Evil Geniuses: Kurt Andersen with Anand Giridharadas

The follow-up to Andersen’s Fantasyland chronicles a secret takeover of American economics and politics that happened right before our eyes.

By the early 1970s, America had managed to dramatically increase its middle class and to make its economic and social systems fairer and more prosperous. For a confederacy of big business CEOs, the superrich, and right-wing zealots, enough was enough. Together they conceived and executed a long war to undermine and dismantle the rules and norms that had generated the progress. Greed became good, workers grew powerless, and the market triumphed over all. An oligarchy lifted itself up to serve only its own interests, while leaving the majority of Americans with dwindling economic prospects and hope.

Kurt Andersen speaks to Anand Giridharadas about Andersen’s Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History—the abandonments of American principles of fairness and how, as long as big business gets whatever it wants, only the rich get richer, and nothing can ever change.











When: Thu., Aug. 27, 2020 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: New York Public Library—Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
476 Fifth Ave.
917-275-6975
Price: Free
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The follow-up to Andersen’s Fantasyland chronicles a secret takeover of American economics and politics that happened right before our eyes.

By the early 1970s, America had managed to dramatically increase its middle class and to make its economic and social systems fairer and more prosperous. For a confederacy of big business CEOs, the superrich, and right-wing zealots, enough was enough. Together they conceived and executed a long war to undermine and dismantle the rules and norms that had generated the progress. Greed became good, workers grew powerless, and the market triumphed over all. An oligarchy lifted itself up to serve only its own interests, while leaving the majority of Americans with dwindling economic prospects and hope.

Kurt Andersen speaks to Anand Giridharadas about Andersen’s Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History—the abandonments of American principles of fairness and how, as long as big business gets whatever it wants, only the rich get richer, and nothing can ever change.

Buy tickets/get more info now