How a privileged American girl became a fierce critic of global capitalism
In short: Born into a comfortable Ohio home, Susan George transformed into a leading intellectual voice against the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Her journey from a Smith College student to a prominent activist in France reveals how global crises and political disillusionment can reshape a life’s entire trajectory.
Susan George, born Susan Vance Akers in 1934, grew up in a secure, privileged environment in Akron, Ohio. Her early education in single-sex schools fostered a sense of equality, shielding her from traditional gender expectations. However, her perspective shifted dramatically after she moved to France in 1956 and began engaging with the political realities of the Vietnam War and the French conflict in Algeria. She later described the Vietnam era as a gateway to understanding the negative aspects of American influence, which she had previously accepted as propaganda.
Her transition into activism led to the co-founding of the Transnational Institute in 1973, a think-tank dedicated to social justice. George became a vocal critic of what she termed the 'maldevelopment model' promoted by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Her 1976 book, How the Other Half Dies, argued that world hunger was not a natural disaster but a result of power and control being concentrated in the wrong hands. She continued this critique through the 1990s and 2000s, opposing the Multilateral Agreement on Investment and the World Trade Organization’s objectives.
Throughout her career, George remained deeply concerned with the future of global capitalism and its impact on the environment and human emancipation. She was a key figure in the World Social Forum and served as honorary president of ATTAC France. Her work, including The Lugano Report, explored the mechanisms by which global corporations and financial systems consolidate power. She passed away in 2026 at age 91, leaving behind a legacy of rigorous intellectual challenge to the institutions shaping the modern global economy.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Susan George (political scientist)
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