MACMILLAN Building a Solidarity Society: Power, People, and Planet

BUILDING A SOLIDARITY SOCIETY Is it the impossible dream: a caring and sustainable society that fosters the flourishing of people and planet? Many are deeply skeptical about whether such a transformative change is a goal worth pursuing. But pursuit of this goal may be our only realistic choice; the misuse of power then is the obstacle to be overcome. This book leads the skeptical reader — whether college student or underpaid worker — on an exploration of the priorities of the powerful, the economic theories that justify their decisions, and the alternative world views that are firing the imagination and efforts of activists across the globe. Economist Marianne Hill speaks to those who worry that switching from a capitalist to a democratic economy would kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Drawing on cutting-edge scholarship, she explores why people accept a status quo in which the few have the right to control the labor of the many, and the right to distribute the wealthcollectively created. Research findings, data and stories drawn from the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent crises are used to explain why plutocrats show little concern for the economic distress and insecurity suffered by so many. Steps can be taken to move us towards a more humane and sustainable way of living. Exciting possibilities are presented, based on recent manifestos, party platforms, books and documents. Advocates for a caring solidarity society are many and, once united, can be the force that redistributes power in firms, families and society. This book aims to foster the clarity, cohesion and courage that can ensure their success.