This is a great read . It was recommend after I went to a Bernie rally supporting unions and it was a hit with me.

I just finished Bernie Sanders's new book "It's OK to be Angry about Capitalism" and what a book. I think it should be required reading for every voter. Even if you don't agree with his solutions, I think you'll find he provides a good listing of the problems before us. And the first step in solving a problem is understanding it.

My quick summary of the book is that it's a brutal indictment of the Democratic Party and how they used to represent and advocate for the working class. And of course, the Republicans never were and still aren't for the working class, but they have benefited from this abandonment.

For decades after FDR and the New Deal, we did have a vibrant and powerful working class and a Democratic party that advocated for them. And as a result, we had a vibrant economy. But the rich have spent decades bribing both parties to dismantle the New Deal with the predictable descent into massive wealth inequality and an economy that doesn't work for most people. We now have royalty in this country who operate under different rules and they can purchase politicians to make laws that extract even more wealth from the Middle Class moving it to the already ultra-wealthy.

Thanks to rich donors and the inevitable legalized bribery, the Democratic party has abandoned their traditional base. And the base knows this and is justifiably angry, and either no longer shows up because they understand that neither party will do anything for them, or they vote for the Republicans because the Republicans have cleverly used the message of scapegoating with hatred, racism, and divisiveness to promote their agenda of transferring even more wealth from us to the already wealthy. They own almost all of the media and so are able to distract with inconsequential trivia and manufacture consent for this massive wealth transfer. The Romans had gladiators during their demise, and we distract from what's important by inconsequential pro sports and irrelevant reality shows and personality trivia. Too many voters are low informational content people who are susceptible to being convinced by simple sound-bite solutions for complex problems. Bernie and politicians like him (Khanna, Kuchinch, Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, to mention just a few) are the future of the Democratic party and the planet if they and we are to have a future.

You should read this book.

I seldom read books written by politicians or their armies of consultants and aides. They are too predictably self-serving and inevitably provide little that is new or insightful. This book was an exception, and I was richly rewarded for my purchase and time. It is concise, well-written, and without reservation. Bernie threw caution to the wind and said what is known, but seldom talked about, in the halls of contemporary power in America today.

Bernie addresses all the usual suspects, from health care to climate change. But he saves his greatest wrath for the capitalist forces that subordinate and exploit working Americans, most of whom are indentured wage-earners, and 60% of which struggle to get by from one paycheck to another. As he so correctly notes, it is capitalism itself, now hijacked by the owners of capital who control Wall Street, the banks, and corporate America, that is to blame for much of what ails America today.

“The uber-capitalist economic system that has taken hold in the United States in recent years, propelled by uncontrollable greed and contempt for human decency, is not merely unjust. It is grossly immoral.”

We are, as a result, witnesses to, and victims of, the greatest consolidation of wealth and income the country has ever seen:

“Yet, roughly 90 percent of the wealth of the nation is owned by one-tenth of 1 percent of that total [population].”

“Three firms – BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street – now control assets of over $20 trillion and are the major stockholders in more than 96 percent of S&P companies.”

“…three multibillionaires own more wealth than the 160 million Americans who make up the bottom half of our society.”

Workers “wages have been stagnant for fifty years” despite huge increases in productivity, the benefits of which has all been transferred upward.

There are many culprits, as Bernie notes, but none more significant than the formation of monopolies in all facets of the economy, particularly tech and finance. The eighteenth-century Scottish political economist, Adam Smith, who provided the blueprint for Western democratic capitalism, warned us that while free markets are more productive than regulated markets, they are prone to the formation of monopolies, which have to be regulated out of existence or they will destroy economic balance.

This inherent tendency, however, was hastened by the tech revolution, which famously removed the most significant barrier to monopolization; the capture, management, and dissemination of information. No longer restricted by geography or the practical constraints of managing growth, the tech revolution, having first established massive tech monopolies through structural disruption, not managerial talent, went on to monopolize traditional industries of every stripe – all while enriching Wall Street, the banks, and the capital class.

“Today, roughly 90 percent of all U.S. media is controlled by eight major media conglomerates…“

“In 2020, the CEOs of just eight prescription drug companies made $350 million in total compensation.”

The most visible manifestation of this demonic uber-capitalism is the total commercialization of American society and culture. Corporate executives were turned into capitalists by the activist shareholders of the 1980s and 90s. Entertainment and leisure was commercialized at about the same time.

In the 00s and 10s our political system was commercialized by the super-PACs and SCOTUS, which gave us Citizens United and Buckley v. Valeo, essentially turning our politicians into puppets of the capitalist class.

Most recently, even amateur sports have been uber-commercialized, as witnessed by the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball championship. NIL’s and the trade portal, along with corporate glorification of celebrity college athletes in the interest of selling unrelated products have made college sports a battle of mercenaries, essentially vaporizing the notion of team play and team spirit.

All told, this is a great book that shines a light on the blight of uber-capitalism and its negative impact on our politics, our society, and the quality of the lives we lead. In this election year it is the one book you should read. Thank you, Bernie.

A “cry of the heart” from a principled politician is refreshing. I have no objection to some people being more prosperous than others, and neither does Mr. Sanders. But the wealth disparity in the U.S. is genuinely obscene and more so in that the wealthiest among us do not contribute proportionally to maintain everything needed to keep their capital flows going. Every branch of the U.S. government is now captured by monied interests, the legislature most of all, and this is true at both national and State levels. Sanders repeatedly touches on this issue and rightly so. It is the core of our problem.

In some detail, Sanders covers health care, education, child care, the media (all types), and our political process. His overarching issue is the class conflict between labor and capital, between the owners of concentrated capital and the population who labor to produce the goods and services that generate the wealth. He is right. Sanders is no Marxist. He is not opposed to class distinctions. He wants to make the distinctions more balanced and he is right to do so because the present disparity is causing tens of millions to suffer in one way or another.

Sanders paints with a broad brush—necessary to keep the book of moderate length and easily read. He succeeds on both counts, but there is a price to be paid. Many of his arguments are oversimplified. The petroleum industry—even despite its decades of obfuscation on the subject—is not solely responsible for climate change. A great deal of that accountability belongs to consumers, most of whom are of the laboring class.

Sanders writes a lot about the disarray of the present Democratic party and how it has come about. He is right about much of it. Citizens United in 2009 did not help, forcing Democrats into the same fund-raising frenzy from the rich as the Republicans. But one thing he doesn’t mention is the present cultural obsession with identity politics, a phenomenon whose emergence has been solely an effort of the political left beginning in the 1970s. As much as anything else, besides money, this has distracted the Democratic Party from the wider issue of class. No matter to what race you belong or the LGBTQ+ letter you choose for yourself, you are still, most likely, among the laboring class. That most fundamental, political divide is now diffused by the demands of alternate identities.

I am being perhaps unfair to Sanders. His goal is not an exhaustive analysis of factors responsible for America’s social, cultural, and political unraveling. He wants us to aspire to a better American society for all, even capitalists who will face less resentment should Sanders’ vision for balancing the scales ever come about. It might never be possible, but it is a good and hopeful vision.

Great book very informative. I gave it to my dad for Christmas. He loved it.

Bernie Sanders' "It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism" really gets to the heart of the frustrations so many of us feel. He does a great job pointing out the flaws in our system, from income inequality to the way big corporations seem to have more say in our lives than we do. Sanders lays out a bunch of solid policy suggestions, and honestly, I agree with most of them. The problem, which he acknowledges, is that even though these ideas have wide support among regular people, getting Congress to act on them is a whole other story.

It’s frustrating because Sanders shows that many of these changes, like universal healthcare or raising the minimum wage, are totally possible. The real barrier is the political gridlock and special interests that keep things stuck. This book is a good wake-up call for anyone who feels like the system is broken but isn’t sure why or how to fix it. Sanders doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and while it's inspiring, it also leaves you wondering how long it'll take for real change to happen.

Bernie Sanders usual schpeel, but with higher quality verifiable data.

First I listened to Bernie narrate his book and then I bought a copy for myself and one as a gift.

Bernie is an empath in a class of his own who really should be listened to. Obama expanded healthcare by implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (known as Obamacare) but he didn't have it completed for ALL before he left office. Non-elderly uninsured adults were 46.5 million in 2010 and dropped to 27.5 MILLION in 2021 due to the hard work of the Obama administration. As Bernie has reiterated, there is NO REASON the RICHEST BEST COUNTRY (so they say) in the world isn't providing healthcare to ALL.

Even if one loses their job, regardless of prior income, healthcare should NEVER be lost. This is one of many topics Bernie navigates through explaining all the LAYERS of USA health insurances, many which are part of a SOCIAL SYSTEM (Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, Tricare, FEHB, State employee benefits, company sponsored). If you're in one of these social health insurance systems you should be appalled that there is anyone on USA soil without health insurance and the layers of coverage options. Regardless of your personal feelings and fears about socialism you are paying for anyone who lands in the hospital without insurance anyway. This is why your premiums, copays, deductibles and out-of-pocket cost continue to rise.

Under Bernie's plan EVERYONE would have healthcare. Many European and other countries have done it successfully so what's the USA's EXCUSE?

Healthcare, my passion since I am a nurse, is only one of many topics Bernie discusses. Please read his book and listen to him with an open mind as we are navigating through extremely trying times economically and to preserve our democracy.

Whether you like Bernie or not he has fought tenaciously for you with his voice and work in the Senate. Kudos to Bernie for all his attempts and hard work!

I like Capitalism, I also like Bernie. Sometimes you just have to open yourself up to new ideas, I like Bernie doesn't come off as preachy to me, rather he seems like someone genuinely trying to educate people in good faith. Also, I couldn't stop hearing his accent while reading every single word.

O que mais tenho gostado, e de ler enquanto escuto no audible a narracao feita pelo proprio Sanders (uma experiencia hilaria). Bernie tem o dom da palavra. Dessa vez tive sorte o livro demorou mas chegou sem avarias.

Great book , gives you an insight about how the rich and powerful in America operate and the lengths they take to keep control of their precious wealth

Bernie sums up why living in 2024 is rotten, but there is hope. Bernie is almost 80 & he's still battling like a 30yo.

En los primeros capítulos Bernie Sanders nos cuenta sin éxitos electorales y políticos, lo que no era lo que yo buscaba al comprar este libro. Pero también hace una descripción llena de datos contundentes sobre la situación política real en EEUU, y de los problemas que causan las tremendas disparidades económicas. Todo el libro es interesante, pero nadie debe quedarse sin leer los capítulos 4, 5 y 9, para tener una visión de lo que es EEUU hoy.