Ezra's Bookshelf

Tyranny, Inc.

by Sohrab Ahmari ยท 289 pages

Sohrab Ahmari's 'Tyranny, Inc.' argues that deregulated corporations have subjected American workers to surveillance, arbitration, and dictatorial control that would never be tolerated from government. Ahmari, a founding editor of Compact magazine, contends that the libertarian right's focus on state power ignores the private tyrannies that shape most Americans' daily lives. The book documents how employment practices have shifted power from workers to employers: mandatory arbitration that prevents class actions, non-compete clauses that limit mobility, algorithmic management that monitors every movement, and healthcare tied to employment that constrains choices. Ahmari traces these developments to the deregulatory turn of the 1970s and 1980s, which dismantled not just government agencies but the labor unions and legal protections that once balanced corporate power. His proposed solutions draw on Catholic social teaching and New Deal precedents, arguing for sectoral bargaining, strengthened labor law, and a recognition that markets require governance to serve human flourishing. While progressives may be surprised to find a conservative making these arguments, Ahmari represents a strand of right-wing thought increasingly critical of unfettered capitalism. Readers across the political spectrum concerned about worker power will find provocative material.