational change would actually look like
“A clarion call against the American oligarchs . . . powerful.”—The Guardian
It’s OK to be angry about capitalism. Reflecting on our turbulent times, Senator Bernie Sanders takes on the billionaire class and speaks blunt truths about our country’s failure to address the destructive nature of a system that is fueled by uncontrolled greed and rigidly committed to prioritizing corporate profits over the needs of ordinary Americans.
Sanders argues that unfettered capitalism is to blame for an unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality, is undermining our democracy, and is destroying our planet. How can we accept an economic order that allows three billionaires to control more wealth than the bottom half of our society? How can we accept a political system that allows the super rich to buy politicians and swing elections? How can we accept an energy system that rewards the fossil fuel corporations causing the climate crisis? Sanders believes that, in the face of these overwhelming challenges, the American people must ask tough questions about the systems that have failed us and demand fundamental economic and political change. This is where the path forward begins.
It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism presents a vision that extends beyond the promises of past campaigns to reveal what would be possible if the political revolution took place, if we would finally recognize that economic rights are human rights, and if we would work to create a society that provides a decent standard of living for all. This isn’t some utopian fantasy; this is democracy as we should know it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
U.S. senator Sanders (Where We Go from Here) delivers a feisty if familiar takedown of "the uber-capitalist system in which we live." Rehashing the talking points of his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns in blunt terms, Sanders castigates "oligarchs" who tip the scales of democracy in their favor through campaign contributions and media ownership; attributes Donald Trump's political rise to "the pain, desperation, and political alienation that millions of working-class Americans now experience"; and accuses the Democratic establishment of being beholden to Hollywood celebrities and Wall Street financiers. He also blames senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema ("both of them heavily financed by corporate interests") for killing the momentum behind President Biden's Build Back Better bill and proposes various strategies for "taxing the billionaire class down to size." Elsewhere, Sanders highlights deficiencies in the healthcare systems and outlines his Medicare for All proposal, recounts how Reagan-era deregulation led to the decline of America's working class, and calls for federal funding to desegregate public schools and a ban on for-profit charter schools. Throughout, Sanders's arguments are forceful, specific, and urgent, though he seems more interested in preaching to the choir than changing minds. Still, Sanders voters will appreciate his commitment to keeping up the fight.
Customer Reviews
Very Enlightening
Our country has come to the point where every aspect of our lives is controlled by a greedy oligarchy. Bernie Sanders explains the implications for this and the urgent need to transform politics from corporate interests and dark money to grassroots support that is aligned with the working class and has ingenuous plans for taking on the real issues that face our country and our planet, and transforming the media from corporate interests to journalism that is allowed to tackle these issues.