The forces that taught us to hate government and love the free market

In this issue of Your Call magazine, historians Naomi Oreskes and Eric Conway discuss their new book. The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Hate Government and Love the Free Market.

They detail how politicians, the corporate class and the major media are pushing free market ideology into every aspect of life. They say this propaganda campaign brought us a housing crisis, an opioid scourge, climate destruction, and the election of Donald Trump.

They write: “Only by understanding this story can we envision a future in which markets serve democracy rather than stifle it.”

Guests:

Naomi Oreskes, professor of history of science at Harvard University and author of several books, including Merchants of doubt: how a handful of scientists covered up the truth about problems from tobacco smoke to global warming And The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Hate Government and Love the Free Market

Eric Conway, historian of science and technology at Caltech and author of several books, including Merchants of doubt: how a handful of scientists covered up the truth about problems from tobacco smoke to global warming And The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Hate Government and Love the Free Market

Web resources:

The Washington Post: The big business campaign that has shaped the rhetoric of the Republican Party for 40 years

TIME: the true price of the “free” market

WBUR: ‘The Big Myth’ explores the belief that free markets are a fundamental right of Americans

The Washington Post: Big business’s relentless drive to equate the free market with freedom

The Nation: America’s Toxic Romance with the Free Market