Common Wealth

From bitter searching of the heart
We rise to play a greater part
This is the faith by which we stand
Men shall know common wealth again
—Leonard Cohen (Villanelle for Our Time)

What social future do we want, and how do we get there? Common Wealth analyzes how the market has taken over the state and public services, while education and health have become "industries" and profit-making businesses. Toxic, neoliberal capitalism was unleashed during the 1980s and 1990s, only to crash in the worldwide financial melt-down beginnning in 2007 and followed by public bail-outs of financial institutions.

Common Wealth proposes an alternative: a tripolar model of society, made up of government, civil society, and business, all of which work in cooperation to build a freer, more equitable, and sustainable society. The author describes ways of building common wealth, such as transforming capitalism for individual initiative and public benefit.