ABSTRACT. This manuscript draws on years of teaching and writing about American politics, political theory, and Marxism. It is primarily for people, especially students, interested in a critical understanding of the world in which they live, with particular regard to capitalism, socialism, and democracy. An attempt has been made both to avoid jargon and to separate the essential from the merely important. One of capitalism’s enduring strengths is its relative invisibility. “Free enterprise,” the “market,” “entrepreneurship,” “capitalism and freedom,” and “individualism” all cloud capitalism from view. Sharpening the lens is thus a necessary condition for anyone interested in understanding capitalism and, perhaps, transcending it. pp. 11–54

Keywords: Marx; American dream; democratic dream; liberal democracy; Luxemburg; anticapitalism; Locke; Bernstein; class