The Lugano Report: On Preserving Capitalism in the Twenty-first Century

by Susan George

This report is not what is seems. It is written entirely by the leading development specialist Susan George. Although a spoof report, it is based on fact and illustrates the logical processes of the world economy as we approach the new century. Written from the perspective of one in broad support of the systems of global power, Susan George is in fact deeply critical of the state of the world. Through her unique style of approach to her subject, George paints a worrying picture of the world over the next 25 years. The book diagnoses the current state of the world and considers feasible alternative strategies and solutions to the world's most pressing problems. Prepared from a joint initiative by anonymous world leaders, it is presented as a confidential report. "Lugano" identifies the threats to the free market capitalist system, and the obstacles to its generalisation and preservation as we enter the millennium, and recommends strategies to maximise the probability that the free market globalised system will prevail. It warns of the imminent collapse of the world economic system and pinpoints precisely where the dangers lie, the impact of this on the "haves" - the people who hold power - and on the "have nots" -the poor and excluded.

Genres: Politics, Economics, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1999

About the author

Susan George is a well-known political scientist and writer on global social justice, Third World poverty, underdevelopment and debt. She is a fellow and president of the board of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She is a fierce critic of the present policies of the IMF, World Bank, and what she calls their "maldevelopment model". She similarly criticizes the structural reform policies of the Washington Consensus on Third World development. She is of U.S. birth but now resides in France, and has dual citizenship.

In January 2007 she received an honorary doctorate from Newcastle University in the UK and in early March the International Studies Association at its congress in Chicago presented her with its first award to an Outstanding Public Scholar.

Reviews

[Alejandro Bandera]

Teoría de la conspiración llevada a la ficción y a un nivel internacional.
Este libro representa una lamentable pero a la vez realista del panorama internacional, sólo hay que leerlo para pensar que ha sido escrito este mismo año, pero no, data de 1998-1999 y algunas de sus predicciones (sobretodo económicas) se han cumplido.
La histórica división Norte-Sur, incluidos-excluidos, ricos-pobres representa una idea básica y fundamental en todo el informe. Los métodos que describe para el sostenimiento del capitalismo son muy bien presentados, pero parecen presentarse como si no tuviéramos otra opción viable (que es lo que pretendía la autora).

[Noe Nieto]

English:
It took me two years to finish this book, and it is like I was reading the news. This book left me with a strange mixture of disbelief, disconfort, uneasiness, despair and understanding.

Español:
Me tomó dos años terminar este libro. Cada ves que lo leia parecía que estaba leyendo las noticias. Este libro me dejó con una extraña mezcla de incredulidad, desesperación, desesperanza y entendimiento.

[Yamal]

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

[Ricard]

El Informe Lugano es un crítica enmascarada al capitalismo global. Un grupo de expertos es contratado para hacer unas pruebas de estrés al sistema actual, detectar sus vulnerabilidades y proponer soluciones para asegurarse de que el sistema pueda seguir adelante. El resultado es el Informe Lugano. Con esta excusa Susan George nos muestra la cara más oscura de la globalización y el precio humano y medioambiental de seguir con ella en su forma actual, que es lo que quieren preservar los que encargaron el informe
Es un poco antiguo (2001) y en algunas partes algo repetitivo pero se puede recomendar

[Michelle A.]

Somente uma profissional e pesquisadora multidisciplinar conseguiria o que Susan fez, há mais de 20 anos Susan publicou um estudo de distopia demográfica que, lendo hoje, é assustadoramente similar com o que vivemos - seja orquestrado por forças conscientes ou não.

[Salvador]

Realmente muy bueno. Política, ecología, un libro duro pero a la vez optimista.

[Míriam]

Really hard to finish. In fact, I just went through the last pages reading one sentence of each.

Still, the idea is as crazy as brilliant. And it is very crazy.
The book gives another, though maybe extreme, perspective.

[Ethar Abuhashish]

مؤامرة الغرب الكبرى

[Alpixels]

Los problemas son globales por lo tanto las soluciones también deberían serlo