Public Employee Press

DVD review
The American Nightmare

In 1971 the U.S. Chamber of Commerce initiated an intensified class war against the gains won by working people after World War II as a result of the New Deal reforms and mass unionization of the 1930s. The Chamber called for a makeover of the economy through corporate control of the media, academia and the pulpit and by destroying opposing forces such as organized labor and consumer protection groups.

These "free market" polices found their champion in Ronald Reagan and their implementation under both political parties over the last 40 years culminated in the deregulation of industry and banking, union busting, outsourcing jobs, cutting taxes on the rich, expanding income inequality and attacking Social Security and pensions. These policies led to a massive transfer of wealth to the top 1 percent and the global financial crisis of 2008, which has greatly increased the economic suffering of the 99 percent.

The new DVD, "Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?" by Frances Causey and Donald Goldmacher, provides viewers with a clear, concise and fact-based explanation of how we got into this mess, and what we can do to restore our standard of living and democracy.

—Ken Nash