Ross’s view, that of the policy wonk, is from above, not the view of the people nor even the politicians. The best chapter (by far) is an immensely (and unusually) readable account of how tax havens and the competition between countries have allowed multinational companies, especially the big tech companies, to avoid paying taxes in any of the many jurisdictions in which they operate ... Reading this chapter is like watching a master jewel thief at work, except that this is not the movies, where the transfer is often from rich to poor ... much of the analysis has an innocence that while sometimes charming, is more often incoherent or infuriating ... I’m all for banning buybacks—or taxing them—but exactly how this will fight climate change, or reduce the need for safety nets, is never clarified ... he surely owes us some explanation of what policies might bring that about, what sort of practical coalitions might support them and just how to stop the plundering of the dispossessed[.]
Whether detailing multinational corporations’ tax avoidance strategies or FEMA’s failures in its Hurricane Maria response in Puerto Rico, each of Ross’ examples is engaging and thought-provoking. Offering critique and an actionable roadmap of solutions, Ross argues for significant reworking of how government, workers, and companies approach the future.
The author...writes charmingly and instructively about the many 'bonding stepmother-stepdaughter moments' she has shared with her gender-nonconforming stepdaughter, and she shares an entertaining anecdote about inadvertently getting on Janet Jackson’s bad side ... As these essays ably show, Union is a dynamic role model for young Black women in all walks of life.
