“Gated communities. Home theaters. Private schools. Private jets. Privately run public parks. Private world-saving behind the backs of those to be saved.” (p. 199)
“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are. They are different. ” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald
Anand Giridharadas presents a different picture of the Rich in Winners Take All. The Rich spend massive amounts of money trying to convince the world that they are benefactors of the Planet. Their charities project Hope, but many of them are just tax write-offs.
In reality, Anand Giridharadas shows how the Rich are moulding societies to their benefit. Politicians do their bidding in order to get million dollar campaign contributions. The Rich gave an expensive RV to a Supreme Court Justice. Did that affect future Supreme Court decisions?
Currently, Trump’s pal Larry Ellison, who purchased Paramount, now is going to buy Warner Brothers and get CNN in the deal. Will that affect broadcast journalism? Soon CNN will be a clone of FOX NEWS.
Billionaires rule but pretend Democracy still works. We all know it doesn’t. Money is the root of all Evil…and Evil is growing. Winners Take All is a disturbing book by providing examples of the rot creeping over our institutions and governments. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Prologue 3
Chapter 1 But How is the World Changed? 13
Chapter 2 Win-Win 35
Chapter 3 Rebel-Kings in Worrisome Berets 60
Chapter 4 The Critic and the Thought Leader 87
Chapter 5 Arsonists Make the Best Firefighters 129
Chapter 6 Generosity and Justice 154
Chapter 7 All That Works in the Modern World 201
Epilogue “Other People Are Not Your Children” 245
Acknowledgments 265
A Note On Sources 271
Index 277
I’m depressed enough already, thanks, but I know it’s all true.
Jeff, Grim Times ahead…
Depressing but absolutely true. I’m glad I’m old.
Deb, Trump’s War with Iran will bring tragic consequences for all of us. He’s fired 20 Generals/Admirals who knew what they were doing and replaced them with inexperienced dupes. Nothing Good can come from this…
By the way, it appears that Word Press has double posted for you today because you have two completely different posts up.
Deb. WORDPRESS is playing one of its snarky games again. I’ll try to straighten it out when I get back to Western NY this afternoon after we leave snowy Ohio.
FWIW, CNN, not quite broadcast journalism, is already not so great on average, and was the brainchild of Ted Turner…better than the Ellisons but not so much a hero. I hope not to lose HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU (US,) but am prepared to do so, as deemed similarly “”unprofitable” in the manner of Colbert’s LATE SHOW.
Democracy has never worked without corruption and the willingness of too many to vote or not vote for stupid reasons.
So…we are about as doomed as always. The ridiculously wealthy will almost always put themselves first, as they almost always have, and continue to fantasize that they earned their inheritanes, or ever could.
My laptop typing continues not to improve. Apologies.
Todd, I have an iPad, but no laptop. I don’t like the laptop keyboards so I stick with my large iMac with a Microsoft Ergonamic keyboard.
Todd, even the Rich will feel the pain of Trump’s War with Iran. I’m expecting increased terrorism ahead.
Frankly, if the massively rich decide to give me massive amounts of money to believe they are the benefactors of mankind, I will go along with them. I have no pride and can be easily bought.
Jerry, there have been times in U.S. history were votes were for sale. We may be returning to that practice.
So terrifying. We once outnumbered them but now I am not so sure.
Patti, the numbers are in flux.
Jackie knows him from his appearances on MSNBC.
The sky is falling and has been since Diogenes was a pup! It always seems worse in Our Time but somehow the human race perseveres! Guess I’m just a cockeyed optimist!
Bob, your optimism might run short when gas hits $5.00 a gallon…
It already has! Washinton has one of the highest gas taxes in the nation! I found some for $4.79 a gallon by the casino and filled up!
Bob, high gas prices for an extended period of time will send the U.S. Economy into Recession.