Knowledge=Power
Heist explores the political and economic causes of the Wall Street meltdown and our government’s frantic efforts to repair the massive damage done to our economy and country. Below you can find many resources that will help you fully understand this economic Kattrina that we are all going through, including many books by our interviewed subjects.
Activist Coalitions: We are entering into a partnership with Americans for Financial Reform (AFR), a national coalition with a combined membership of over 100 million. AFR will premiere the film in Washington, DC, and we are exploring ways to make discounted DVDs available to its member groups as a tool for education and mobilization. Many of the groups within AFR are themselves coalitions, multiplying potential impact. Check out their site at: http://ourfinancialsecurity.org
Other People’s Money: The Corporate Mugging of America: (The New Press) A devastating exposé into corporate corruption, political collusion and Wall Street deception. Other People's Money was chosen as a Best Book of 2004 by The Economist, Barron's and The Library Journal.
Jacked: "Conservatives" are Picking your Pocket (whether you voted for them or not) (Polipoint Press) Catalogs her travels around the country; talking to people about their wallets and economic lives: card by card - issue by issue. Before becoming a journalist, Nomi worked on Wall Street as a managing director at Goldman Sachs, and running the international analytics group at Bear Stearns in London.
This book explores the political roots of America's narrowing prosperity and the systemic financial risks facing the U.S. economy (Vintage). As Keynesianism has been surpassed by a resurgent free market ideology, many of the policies, institutions and regulations of the New Deal have been abandoned in favor of a more business-friendly orientation. Kuttner argues that these changes have further enriched the already wealthy at the expense of America's lower and middle classes, exacerbating inequality and systematically weakening the economy. The controversial American Prospect editor favors a form of soft capitalism, in which the vicissitudes of the market and the risk to which it exposes ordinary Americans are tempered by government intervention—or, as he colorfully puts it, public regulation of the market's self-cannibalizing tendencies. Bringing a wealth of historical knowledge to bear on the problems of financial regulation, Kuttner compares the causes of the Great Depression and other economic crises to behavior patterns evident in our market system today, with unfavorable conclusions.
Publishers Weekly
Obama´s Challenge: America's Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency (Chelsea Green)
Verdict: Kuttner’s erudite book is highly recommended for readers of all political persuasions who are open to exploring viable solutions for the current U.S. economic and political crises—especially those in favor of working collectively to arrive at a solution.
Library Journal Xpress ReviewsWorld-renowned economist and educator Kuttner presents a realistic road map decoding the political and economic complexities facing a newly elected American president, who is attempting to keep election promises and secure widespread public support for his party and government. Kuttner offers Barack Obama, his campaign advisors, and readers a persuasive plan of action for meeting these challenges head-on, complete with a thoughtful outline and eloquent examples taken from transformational leaders like Roosevelt, Lincoln, Kennedy, and Johnson, using snippets of strategy gleaned from the past to suggest solutions for our current political and economic dilemmas.
Gloria Creed-Dikeogu, Ottawa Univ. Lib., KS
America's Choice
December 15th, 2008 - 12:26pm. From sea to shining sea, America is suffering. She is, however, afflicted with an avoidable condition she brought on herself, like a hangover. Only this one's interminable and internationally contagious.
She did it by choosing over the past 30 years to establish an economy that worshiped avarice. That decision has destroyed her financial system and taken down with it much of the world's. more >
Up From Conservatism
From Publishers Weekly:
Lind is perhaps the most prominent convert from 1980s neoconservatism. Though his book only occasionally dips into his personal story, it is a powerful attack on conservatives who, he says, use "the culture war, a revival of racism and radical antigovernment rhetoric" to distract voters from the realities of their own economic exploitation. Lind's language is strong, and he has much ammunition. The most damaging conservative hoax of recent years, he argues, is supply-side economics, which led to our current deficit, "the central fact of American politics today."
The Speculation Economy: How Finance Triumphed Over Industry
American businesses today are obsessed with the price of their stock, and no wonder. The consequences of even a modest decrease can be so dire that some executives would rather damage their corporation's long-term health than allow quarterly returns to fall below projections. But how did this situation come about? When did the stock market become the driver of the American economy?
Lawrence E. Mitchell identifies the moment in American history when finance triumphed over industry. He shows how the birth of the giant modern corporation spurred the rise of the stock market and how, by the dawn of the 1920s, the stock market left behind its business origins to become the very reason for the creation of business itself.
The websites linked below provide progressive strategies toward a just and equal society.
A New Way Forward. It Is Time to Break Up the Banks.
40,000 people have signed onto the ANWF platform. Now, it's time for a massive public education campaign. These next two weeks, people across the country will pledge to talk to their friends about the crisis. Everyone needs to be a part of the conversation. Join ANWF by promising you'll talk to any of your 5 friends too.Chelsea Green Publishing Company
For 25 years, Chelsea Green has been the publishing leader for books on the politics and practice of sustainable living. We are a founding member of the Green Press Initiative and have been printing books on recycled paper since 1985, when our first list of books appeared. We lead the industry both in terms of content—foundational books on renewable energy, green building, organic agriculture, eco-cuisine, and ethical business—and in terms of environmental practice, printing 95 percent of our books on recycled paper with a minimum 30 percent post-consumer waste and aiming for 100 percent whenever possible. This approach is a perfect example of what is called a ”triple bottom line“ practice, one that benefits people, planet, and profit, and the emerging new model for sustainable business in the 21st century.
Advancing Democracy in the American Workplace
Since 2003, American Rights at Work has informed the American public about the struggle to win workplace democracy for nurses, cooks, computer programmers, retail cashiers, and a variety of workers who we all depend on every day. Our vision is a nation where the freedom of workers to organize unions and bargain collectively with employers is guaranteed and promoted.CENTER FOR ECONOMIC AND POLICY RESEARCH- www.cepr.net The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. In order for citizens to effectively exercise their voices in a democracy, they should be informed about the problems and choices that they face. CEPR is committed to presenting issues in an accurate and understandable manner, so that the public is better prepared to choose among the various policy options.
Economic Policy Institute-http://www.epi.org The Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit Washington D.C. think tank, was created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers. Today, with global competition expanding, wage inequality rising, and the methods and nature of work changing in fundamental ways, it is as crucial as ever that people who work for a living have a voice in the economic discourse.
Campaign for America's FutureThe Campaign for America’s Future is the strategy center for the progressive movement. Our goal is to forge the enduring progressive majority needed to realize the America of shared prosperity and equal opportunity that our country was meant to be. To attain our ultimate goal, we spearhead a compelling progressive agenda that addresses the kitchen-table issues working families face. We regularly convene and educate progressive thinkers, organizers and community activists so our voices will be coordinated, cogent and potent. And we incubate national campaigns on the critical issues that will define America for generations to come.
Here's a partial list of the organizations in the US who are organizing for economic justice for all:
ACORN- http://www.acorn.org “ACORN is the nation’s largest grassroots community organization of low- and moderate-income people with over 400,000 member families organized into more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in 110 cities across the country. Since 1970, ACORN has been building community organizations that are committed to social and economic justice, and won victories on thousands of issues of concern to their members, through direct action, negotiation, legislative advocacy and voter participation. ACORN helps those who have historically been locked out become powerful players in our democratic system.
On Feb. 19, 2009, ACORN members will launch a new tactic in fighting foreclosures: civil disobedience. Participants in the ACORN Home Savers campaign nationwide will simply refuse to move out of foreclosed homes, or in some cases, will move back in. ACORN homesteaders intend to squat in their homes until a comprehensive, federal solution for people facing foreclosure is put in place.”
Green for All-http://www.greenforall.org is creating the model for transforming America into a fully green economy, while providing jobs to those who have been left out of the mainstream economy.
Here's a list of a few labor and human rights groups organizations in the US who are fighting for the working class:
AFL-CIO- http://www.aflcio.org/ The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a voluntary federation of 56 national and international labor unions. The AFL-CIO union movement represents 10.5 million members. But 60% 0f all American workers, when polled, say they would like to join a union.
Campaign for Labor Rights (CLR)- http://www.clrlabor.org/ It is the mission of the Campaign for Labor Rights (CLR) to mobilize grassroots support throughout the United States to promote economic and social justice by campaigning to end labor rights violations around the world.
Inclusion- http://inclusion2008.org/ Inclusion is a think tank focused on identifying and promoting new ideas for better jobs while stimulating and shaping the dialogue about improving low-wage work to benefit our economy, workers and communities. The website offers charts/data, relevant publications and links to labor-related blogs.
NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation is committed to providing financial education. Specifically, the Foundation will make grants to organizations that demonstrate the ability to educate consumers about basic personal financial issues. The Foundation will partner with recognized educational organizations to expand the breadth, depth, and distribution of consumer financial education programming, including materials developed by NAPFA. Education is empowering and is essential to help individuals build a secure financial future.
Let us know of any other organizations you think should be part of this list. Please tell us what is happening in your community and we will post it on our blog page. If you want to tell us your own story of losing your home, your retirement funds, or your job, email us at producer@heist-themovie.com. Let us know if you want your correspondence kept confidential.
