The Great Forgetting : The Past, Present and Future of Social Democracy and the Welfare State

'This book reminds us that we were much happier when we were more equal, shared common goals, and trusted that government would be there for all of us when we needed it. The great forgetting emphasises that economic policy must be about more than getting government out of the way so some people can enrich themselves - often at the expense of the rest of us. It explodes the myth that globalisation is the cause of inequality and that the state can do little to protect us. It also demonstrates that the 1 percent are not the wealth creators they claim to be; they own much of their wealth through inheritance, tax concessions, and the ability to protect wealth in tax havens or through investments abroad. Inequality is lethal, but it can be fixed by a state that belongs to all of us and not just the 1 percent who use their wealth to acquire the political power that we once shared more.The great forgetting is dedicated to the 99 percent. It should appeal to everybody who wants to stop coddling the super-rich and who worries about their future retirement, or the healthcare of their family. The book suggests a way forward by urging people to reclaim the political power that should be theirs by right. It will be an excellent supplement or primary text for undergraduate and graduate courses on contemporary history, politics, economy, political thought and business' --Back cover Today the US and the UK are at a crossroads. Millions are out of work, millions (in the US) are still deprived of health care, millions have lost their homes, and we are collectively more unequal than we have been since the 1920s. Both countries will experience massive social upheavals if they don't reduce social inequality, invest massively in education and infrastructure, commit themselves to securing jobs for all who want them, change tax structures that coddle the 1 percent, rein in the anarchy of big banks by reregulating (or nationalising) them, and liberate the captive state from the financial institutions of Wall Street and the City of London. Social inequality is neither inevitable, nor the result of globalisation. It is the outcome of social and economic policies embraced by the 1 percent. This can be reversed by more social democracy, not less, by recovering the state for the 99 percent.-- Provided by publisher Front matter Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction Where are we today? And how happy are we now that we are here? Social equality: why it matters The way we used to be and could be again How we fell into the memory hole and got to where we are today Social democracy forgets its identity: what really ended in 1989? Rethinking the state Rethinking the past: reimagining the future Europe versus America: a summing up Select bibliography Index