How language disguises economic processes and consolidates power structures.
Prices don't go up on their own. There is someone who raises them. Understanding this is crucial because, even in capitalism, language creates reality. When economists, corporations and politicians refer to financial crises as tsunamis and storms, they suggest their and our powerlessness. But there are acive players in the capitalist system, and there are alternative ways to speak about money and the economy, and to tell different stories about them.
Cultural scientist Simon Sahner and economist Daniel Stähr combine their expertise to get to the bottom of the language of capitalism and its (self-)narratives: What is behind terms like "bailout", "freebie mentality" and "too big to fail"? How can we create new narratives to free ourselves from the apparent lack of alternatives to capitalism and to show possibilities for change?
"In their excellent book, Daniel Stähr and Simon Sahner describe how the language of capitalism determines how we speak and think." - ZEIT Wissen
"An illuminating critique of language with many aha moments" - SRF, Anna Jungen
"There are plenty of books that criticise capitalism. But Sahner and Stähr take a refreshing approach. And they don't stop at analysing language, but also deconstruct popular narratives." - Finanz und Wirtschaft
