Description
ISBN: 9781620979099
Format: Cloth over boards
Year: 2026
Publisher: New Press, The
Description:
A scathing expose of the hidden impact of America's ultra wealthy on our social, economic, political, and ecological landscape-as well as a path toward a more equitable future
Burned by Billionaires
Recently, it has become increasingly evident that extreme concentrations of wealth and power have profound impacts on our politics, but extreme inequality's influence on our daily lives-and our futures-has been vastly overlooked.
, author and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, Chuck Collins chronicles how the actions of the top .01% have severe consequences for the rest of us, especially those of marginalized identities. Collins takes down the "myth of meritocracy," unraveling how the rich rig the game in their favor, resulting in a concentration of wealth in the hands of a tiny (but growing) class of billionaires-leading to both intense income and political polarization.
In a wholly original argument, Collins charts this economic, social, and ecological destruction and shows how these effects manifest in every facet of our society, including:
- Increasing the tax burden on ordinary working people
- Reducing public funding for schools, roads, and other essential infrastructure
- Shrinking the pool of affordable housing, especially in poor and urban areas
- Accelerating climate change and dictating what ends up on our dinner plate
- Shaping the news we consume and fueling the spread of misinformation
Collins argues that perhaps, worst of all, the concentration of wealth and power is leading to po