Greedy Bastards: How We Can Stop Corporate Communists, Banksters, and Other Vampires from Sucking America Dry

( 23 )

Overview

DYLAN RATIGAN’S mission is to uncover never-before-seen solutions to the most pressing issues of our time: government corruption, corporate communism, an ailing health care system, an age-old dependency on foreign oil, and a broken educational system. In this groundbreaking book, Ratigan makes a case that America has the opportunity to prosper, but only by setting clear goals. Ratigan believes that this country, now more than ever, needs passionate debate and smart policy, a brazen willingness to scrap what ...

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Greedy Bastards: How We Can Stop Corporate Communists, Banksters, and Other Vampires from Sucking America Dry

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Overview

DYLAN RATIGAN’S mission is to uncover never-before-seen solutions to the most pressing issues of our time: government corruption, corporate communism, an ailing health care system, an age-old dependency on foreign oil, and a broken educational system. In this groundbreaking book, Ratigan makes a case that America has the opportunity to prosper, but only by setting clear goals. Ratigan believes that this country, now more than ever, needs passionate debate and smart policy, a brazen willingness to scrap what doesn’t work, and the entrepreneurial spirit to try what does. Ratigan has compiled brash and fresh solutions for building a new and better America, and with this book he has started the debate America deserves.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Former financial news anchor and host of CNBC's "Fast Money," Ratigan delivers an energetic, powerful, and at times unsettling portrait of America in crisis, dramatically rendered with the chiaroscuro of sobering statistics: infant mortality rates are double that of France, Japan, and Australia, and more than 40 million Americans are currently living in poverty. Ratigan's suggestions for overhaul seem interesting, though more so in terms of concept than in actual execution. To fix the fraught educational system, he benignly suggests we "Find the Teachers Who Create Effective Learning Environments" and implement performance-based positions. Later, Ratigan describes efficiency as the "silver bullet that will kill the vampire of the incumbent energy industry," with a nod to Germany's so-far-so-good push to becoming independent of oil and nuclear power by 2050. Given the book's fast-paced and dramatic delivery, it's easy to see why Ratigan was a popular TV personality. He outlines his simple, concise arguments with memorable subheads like the provocative "Thought for Sale," and even though his portrait of the U.S. is bleak, he believes we have options. The "Ratigan Hypothesis"-that "we are the first generation to be able to use modern communications tools to fix our debt problem without resorting to war"-is compelling enough to warrant serious consideration. Illus.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Reviews
A diatribe against bankers, corrupt politicians, lobbyists, Wall Street traders and others "greedy bastards." MSNBC host Ratigan takes aim at American citizens who he presumes will no longer tolerate being robbed of their money by those who enrich themselves at the expense of society as a whole. The author explains how the greedy bastards wrested control of the health-care system, the energy-supply pipeline and other sectors, and he preaches that ordinary citizens must become informed--and then enraged--before they are moved to act against those robbing them. Some of Ratigan's solutions are relatively specific--e.g., he proposes a revision to the tax code that would encourage long-term investment rather than short-term extraction of deposits. Ratigan suggests reforming campaign-finance laws, blocking the revolving door between service in the legislature and service in lobbying firms and altering the ways Congressional districts are redrawn by state legislatures to protect incumbents and disenfranchise minority voters. Not bound by the false theory that the United States is the world's most progressive nation, Ratigan looks to other nations that have found better answers to age-old dilemmas, such as providing high-quality health care at affordable cost to every individual from birth until death. Rather than citing only the solutions found in Canada--often the touchstone of reformers--Ratigan mentions successes throughout Europe and also in Singapore. To underscore his points, the author includes flow charts, cartoons and other reader-friendly touches; unfortunately, he does not provide sufficient sourcing for his arguments. A pastiche of thinking by other reformers with a thin original Ratigan overlay.
From the Publisher
“This book might be the smelling salts that wake up America.”—Alan Grayson

“Greedy Bastards is superb. Dylan’s policy recommendations track with what the Committee for Economic Development has been saying on: health care, the federal deficit, corporate governance, education, a consumption tax, and campaign finance reform. His explanations are clear, and he nails health care with his criticism of the fee-for-service model. Greedy Bastards deserves wide readership!”—Charles Kolb, President of the Committee on Economic Development

“Some books explain a problem, this book gives you an entire world view. Greedy Bastards, puts everything in context and makes the enormity and entirety of our crises understandable. Dylan, as always, is incisive, sharp and pointed.” —Eliot Spitzer

“Greedy Bastards is a fantastic book! It has the perfect tone and is completely convincing.” —Lawrence Lessig, Director of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

“Exiles on Wall Street like us have a platform and a responsibility to speak out. Dylan's book shows that our problems don't stem from too much capitalism but not enough of it relative to our jerry-rigged system" —Mike Mayo, financial analyst and author of Exile on Wall Street

“Very sharp, funny, and splendidly written, Dylan Ratigan's new book is perfect for Americans disgusted with both our political parties who are trying to understand the roots of our broken economy and political system.” — Thomas Ferguson, University of Massachusetts, Boston and the Roosevelt Institute and author of Golden Rule

"Readers will find a great deal to ponder, as Ratigan covers why and how he's certain the USA is 'going seriously wrong.'"—USA Today

“Ratigan delivers an energetic, powerful, and at times unsettling portrait of America in crisis … And even though his portrait of the U.S. is bleak, he believes we have options.”—Publishers Weekly

“Greedy Bastards helps us better understand why we suffer recurrent, intensifying financial crises. First, cheating has become the dominant strategy in finance. Second, cheating is dominant because finance CEOs create such intensely perverse incentives that fraud becomes endemic.”— Bill Black, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One and associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781451642223
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • Publication date: 1/10/2012
  • Pages: 256
  • Product dimensions: 6.10 (w) x 9.20 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Dylan Ratigan

Dylan Ratigan is the host of MSNBC’s The Dylan Ratigan Show, an opinion-fueled daily broadcast program, and the podcast Radio Free Dylan. The creator of CNBC's Fast Money and formerly the co-anchor of CNBC’s The Call and Closing Bell, Ratigan started his career in print journalism and rose to become the global managing editor at Bloomberg. He has worked as a regular on-air contributor for ABC News and published articles in newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Miami Herald, and the Chicago Tribune. His coverage of the Enron scandal at CNBC earned him journalism’s coveted Gerald Loeb Award.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 23 )
Rating Distribution

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(7)

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(8)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 23 Customer Reviews
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 10, 2012

    Fantastic

    This is a remarkable book and is the threshold of the real CHANGE thats is needed and going to happen. The thought of this new amendment is out there and others will follow that will put our country back on the map as the greastest country you'ld ever want to live in.

    15 out of 16 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted February 4, 2012

    Extraction

    Sometimes it takes a rant to get a few people to pay attention. Then those people tell others. The rant turns into a discussion, the discussion turns into a theme, and the theme changes us all.

    Let's hope so.

    Don't go to the polls again without reading this. Don't read another news article and assume it's so. Research the issues, get vocal and get busy.

    7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted January 28, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Highly recommended for the election season!

    A short read with an in-depth review of the state of our nation's movers-and-shakers, what trees they shake and which ones are moved.

    5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted January 22, 2012

    Same Old Liberal Tripe

    Save your money

    3 out of 24 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted March 21, 2012

    Dylan attempts to be a voice of reason,,,particularly at MSNBC w

    Dylan attempts to be a voice of reason,,,particularly at MSNBC where they employ racists and Marxists
    Well written and concise

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted April 1, 2012

    You work hard, give up free time and relaxation, and build a bus

    You work hard, give up free time and relaxation, and build a business spending years of your life in doing so. You become successful and all of a sudden you're a greedy bastard.

    0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
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    Posted February 18, 2012

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    Posted April 23, 2012

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    Posted January 26, 2012

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    Posted January 17, 2012

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    Posted December 11, 2012

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    Posted March 24, 2012

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    Posted January 24, 2012

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    Posted January 13, 2013

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    Posted January 18, 2012

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    Posted February 11, 2012

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    Posted January 10, 2012

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    Posted June 5, 2012

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    Posted January 19, 2012

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    Posted February 26, 2012

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