The Myth That Made Us

Published Sept. 12, 2023 by The MIT Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-262-04839-2

The Myth That Made Us exposes how false narratives—of a supposedly post-racist nation, of the self-made man, of the primacy of profit- and shareholder value-maximizing for businesses, and of minimal government interference—have been used to excuse gross inequities and to shape and sustain the US economic system that delivers them. Jeff Fuhrer argues that systemic racism continues to produce vastly disparate outcomes and that our brand of capitalism favors doing little to reduce disparities. Evidence from other developed capitalist economies shows it doesn't have to be that way. We broke this (mean-spirited) economy. We can fix it.

Rather than merely laying blame at the feet of both conservatives and liberals for aiding and abetting an unjust system, Fuhrer charts a way forward. He supplements evidence from data with insights from community voices and outlines a system that provides more equal opportunity to accumulate both human and financial capital. His …

The Myth That Made Us exposes how false narratives—of a supposedly post-racist nation, of the self-made man, of the primacy of profit- and shareholder value-maximizing for businesses, and of minimal government interference—have been used to excuse gross inequities and to shape and sustain the US economic system that delivers them. Jeff Fuhrer argues that systemic racism continues to produce vastly disparate outcomes and that our brand of capitalism favors doing little to reduce disparities. Evidence from other developed capitalist economies shows it doesn't have to be that way. We broke this (mean-spirited) economy. We can fix it.

Rather than merely laying blame at the feet of both conservatives and liberals for aiding and abetting an unjust system, Fuhrer charts a way forward. He supplements evidence from data with insights from community voices and outlines a system that provides more equal opportunity to accumulate both human and financial capital. His key areas of focus include universal access to high-quality early childhood education; more effective use of our community college system as a pathway to stable employment; restructuring key aspects of the low-wage workplace; providing affordable housing and transit links; supporting people of color by serving as mentors, coaches, and allies; and implementing Baby Bonds and Reparations programs to address the accumulated loss of wealth among Black people due to the legacy of enslavement and institutional discrimination. Fuhrer emphasizes embracing humility, research-based approaches, and community involvement as ways to improve economic opportunity.

2 editions

Ben Waber reviewed The Myth That Made Us by Jeff Fuhrer

A Rigorous Takedown of Meritocracy Myth in the US Economy

5 stars

This is an urgent book on an unfortunately evergreen topic - the myth of meritocracy. Fuhrer combines meticulous economic analysis with historical context to demonstrate how not only has "meritocracy" always been an unattainable myth due to the compounding of centuries of unfair benefits being doled out to white people, but that the egalitarian progress that the US did make thanks to the New Deal, unions, and Great Society programs has been steadily unwound. He lays the blame squarely at the feet of Milton Friedman, Reagan and other neoliberal politicians, and everyone who bought into the meritocracy myth and gave political cover to gutting programs that had made progress. While some of the policy suggestions at the end are fairly standard, Fuhrer puts in the extra effort to estimate the economic effects and costs of different policies. Highly recommend

Ben Waber

rated it

September 24

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