The hidden history of American oligarchy Reclaiming our democracy from the ruling class
Book - 2021
"Thom Hartmann, the most popular progressive radio host in America and a New York Times bestselling author, looks at the real history of the corrupting influence of oligarchy in America-and how we can fight back"--
Saved in:
- Subjects
- Published
-
Oakland, CA :
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc
[2021]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Edition
- First edition
- Physical Description
- xiv, 187 pages ; 18 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 158-169) and index.
- ISBN
- 9781523091584
- Preface
- Introduction: America Slides into Oligarchy and Dances Close to Tyranny
- Part 1. The Crisis of Oligarchy
- Modern Oligarchy Erupts
- The Presidency: Trumps Playbook
- A Second American Civil War?
- Control the Media
- Controlling Congress (Both Federal and State)
- Seize the Courts
- Inevitable Tyranny
- How Oligrachs Seized the GOP
- The Oligarchs' Most Successful Con
- The Crisis
- Part 2. How Oligarchy Led to the Civil War
- An Awakened Generation Challenges British Oligarchy
- Just Idealists, or Is Democracy in Our Genes?
- Revolutionary Principles: Born Equal
- Best-Laid Plans for Liberty: Ending American Slavery
- New Technology, New Oligarchy
- Where Cotton Is King, Cotton Makes Kings
- The Oligarchs' War
- Part 3. How Oligarchs Hung On after the Civil War: Controlling Free Commoners
- Control and Safety: The Conservatism of Oligarchy
- Slavery Is Legal in the United States in 2021
- Through Debt, Oligarchs Can Still Own People
- Oligarchs Use Medical Debt as an Instrument of Control
- Oligarchs Control the Commoners through Illiteracy and Student Debt
- Controlling the Commoners: When All Else Fails, Bring in the Police
- The Oligarchs' Biggest Threat: An Educated Middle Class with Leisure
- Part 4. A Third Oligarchy Rises with the Reagan Revolution
- Oligarchs Use the 14th Amendment to Get Corporate Personhood
- The Supreme Court Sets Up American Oligarchy
- "Starve the Beast" and Gut the Republic
- Holding Power: Buying Friends on Both Sides of the Aisle
- Part 5. When Oligarchy Becomes Tyranny
- Lies: The First Step from Oligarchy to Tyranny
- Tyrants Modify the Very Language of a Culture
- "Deconstruct the State"
- Scapegoating to Dilute the Outrage
- Scapegoating Race, Religion, Gender
- Normalizing Outrageous Behavior
- Tyrants Always Corrupt Police
- A Tyrant's Tool: Obedience
- Take Militias and Violence Seriously
- Part 6. Breaking Oligarchy, Restoring Democracy
- Breaking Oligarchy: The Oligarchs' Media Empire
- Breaking Oligarchy: A Free Press
- Breaking Oligarchy: Economic Rights for Everybody
- Breaking Oligarchy: Tax the Crap Out of the Rich
- Breaking Oligarchy: Prosecute Trump and His Henchmen under the Hatch Act
- Breaking Oligarchy: Publicly Funded Elections
- Breaking Oligarchy: Support the Resistance
- Breaking Oligarchy: Restore Election Integrity
- Breaking Oligarchy: Build Progressive Institutions Instead of Just Providing Three-Year Grants
- Breaking Oligarchy: Help Republicans Reinvent the GOP
- Breaking Oligarchy: Rebuild a Progressive Democratic Party
- We Now Know...
- Notes
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- About the Author