Supercapitalism

Supercapitalism by Robert Reich

Even though Reich wrote this book five years ago, it seems to be even more relevant today.  Supercapitalism, according to Reich, refers to a totally deregulated economy, no holds barred approach where corporations pretty much control our government.  Reich shows how widening inequality of income and wealth, greater job insecurity, and corporate corruption are merely the logical results of a system in which politicians are more beholden to the influence of business lobbyists than to the voters who elected them. 

Reich contends deregulation, weakening of worker's rights, globalization and greater competition has brought on this era of "supercapitalism".   In this era of social darwinism, those who seize their opportunities in highly competitive environments tend to survive and prosper. 

Even though this book was written three years before the U.S. Supreme Court decision "Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission," (2010) which basically declared corporations as people, Reich seems to have anticipated such a decision.  In the final chapters he frequently claims corporations are not people and cannot behave as people.  They can not determine between right and wrong or make moral decisions.  The corporation is only concerned with profit and if they can provide a return for their shareholders. 

Reich argues a clear separation of politics and capitalism is necessary in order to foster an enviroment in which both business and government thrive.  He states capitalism should be in the service of democracy, and not the other way around.  We are fast becoming a plutocracy under the current situation.  Money has too much influence on politics, resulting in politicians being more beholding to their donors than to their constituents.