Profit Pathology and Other IndecenciesFrom market crisis to market boom, from welfare to wealth care, from homelessness to helplessness, and an all-out assault on the global environment-these are just some of the indecencies of contemporary economic life that Profit Pathology takes on. Here, Michael Parenti investigates how class power is a central force in our political life and, yet, is subjected to little critical discernment. He notes how big-moneyed interests shift the rules of the game in their favor while unveiling the long march by reactionaries through the nation's institutions to undo all the gains of social democracy, from the New Deal to the present. Parenti also traces the exploitative economic forces that have operated through much of American history, including the mass displacement and extermination of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans. Parenti is a master at demonstrating the impact of monomaniacal profit accumulation on social services-especially health care-and human values. Here he takes us one step further, showing how unrestrained capitalism ultimately endangers itself, becoming a "self-devouring beast" that threatens us all. Finally, he calls for a solution based on democratic diversity and public ownership-"because it works." |
Contents
Empire in Extremis? Some Urgent Notations | |
The Corporate Beast at Home | |
Cultural Aberrations and Other Oppressions | |
Global Rule and Ruin | |
The Next Trip | |
Index | |
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accumulation African Americans Anglo-Protestant banks capitalism capitalist system Catholic centuries charges child Church class power clergy communities corporate America costs countries country’s crimes culture Daily Kos debt decades democracy democratic drug economic empire ethnic families for-profit fracking free market global hospital imperialism income indigenous industry inequality investors J. P. Morgan John Paul labor leaders live Medicare Michael Parenti military million molestation Native Americans Occupy movement pedophilia pedophilic perpetrated PG&E pipeline plunder plutocracy plutocrats political poor Poorer Half population poverty predators Press priests production PROFIT PATHOLOGY prosperity protect racism rape ratepayers recession safety San Bruno Sexual Abuse slavery slaves smart meters social social democracies struggle super rich surgery Third World top 1 percent treatment trillion United utility Vatican victims wages Wall Street Journal workers World War II York Z Magazine