Susan George: How to win the Class War The Lugano Report II

25 November 2013

The Transnational Institute is proud to present Susan George's compelling satirical 'guide for corporate leaders': How to win the Class War – The Lugano Report II

Excerpt 'How to win the Class War' (PDF, 101.36 KB)

Publication type: Book
ISBN/ISSN: 978-90-70563-18-9

Authors

Susan George

Buy 'How to win the Class War - The Lugano Report II' in our bookstore.
Read John Palmer's review for Red Pepper
Read Liam Barrington-Bush's review for Open Democracy
The Guardian: Susan George on the secret capitalist cabal behind European austerity
Read the New Internationalist review
Review by Boris Vasev (Slovak)
BBC interview with Susan George
Video and images from the book launch in London

At a time when corporations are taking charge of the UN COP climate negotiations, Susan George reminds us of the mechanisms of capitalism - from the view point of those corporate leaders.

How to win the Class War is the report of a fictitious group of experts, gathered at a luxurious villa at the shores of lake Lugano in Switzerland. Commissioned by unnamed world leaders, The Lugano Report II answers their question: How to encourage the rebirth of a strengthened capitalist system. Author Susan George based the Report on her thoroughly researched facts that are then presented through the eyes of those fictitious experts.

"The success of the first Lugano Report, published in many languages in 1999-2001 encouraged me to write another fake report purportedly by the same group of experts", explains Susan George. "This time, the commissioners want to know whether we are undergoing a terminal decline in the West - or can Western capitalism rise again and once more dominate the world?"

"I call this book a “factual fiction” and use a technique that allowed me to go further than I would otherwise have been able to go."

The book confirms many of the predictions of Susan George’s earlier (supposedly fictional) The Lugano Report – On preserving Capitalism in the 21st Century, published by Pluto Press in 1999. Now, in her sequel set in January 2012, Susan George has once again anticipated how far world leaders are willing to go in order to save the capitalist system despite the irritating presence of the other 99%.

What others say...

"This book is an invaluable resource for activists involved in the day to day struggles and provides concrete evidence for what is happening behind the public face of politics." -John Palmer, former European Editor of the Guardian (read his complete review of the book)

"Over the years, Susan George's powerful writing has opened many people's eyes to the realities of global capitalism. Now she shows us how and why the rich and powerful of the North continue to win the class war." -Jayati Ghosh, Jawaharlal Nehru University

“What a book! Really loaded with information to make one go mad! Susan George exposes the conspiracies and the mindsets that have ensured the nauseating triumph of finance, neocolonialism, sheer wickedness, carbon and pollution today. It will take total anaesthesia to read this book and remain on the sidelines." -Nnimmo Bassey, Friends of the Earth International

"It is a remarkably well-researched handbook. George mixes the academic rigour of Chomsky, with the dry satire you might expect from a Vonnegut novel." - Liam Barrington-Bush, author of ‘Anarchists in the Boardroom' (read his complete review of the book)

The book has been presented to the public by Susan George in the UK, 4-7 December 2013.

Prior to her UK tour, Susan George was invited to speak in Australia. Read about that in The Australian "Offshore firms not paying tax share", and chek out her interview with ABC News.

"How to win the Class War" is available as paperback, hardback, or as e-book at the TNI bookstore

The book was originally published in French and is also available in Spanish: El Informe Lugano II - Esta vez, vamos a liquidar la democracia, Deusto 2013

Pages: 165