Description
The Surplus American considers a future where increasing numbers of Americans will be rendered jobless and redundant. Exploring the ongoing crisis of 'surplus people' today, authors Charles Derber and Yale Magrass show that the jobless are merely the tip of the iceberg. Drawing on the work of economists and highlighting new trends, the book identifies a number of primary groups within the category of 'surplus' including the underemployed, people forcibly removed or induced to leave the labour force and retirees. Derber and Magrass argue that a majority of the US public is now part of the surplus population constituting an integral part of the economy. The authors conclude that these movements will be essential to solving the crisis of surplus people and redirecting the economy in a more positive direction.
Table of Contents
Part I : You're Fired-The Essay 1. Americans as a Surplus People 2. Who Are the Surplus People? 3. How to Make Money from the Creation of Surplus People 4. The Four Roots of Surplus People Production 5. How Many Surplus People Are There in the US? 6. Introducing the History of Surplus People 7. How Capitalism Created Surplus People Right from the Very Beginning 8. How the First Truly Industrial Society, Britain, Used Surplus People 9. How American Capitalists Controlled the Surplus Population before World War I 10. World War I and the Roaring Twenties 11. The Great Depression Begins 12. Roosevelt, Keynes, and the New Deal 13. America at Its Height 14. America Enters Decline 15. The Age of Reagan 16. Does Our Theory Hold Up? 17. What to Do? The Tea Party and the Occupy Movement 18. The Tea Party and the Dangerous Politics of Reaction 19. The Occupy Movement and the Politics of Hope 20. The Past and Future of the Occupy Movement 21. Why a Play Is an Effective Way to Discuss Politics and Economics Part II: I Like Firing People-The Play Part III: I Like Firing People-A Version Performed at Boston College
