Customer Reviews

First Abolish the Customer: 202 Arguments Against Economic Rationalism

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A spritely critique of economic rationalism, and general economic market theory, as it curently applies to everyday life. While i couldn't agree with everything argued, it provided necessary food for thought. The language is accessible, enjoyable, and sets out to be deliverately provocative.

To read Bob Ellis is to have your eyes opened. Mr Ellis explains through simple examples the misguided folly behind globalisation. Read this book and then spread the word - don't follow blindly upon the Thatcherite path of 'There is no alternative'.

An excellent read as well as being spot on regarding the underlying toxic nature of our "market-based" world economy in which all nations compete on a "level playing field".

Ellis drills down to the very uncomfortable truth about our democratic capitalist society:- that the whole system is designed to enrich (to a level beyond believing) a handful of CEOs, Directors & Executives, and purveyors of Private Equity; while at the same time they demand and blindly pursue (in the name of Economic Rationalism) greater efficiencies at any cost, continual workforce reduction and outsourcing of core technical expertise.

The behaviour and attitudes of people in these exulted roles often defies belief, as they go through their day in a moral vacuum where money (YOUR money) is no object and can be splashed about on private jets and other expensive toys - "that of which we must not speak" indeed, as Mr Ellis terms it.

[First read on a plane in 2000, again in 2009 and then again in 2011. One of the few books of this genre that can be read and re-read many times.]

Bob Ellis is an Australian Intellectual. He is a good writer but is politically left of most.

This book is a rant by a refugee of the 1970's. His opening definition of Economic Rationalism as "the refusal to spend money on the unneccessary" is sound enough, but the adventure from there on is unsound. It is still interesting to see his logic flow out of rational (pardon the pun) to the bizarre.

Ellis argues, by way of example, bringing democracy to Russia led to people dying and therefore Economic Rationalism is evil (Arguement 54).

His 202 Arguements Against Economic Rationalism are really the same one repeated: he is an old leftie and doesn't like anything that has happened since 1975.

Having said all that, I enjoyed the read. Get it and enjoy it. Anti-Globalisation folk will take it as gospel, the rest of us won't change our worldview because of it.