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Loading... Pity the Billionaire: The Hard-Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right (2012)by Thomas Frank
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This is a quick read, if nothing else. Basically, Frank is critical and somewhat surprised as to the attitude of many after the economic collapse at the end of President Bush's term. He's particularly critical of big banks and Wall Street, and amazed that they come away from the finincial crisis basically unscathed. He's got no love for the Tea Party, but also was critical of the Democrats response to the crisis. There were a few amusing parts, but all-in-all, it's still a depressing story to re-live. Harmless but redudant book. Many books have been written which deal with more substantive issues than how morons become fascinated with the ravings of the political right. There is no cure for stupidity - it's a life sentence, unforntunately. The dirt stupid are out there in significant numbers - they are not going away. Whenever a Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich or Glenn Beck has something absurd to say there will always be plenty of empty heads to suck up every word. Thomas Frank explores the ways in which the crash of 2008 and ensuing great recession failed to lead to a populist revolt against capitalists nor for greater government intervention into the economy, as it has in past recessions. In fact, we got the Tea Party instead where the government was blamed for over-regulating business and banking instead. Frank examines the common explanations for the rise of the Tea Party, dismisses them, and proposes the long growing movement that paints capitalists as victims of government overreach drawing from the works of neoliberal economists and Ayn Rand. It's all very interesting, and well-composed, although nothing I've not read before. My favorite part of the book turned out to be the last chapter where Thomas Frank condemns the Democratic Party for failing to have any populist ideology to counter the right, nor drawing on what made them successful in past recessions, while at the same time maintaining cozy relations with Big Business. The Democrats failure to act on the historic principles of their party makes it somewhat plausible that they can be blamed for being affiliated with the banks that bankrupted the country while at the same time too strictly regulating those banks.
US-Analyse "Arme Milliardäre": Wie Barack Obama die Rechte stark macht - "Michael Moore für denkende Menschen": Mit polemischer Schärfe versucht der Historiker Thomas Frank in seinem neuen Buch "Arme Milliardäre" zu erklären, warum ein Gutteil des US-Wahlvolks gegen ureigene Interessen stimmt, analysiert dabei Obamas Fehler - und nimmt Romneys Vize ins Visier. Distinctions
A look at why the worst economy since the 1930s has brought about the revival of conservatism. No library descriptions found. |
LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumThomas Frank's book Pity The Billionaire was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)973.932History & geography History of North America United States 1901- 2001- Barack ObamaLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The facts tend to support his analysis.