Notions that democracy is imperilled do not elicit much gainsaying these days. Diminished civil liberties chill dissent, from town hall meetings to full throated Occupy protests. Massive downsizing of state commitments to social wellbeing usher draconian austerity across continents, not to mention the "inside jobs" of banking scandals keyed to global financial collapse. World problems like population growth, species extinction and global warming now defy the very best our current institutions can muster on a competent day. Meanwhile, in synch with Henry David Thoreau, "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is hacking at the root." This volume is intended for the curious and judicious hackers at evil wishing to know how global institutions have been rigged to divest democracy of its demos, and what current global circumstances now beckon of the 99% who need to pay attention.
