What then must we do?

205 pages

English language

Published Dec. 17, 2013 by Chelsea Green Pub..

ISBN:: 978-1-60358-491-3
OCLC Number:: 826017746

(1 review)

"Never before have so many Americans been more frustrated with our economic system, more fearful that it is failing, or more open to fresh ideas about a new one. The seeds of a new economy--and, if we act upon it, a new system--are forming. What is that next system? It's not corporate capitalism, not state socialism, but something else--something entirely American. In What Then Must We Do?, Gar Alperovitz speaks directly to the reader about why the time is right for a revolutionary new economy movement, what it means to democratize the ownership of wealth, what it will take to build a new system to replace the decaying one--and how to strengthen our communities through cooperatives, worker-owned companies, neighborhood corporations, small and medium-size independent businesses, and publicly owned enterprises. For the growing group of Americans pacing at the edge of confidence in the old system, or already among its detractors, …

"Never before have so many Americans been more frustrated with our economic system, more fearful that it is failing, or more open to fresh ideas about a new one. The seeds of a new economy--and, if we act upon it, a new system--are forming. What is that next system? It's not corporate capitalism, not state socialism, but something else--something entirely American. In What Then Must We Do?, Gar Alperovitz speaks directly to the reader about why the time is right for a revolutionary new economy movement, what it means to democratize the ownership of wealth, what it will take to build a new system to replace the decaying one--and how to strengthen our communities through cooperatives, worker-owned companies, neighborhood corporations, small and medium-size independent businesses, and publicly owned enterprises. For the growing group of Americans pacing at the edge of confidence in the old system, or already among its detractors, What Then Must We Do? offers an evolutionary, common-sense solution for moving from despair and anger to strategy and action."--Publisher's website.

2 editions

laundry0099 reviewed What then must we do? by Gar Alperovitz

Great read

5 stars

This book was a great read! Conversationally written, it’s a great mixture of compelling statistics and facts combined with an easy to follow blueprint for how to improve things. In the age of trendy TikTok influencers making videos like “WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?” challenging us to do some magical THING that will fix waves hands all of this, it’s refreshing to have an adult tell you that there are no quick fixes.

Indeed, this book states several times that the only way forward is through the long, boring task of, well, basically going to work. But how we build our workplaces, how we organize them, how we make them more democratic is actually the most important thing any of us can do.

After all, even if the cool Leftbook edgelords do somehow get their “revolution”, then what? We as a society will still need to make things. We …

This book was a great read! Conversationally written, it’s a great mixture of compelling statistics and facts combined with an easy to follow blueprint for how to improve things. In the age of trendy TikTok influencers making videos like “WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?” challenging us to do some magical THING that will fix waves hands all of this, it’s refreshing to have an adult tell you that there are no quick fixes.

Indeed, this book states several times that the only way forward is through the long, boring task of, well, basically going to work. But how we build our workplaces, how we organize them, how we make them more democratic is actually the most important thing any of us can do.

After all, even if the cool Leftbook edgelords do somehow get their “revolution”, then what? We as a society will still need to make things. We will still need energy, food, water. This book looks at the decidedly less sexy ways that we can build this backbone even now so that we can survive in a post-capitalist world.

Although it is stated several times in this book, each time I read that there are no quick solutions, I felt myself feeling… disappointed? I suppose years of hysterical internet activists have effectively infected my brain into thinking that there are. But we need to roll up our sleeves and start seriously thinking about what the true alternative is to our current systems.

I was glad that I had recently read The Socialist Imperative: From Gotha to Now by Michael A. Lebowitz recently because a lot of the themes in this book were more thoroughly explored in that one, which gave me better context for the concepts.

A great read that actually delivered on its promises to outline concrete steps to take and help effect change.

Subjects

Economic policy
Economic conditions
Income distribution
Democracy
Capitalism

Places

United States