Surplus American: How the 1% is Making Us Redundant

The Surplus Americanvividly presents a future where increasing numbers of Americans will be rendered jobless and redundant. Exploring the ongoing crisis of 'oesurplus people' today, authors Charles Derber and Yale Magrass show that the jobless are merelythe tip of the iceberg. Drawing on the work of economists and highlighting new trends, the bookidentifies a number of primary groups within the category of 'oesurplus,' including the underemployed, people forcibly removed or induced to leave the labor force, retirees, people involved in 'oemake-work' by government or business, those hired to control the unemployed, as well as those employed to boost consumption and manage unrest. Derber and Magrassargue persuasively that a majority of the US public is now part of the surplus population and constitutes an economic and social category that is a crucial and integral underside of our capitalist economy. Offering a timely analysis of current social movements such as Occupy Wall Street, the authors conclude that they are essential not only to solving the crisis of surplus people but also to redirecting an economy driven by outsourcing, new technology, and global corporate strategy.