اقتصاد را تسخیر کنید؛ به چالش کشیدن نظام سرمایه‌داری

by Richard D. Wolff, میرمحمود نبوی (Translator)

این کتاب مجموعه ای از مصاحبه های نویسنده با بزرگان اقتصاد است که در آن طیف وسیعی از سوال ها مطرح شده و موردبحث قرار گرفته اند، پاسخ های عرضه شده در این مصاحبه نشان می دهد که ناکامی ضابطه گذاری های دولتی، نابرابری های فزاینده در درآمد و ثروت، برچیدن اصلاحات نوین روزولت که پس از جنگ جهانی دوم اعمال شده بود و به موازات آن تحمیل برنامه های ریاضت جمعی از سوی دولت های اروپایی و ایالات متحد و بسیاری جنبه های دیگر بحران سال 2007 نتیجه فقط این یا آن رویداد مشخص تاریخی یا نتیجه عمل این یا آن کنشگر اقتصادی نیست، بلکه از نحوه کار سرمایه داری نشئت می گیرد.

Genres: Economics, Politics, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Social Change, Political Science, Activism

191 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Richard D. Wolff is an American economist, well-known for his work on Marxian economics, economic methodology, and class analysis. He is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University in New York. Wolff has also taught economics at Yale University, City University of New York, University of Paris I (Sorbonne), and The Brecht Forum in New York City. In 2010, Wolff published Capitalism Hits the Fan: The Global Economic Meltdown and What to Do About It, also released as a DVD. He will release three new books in 2012: Occupy the Economy: Challenging Capitalism, with David Barsamian (San Francisco: City Lights Books), Contending Economic Theories: Neoclassical, Keynesian, and Marxian, with Stephen Resnick (Cambridge, MA, and London: MIT University Press), and Democracy at Work (Chicago: Haymarket Books).

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable and concise overview of the many failings global capitalism, with a few suggestions as to what might help us move beyond such a dysfunctional system. Presented in an interview format, it covers a lot of ground while it keeps things moving along briskly. My one complaint about the book is that there are several typos in it. Whoever transcribed the conversation into print wasn't particularly diligent in proofreading it.

[City Lights Booksellers & Publishers]

"Wolff, a Marxist economist, gives a deeper analysis of capitalism, so that the 'mysteries' of wealth accumulation become clear in all their exploitative nature. By reading "Occupy the Economy," the reader will unknowingly receive an excellent introductory lesson into Marx's greatest literary achievement, “Capital.” —Shamus Cooke, Smirking Chimp


"Occupy activists everywhere are heatedly debating the question, 'What's next for our movement?' In his collected interviews with David Barsamian, radical economist Richard Wolff lays out a compelling framework for further anti-corporate organizing that focuses on the root of the problem: capitalism and its never-ending assault on the 99%. Occupiers (past, present, and future) now have an intellectual guide to a different kind of economy--one that's equitable, sustainable and, let's hope, politically achievable, sooner rather than later. Wolff's deep but conversational synthesis of recent practice and older theory couldn't be more timely, persuasive, and readable. This book should be required reading for all labor and community organizers newly inspired by Occupy Wall Street!" —Steve Early, labor activist, journalist, and author of The Civil Wars in U.S. Labor

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, easy primer to reframing the current economic debate about capitalism. It summarizes the economic parallels to the past that exemplify the shortfalls of unregulated free markets (such as the market crash of '29 and The Great Depression). It explains many of America's current economic struggles, the roots of which began in the 1970's as corporations began shipping American jobs overseas. The book's second half is about solutions to our current woes. The occupy movement is symbolic of America's desire for something more democratic and equitable than our current system (it points out the parallels and similarities in both the right and left's frustration with current economics). This discourse should include criticism of unregulated capitalism as well as the subject of democratic socialism. The book calls for a new, current New Deal (similar to what America had under Roosevelt after The Depression). It also points out the need for democracy in work places and the benefits of democracy at work.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Occupy! It has worked for Wolff. Sometimes he scribbles some papers. And the taxpayer has a duty to pay his wages. Does he want to visit Paris? Well, the College secretariat will take care of it. And Wolff will occupy his rightful place in a plane. Sometimes it's the secretary from his buddies' College that is taking care so Wolff could occupy a nice hotel room and have a good meal. I mean think of all the poor workers! The ignoramuses have chosen to support the Capitalist owner of a business instead of the life-giving government. And Wolff, in his charity is spending long overpaid hours to teach where the good life is.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolff gives some interesting history of our capitalistic economy that includes previous spikes and depressions and how they were dealt with succesfully. The 1% tends to be a greedy problem forever that previous Presidents have handled by financing new products such as aviation and the semiconductor industry. He gives some solutions. The one I thought was the most far fetched being that we need private companies controlled by employees at large rather than a select group of 15 board member and share holders. While that may sound great, I have yet to see that rank and file employees are capable of making business decisions rather than heading out to have a nice evening or a great weekend. On the other hand, maybe they wouldn't do any worse than the average board or share holders seem to do. Wolff does well to discuss the difference in our job base with the advent of computers and well developed global transportation.

[henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a few problems with this book: 1) Wolff, while skillfully presenting the deficiencies of capitalism and the argument for the replacement of capitalism with Marxism, fails to actually define his ideas as Marxist until very late in the book—choosing instead to refer to them as “anti-capitalist”—a tactic I suspect is designed to lure the uninitiated and uninformed into embracing Marxism without knowing it. 2) He argues that the American capitalist system was perverted by the Federal Reserve and the plutocrats, but then fails to draw the connection between that and the current economic crisis; instead, he simply declares capitalism to be a failure. 3) There were so many typos, missing words, and grammatical errors in this book that I had a difficult time reading it and came away with the sense that this work was both rushed and unprofessional.

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Wolff's summary of the events that have placed us in today's dire economic straits are spot on, the best I have seen. I have been aware of virtually all of the events de discusses, and have even had the same thoughts about them as Dr. Wolff. However, he has gone the extra step of explaining how these events have not only led from one to the next, but how they interact and feed back to worsen the situation.

The first chapter or two should be mandatory for all Americans. However, the rest of the book is dated. The Occupy movement may not be dead, but it's certainly not the standard-bearer for an effective counter to capitalism-run-amok.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very good. Written in a conversational style in interview/ conversation with David Barasamian Richard Wolff gives a straight forward, and at times humorours explanation of why our economic system doesn't work. He also offers realistic suggestions for alternatives. As a Professor of Economic he backs up his arguments with facts, and figures but is never boring. This is an interesting read, even for those not new to the ideas. What is striking is how those of us in the English speaking world have been blinded to the simple facts of economic theory and history.

It's a small, short book but well worth a read.

[Smiley III · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last! A user's guide to a (conceptual) "way in." Not content with either the slogans of the Left or the indifferent, pseudoapologies of the Right, Richard D. Wolff gives us the "bright spots": maybe dimly seen, but worth striving for, in a new way of conceiving of how to make the Economy work, as it couldn't've been intended otherwise, ultimately: to work for us.

Light reading, too, remarkably. The skills of the interviewer come in handy, making this plane-ride or coffee-shop parseable.

And you be so much better off!

(Shell out. City Lights operators are standing by!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolff gives a very reader friendly overview of why capitalism isn't working and why the occupy movement is so important. Very informative. I have listened to Wolff speak on various Pacifica radio shows and his ideas are relevant and if enacted upon, extremely workable in today's society. Some of his facts were amazing and very disturbing - 100 million Americans living on, very near or below the poverty line..20 million officially unemployed. Its terrible and the more capitalism stuffs up, the more these people suffer. I hope my country of Australia doesn't follow this path...

[Tony Giordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book-- Americans need to wake up to the countless failures of our crony capitalism and its deadly class warfare. This is a short, easy read that cuts through the 'patriotic' propaganda of our 'free enterprise' system and exposes the toxic impact on our politics and government.

[Gregory Ardison-Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the thought of Professor Richard Wolff through the lens of the Occupy Movement. For more in-depth analysis, I would recommend some of his other books, as many of those themes are summarized here.

[Hussen krimx8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard wollff has his way with language, his simple articulation of the economy and straight forward explanations of the issues at hand are the best, a proletariat and people oriented book for all to read.

[Roberta Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply stated, persuasively clear. A short path to understanding the Occupy Movement. Recommended particularly if you haven't a lot of time to study the subject.

[Hafiz Sheriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a brilliant book highlighting the rottenness of our economic system. Neom Chomsky has said that the USA is on the decline socially and economically. Karl Marx was never a socialist or a communist but he was an ardent critic of the Capitalist system.

Our scholars should reexamine Marx's works and come out with a new system that will be fair to everybody instead of periods of up and down in our economy which ruins a good part of our hard working society. May be Occupy the Economy will work.

[Debra Daniels-Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd wanted a different book by Richard Wolff but this was the only book my library offered. It isn't a long book and it's written in an interview style, which is possibly why I had a hard time picking it up and reading it. Lots of great information, but I think if it had been written in a different style it would have been a more inviting read.

[Robert Stutchbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

short book interview thing about occupy. IDK if it was actually boring, or eclipsed by Occupy Everything, which I read immidiately after, but ok anyway

[Maura Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that communism

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative.

[Leon Bailey]

Good set of interviews. Prelude to Wolff's Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism.

[Abolfazl Nasri · Rating 3 out of 5]

انتقادات خوب به نظام سرمایه داری ولی همراه با چاشنی توهمات مارکسیستی