FAIR Los Angeles Book Club #04 – Sep. 28, 2022

"Woke, Inc.: Inside America's Social Justice Scam" by Vivek Ramaswamy

The FAIR LA Book Club will return in September 2022 with a discussion of Vivek Ramaswamy's 2021 New York Times bestseller, Woke, Inc. The discussion will be led by FAIR Los Angeles co-leader Michael Turnblom. Mr. Ramaswamy is an entrepreneur and political commentator and in 2014 founded Roivant, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing life-saving medicines quickly and ethically. During the 2020 protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, he received backlash from Roivant employees who felt the company didn't take a strong enough position or express public support of the Black Lives Matter organization. Mr. Ramaswamy resigned as CEO in order to speak out more freely on what he calls the "woke industrial complex."

A multimilionaire himself, Vivek Ramaswamy calls himself a "traitor to his class" as he explains in detail how CEOs of major corporations recognized and began to capitalize on the cultural movement we call wokeness. Espousing woke causes offered them both financial gain and moral coverage for ongoing controversies. From Goldman Sachs to Disney, companies jumped on board as they pursued profits, social status, and government favors, which has led us to where we are today. Mr. Ramaswamy breaks down what a corporation is and why it is a necessary entity but then explains how activists have hijacked the corporate structure to provide a medium for their political priorities. He breaks down ESG investing, the DEI industry, the influence of outside players like China and the World Economic Forum, the volatility of social media, censorship from Silicon Valley, and the inquisitorial efforts of critical theorists and their adherents. Mr. Ramaswamy concludes with ideas on how to move forward and offers, according to Harvard professor and New York Times bestselling author Arthur C. Brooks, "a path back toward a more free and prosperous society."

Vivek Ramaswamy has authored articles for the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, has made numerous appearances on television including CNBC's Squawk Box and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, and will release his second book later this month. Come join us for a discussion of Woke, Inc. on September 28th.