This Fight is Our Fight

Title: This Fight is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class
Author: Elizabeth Warren
Genre: politics, American history, economics, non-fiction

In This Fight is Our Fight, Elizabeth Warren mixes American history, personal family struggles, and stories from ordinary Americans to demonstrate how regulations against Big Banks protect Americans and their money. Senator Warren recounts how social programs and government projects enacted during the Great Depression put money in the pockets and food on the table of millions of Americans in the 1930s. She also shares stories of Americans affected by the Great Recession, student loan debt, exploitative labor practices, and low or stagnant wages. Senator Warren rails against Big Banks (the 2008 bailout occurred since American banks are now a huge part of our economy) and is not afraid to name Washington insiders with connections to big money and lobbyists.

Senator Warren views lobbyists as “the most dangerous kind of corruption…is perverting our government and make sure that day after day, decision after decision, the rich and powerful are always taken care of. This corruption is turning government into a tool of those who have already gathered wealth and influence. This corruption is hollowing out America’s middle class and tearing down our democracy” (5).

Senator Warren calls for increased and responsible funding of our infrastructure. Not only is subpar infrastructure physically dangerous (collapsing bridges, leaking dams and levees, etc.), it is also economically dangerous in the form of lost jobs, lack of internet access for rural communities. Senator Warren believes that innovation, education, and opportunity are intertwined. Investment in American infrastructure drives innovation; innovation is dependent upon education (and proper funding for education), and the accessibility of education and opportunity for American citizens. “The country’s failure to build and maintain infrastructure has robbed us of our vitality…Over the long run, infrastructure dollars buy workers something even more important. Infrastructure spending is a collective investment that makes it easier for businesses to flourish right here in America. Roads and bridges, cheap and dependable energy, rapid communication, educated workers- all these investments create a more favorable business climate” (130).