In Ottawa, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, London, some policy makers in and around governments nudged their society towards the American model of business and finance. "Shareholders," now a changing, transient and impatient cohort of funds and speculators, want to dictate business decisions.
The black markets of finance, the unregulated, secretive, barely licit parts of the financial markets have thrived and infected the entire economic system. Business blues, a feeling of insecurity and unfairness take all measures to boost share price, protect their precarious job, and please their financial masters....
This book tells a sad tale of how the American financial system and corporate model have proven fragile and destructive. This book also tells of the consequences: the short-term management of companies, avarice, lack of loyalty within companies and weak governance. This is also a hopeful tale: people brought the system down and people can build it back up again.
Black Markets and Business Blues proposes specific policy recommendations to bring about a new form of capitalism that puts finance in its place, enhances the welfare of our society and protects the long-term health of our economic system.