It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A progressive takedown of the uber-capitalist status quo that has enriched millionaires and billionaires at the expense of the working class, and a blueprint for what transformational change would actually look like

“A clarion call against the American oligarchs . . . powerful.”—The Guardian

It’s OK to be angry about capitalism. Reflecting on our turbulent times, Senator Bernie Sanders takes on the billionaire class and speaks blunt truths about our country’s failure to address the destructive nature of a system that is fueled by uncontrolled greed and rigidly committed to prioritizing corporate profits over the needs of ordinary Americans.

Sanders argues that unfettered capitalism is to blame for an unprecedented level of income and wealth inequality, is undermining our democracy, and is destroying our planet. How can we accept an economic order that allows three billionaires to control more wealth than the bottom half of our society? How can we accept a political system that allows the super rich to buy politicians and swing elections? How can we accept an energy system that rewards the fossil fuel corporations causing the climate crisis? Sanders believes that, in the face of these overwhelming challenges, the American people must ask tough questions about the systems that have failed us and demand fundamental economic and political change. This is where the path forward begins.

It’s OK to Be Angry About Capitalism presents a vision that extends beyond the promises of past campaigns to reveal what would be possible if the political revolution took place, if we would finally recognize that economic rights are human rights, and if we would work to create a society that provides a decent standard of living for all. This isn’t some utopian fantasy; this is democracy as we should know it.

Our Top Reviews

Reviewer: Gary Moreau, Author
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An election year must-read.
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Jay A. Nesbit
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Solid Policy Suggestions for us Humanists
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Westie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Bernie knows what’s up and what’s needed.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Bernie’s book. He is a “big thinker” and his heart is right. Do read it, please.

Reviewer: Matthew Rapaport
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A cry of the heart for a more equitable America
Review: 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.

Reviewer: Gus
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Fast post and good price for a good read

Reviewer: fm
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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.

Reviewer: The Graduate
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: What an eye opener into the lack of parity in this world and wonderful how Bernie explains just how much money talks & whilst you might already be aware of that – maybe this is a poke to make you think some more about how the world COULD work if wealth were more fairly shared & we all pulled each other along….If only…

Reviewer: Kindle-Kunde
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Sanders knows what He says, his approach is practical and close to the working clans. That made thos book a joy to read.

Reviewer: José Macaya
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: 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.

Price effective as of Mar 07, 2025 16:47:48 UTC

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