The debt delusion : living within our means and other fallacies

Author(s)
Bibliographic Information

The debt delusion : living within our means and other fallacies

John F. Weeks

Polity Press, 2020

  • : [hardback]

Search this Book/Journal
Note

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

'Governments should spend no more than their tax income.' Most people in Europe and North America accept this statement as simple common sense. It resonates with the deeply engrained economic metaphors that dominate public discourse, from 'living within your means' to 'balancing the budget' - all necessary, or so conventional wisdom holds, to avoid the dangers of debt, taxation and financial ruin. This book shows how these homely metaphors constitute the 'debt delusion': a set of plausible-sounding yet false ideas that have been used to justify damaging austerity policies. John Weeks debunks these myths, explaining the true story behind public spending, taxation, and debt, and their real function in the management of our economies. He demonstrates that disputes about public finances are not primarily technical matters best left to specialists and experts, as many politicians would have us believe, but rather fundamentally questions about our true political priorities. Requiring no prior economic knowledge, this is an ideal primer for anyone wishing to cut through the rhetoric and misinformation that dominate political debates on economics and become an informed citizen.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Debt, Deficits and Austerity Chapter 1: We must live within our means Chapter 2: Governments must balance their books Chapter 3: We must tighten our belts Chapter 4: Don't go into debt Chapter 5: Taxes are a burden Chapter 6: Austerity: There is no alternative Chapter 7: Always an alternative

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details
Page Top