Includes bibliographical references (pages 341-363) and index.
Summary
We see it everywhere: shady deals between politicians, regulators, and powerful private interests. Increasingly this is how our economy is run. If we are going to do anything about our present economic problems, and give the poor a chance, we need to eliminate crony capitalism. Although full of hair-raising stories, this book is also about solutions. It tells us in clear and simple terms what is wrong and what needs to be done about it.
Contents
Introduction -- Crony capitalism around the world -- Crony capitalism in America -- Crony politicians -- Pay to play : a Capitol Hill primer -- Political ATMs : Fannie and Freddie -- Honey pots 1 : The Recovery Act ("Stimulus") -- Honey pots 2 : Hurricane Sandy Relief and the "Fiscal Cliff" -- Getting rich (or living rich) from public office -- The revolving door -- Crony finance -- "Government Sachs" : revolving door prodigy and power behind the throne -- "Government Electric" : Wall Street masquerading as Main Street -- Crony food -- Monsanto's massive experiment with our health -- Washington's plantation system -- Crony medicine -- Soviet-style healthcare pricing -- Doubling down on crony medicine -- Big pharma and FDA : a marriage not made in Heaven -- Vaccines : a crony capitalist's dream -- Crony labor -- Big labor rakes it in : the auto bail-out -- Public employee unions : crony capitalism at its most blatant -- Public sector union scandals begin to leak -- Public union foes and defenders -- Not all state and local cronyism involves unions -- Crony lawyers -- Legal predators -- The trial lawyer money machine -- Beyond the usual suspects -- Reaching out globally -- Losers -- Charity gets no respect -- The poor -- War on the young -- Democracy and crony capitalism -- Is democracy to blame? -- Solutions -- Diagnosis -- Prescription.
