Includes bibliographical references and index.

Modern oligarchy erupts -- A second American Civil War? -- Control the media -- If you don't yet own the media, manipulate it -- Controlling congress (both federal and state) -- Seize the courts -- The presidency : trump's playbook -- Inevitable tyranny -- How oligarchs seized the GOP the crisis -- 1,000 years of oligarchy -- An awakened generation challenges British oligarchy -- Revolutionary principles : born equal -- Why slavery persisted -- Best laid plans for liberty : ending American slavery -- New technology, new oligarchy -- Where cotton is king, cotton makes kings -- The oligarchs' war -- Control and safety : the conservatism of oligarchy -- Controlling the commoners : through debt, oligarchs can still own -- People -- Controlling the commoners : medical debt -- Controlling the commoners : illiteracy and student debt -- Controlling the commoners : when all else fails, bring in the police -- The oligarchs' biggest threat : an educated middle class with leisure -- How the oligarchs bought corporate personhood -- The supreme court sets up American oligarchy -- "Starve the beast" and gut the republic -- Holding power : buying friends on both sides of the aisle -- Lies : the first step from oligarchy to tyranny -- Tyrants modify the very language of a culture -- "Deconstruct the state" -- Scapegoating to dilute the outrage -- Scapegoating race, religion, gender -- Normalizing outrageous behavior -- Tyrants always corrupt police -- A tyrant's tool : obedience -- Take militias and violence seriously -- Notice their symbology -- Breaking oligarchy : the oligarchs' media empire -- Breaking oligarchy : a free press -- Breaking oligarchy : economic rights for everybody -- Breaking oligarchy : tax the crap out of the rich -- Breaking oligarchy : publicly funded elections -- Support the resistance -- Breaking oligarchy : restore election integrity -- Breaking oligarchy : build progressive institutions -- Breaking oligarchy : rebuild a progressive democratic party -- We now know. . .

"Thom Hartmann, the most popular progressive radio host in America and a New York Times bestselling author, looks at the real history of the corrupting influence of oligarchy in America-and how we can fight back"-- Provided by publisher.