After hustling to be a responsible employee and a smart consumer, is there any time, money, and energy left each week to be a good citizen? The global free market does a great job creating a world-wide demand and desire for products and services, but does it simultaneously undermine the ability of civic society to meet its vital needs? What are the prospects for democracy when the largest economic power in the world exports a laissez-faire economic model that prioritizes marketing goods over meeting growing humanitarian needs? Can the world survive America? October 7, 1998.

Benjamin Barber
Benjamin Barber is a well-known scholar and political theorist. He is the author of many books including the bestseller Jihad vs. McWorld. His latest book is Consumed: The Fate of Citizens under Capitalism Triumphant.