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Democracy at Work
- A Cure for Capitalism
- Narrated by: Shawn Compton
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Money & Finance, Economics
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Publisher's Summary
Capitalism as a system has spawned deepening economic crisis alongside its bought-and-paid-for political establishment. Neither serves the needs of our society. Whether it is secure, well-paid, and meaningful jobs or a sustainable relationship with the natural environment that we depend on, our society is not delivering the results people need and deserve.
One key cause for this intolerable state of affairs is the lack of genuine democracy in our economy as well as in our politics. The solution requires the institution of genuine economic democracy, starting with workers managing their own workplaces, as the basis for a genuine political democracy.
Here, Richard D. Wolff lays out a hopeful and concrete vision of how to make that possible, addressing the many people who have concluded economic inequality and politics as usual can no longer be tolerated and are looking for a concrete program of action.
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What listeners say about Democracy at Work
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-15-19
Finally! A viable alternative.
I’m glad someone finally put something together articulating ideas that go beyond the “market capitalism vs. state socialism” false dichotomy that we’re brought up to believe. There are other viable alternatives.
I like that Dr. Wolff does not claim this to be a perfect solution, or one that won’t require some struggle, sacrifice, and setbacks. He makes careful note of the kinds of obstacles his proposal (workers’ self-directed enterprises) would have to overcome, obstacles that I would expect a conventional capitalist would cite as well.
I think both capitalists and socialists of all stripes can find some good ideas in this book worth considering. Give it a listen. You might be surprised.
16 people found this helpful
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- Joseph J. Iii Sackman
- 08-15-19
Excellent explanation of socialistic economics
Excellent explanation of socialistic economics. It helps you understand how socialism and democracy work hand in hand to better our lives through social economic improvements at every level of government. Capitalism is about exploitation, Socialism is about democratization.
12 people found this helpful
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- Brandon
- 03-07-19
Fantastic
This analysis should be a must read for every student. in a day and age when it has become taboo to speak of Capitalism as anything short of religion, it is paramount to step back and provide an objective analysis of a system that not only guarantees a crash but tells us that it's okay. WSDE's may just be the new system that resolves many of the issues provided by socialism and capitalism.
12 people found this helpful
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- Geoffrey Beitelman
- 01-15-20
great book! just what this country needs. Loved
Loved the wsde's and thought how perfect this would be if we could have them here.
3 people found this helpful
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- Veronika Benson
- 03-05-21
so explanatory
very thorough and detailed, I appreciate how it's the socialist who can describe capitalism most accurately
2 people found this helpful
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- tanner
- 12-06-19
Short and sweet
The natural right of individuals to representative democratic government is expanded to the workplace here.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 11-15-19
Great information, perfomance a bit robotic.
This book is informative and I respect the author greatly. The performance is a tad robotic however.
2 people found this helpful
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- Carlos
- 06-02-19
Very good
A great short and simple case for a libertarian socialist type of system. The first two parts are the best because of his explanation of Marxism.
4 people found this helpful
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- Sanwal Yousaf
- 08-13-21
excellent intro to worker run enterprises
I am exploring the question of Worker run enterprises and this book is such a great intro point. i had some vague ideas about what to explore but this book helped clarify some basic questions in my mind and gave me a direction on where to go.
The voice over work is also really good and kept me engaged throughout the recitation.
1 person found this helpful
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- Kyle
- 08-19-19
I Think The Voice Actor Has An Accent
Pretty quick read that was informative and persuasive. You don’t have to buy into the democracy-is-great-in-so-many-contexts ideation to get something out of this.
3 people found this helpful
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- Gabriel Akin
- 03-15-21
Fascinating read that offers a genuine alternative
I enjoyed the read and learnt a lot not just about an alternative structure to capitalism but why capitalism has perpetuated. It was especially interesting to understand the revolution in education, thinking and politics needed to sustain an alternative. I hope Professor Wolff narrates his books in future!
1 person found this helpful
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- Aran
- 10-11-21
Excellent content but difficult narration
This book itself is an essential read but marred by a very robotic sounding narrator which made it hard to get through. A shame because Richard Wolff himself is such a great speaker.
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- Carlos Rozo
- 04-02-22
Idealistic and lacking balance
Falls quickly in the trap of presenting the problems of capitalism (which exist) without giving it any Credit for the development it has generated (which also exists), and comparing it to an untested utopia (close to socialism, but not quite it, it strips it from its negatives). In this context the utopia should seem very attractive, but the book does not achieve inspiring the reader to pursue such utopia.
It also romantizices the past (for example the - supposedly- wonderful living conditions in rural latinoamerica prior to the propaganda by the evil capitalists to immigrants to travel to the USA to break their backs to send remmitances) and assumes all workers to have similar interests and objectives, aligned to the well being of the companies they would work in if they only own the surpluses created.
In summary, lacks balance and that undermines an idea for a solution that, better studied and structured, may have merit.