Beyond Capitalism
Discontent with the corporate-run economy is mounting in the wake of the Great Recession. For too many these are dark times suffused by anger, hopelessness, and despair. There is a long-term structural crisis of capitalism. The problems are systemic. The top 400 people own more wealth than the bottom 185 million Americans. How to reverse the ominous spiral of income and wealth inequality? There is an emerging new economy of practical bottom-up efforts underway in many cities and towns that seek to democratize wealth and empower citizens and communities, not corporations. There is a range of initiatives such as worker-owned businesses, cooperatives, community land trusts, credit unions, and social enterprises. These structures suggest a roadmap for laying the foundation to support the values of equality and meaningful democracy and creating a sustainable economy that can satisfy human needs.
Speaker
Gar Alperovitz
Gar Alperovitz is Professor of Political Economy at the University of Maryland and co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative. He is the author of numerous books, including Making a Place For Community, and America Beyond Capitalism.
Larry Dennison –
I am finding it difficult to have hope that we will find a way to resist the massive power of the oligarchy in America and the world today. Gar Alperovitz’ talk in Northampton, MA and released on Alternative Radio (Bless you AR) gave me hope that we can build communities and eventually a nation that we can be proud to live in. I live in a community that takes community self-reliance very seriously, but it has seemed like we are outliers in a sea of predatory Kapitalizm. This talk restored hope that we can find a way through these dark times if we all pull together.