An apolitical bluesSince the start of the industrial revolution in the 19th century, capitalism has had both positive and negative effects on society and its inhabitants. Capitalism's goal of amassing as much wealth as possible is accompanied by technological change. Additionally, as wealth accumulates and technology becomes more sophisticated, nations can become more advanced. However, with progress comes unrest, because all the progress that capitalism seems to bring about also comes with criticism of the effects it has on society. In their books, Michael Baumann and Tony Judt both believe that capitalism is responsible for the problems society faces today. Capitalism causes problems in society because it creates problems with work, individualism, distrust and isolation. The reactions to these issues are different in the two books, raising questions about the role of history in changing societal attitudes and how members of society deal with issues in response to capitalism. In both stories, the authors blame capitalism for labor problems. it provokes. Baumann expresses his frustration with the decreasing value of craftsmanship in society. He explains that work is capable of giving a kind of satisfaction, writing that the ability to "create with one's hands something that serves a purpose" is how one can find satisfaction in one's work (Baumann 23). Working as a carpenter to avoid working in a factory, Baumann explains that even carpentry has been reduced to a mindless screwdriver operation, no different from working in a factory (Baumann 23). Baumann's frustration therefore comes from the fact that he has become an unskilled worker. Baumann's possible involvement in terrorism is linked to the frustration he felt... middle of paper... units, continue to benefit from and use services that fall under the public sector, such as highways, the police and schools (127). This leads to a contradiction, Judt explains: “people who live in private spaces contribute to the dilution and corrosion of public space.” What he means by this is that the very problems people try to avoid by isolating themselves actually cause those problems to persist, creating a cycle that seems inevitable to Judt unless the state of people's minds do not change (129). In conclusion, Baumann's actions in response to capitalism and the inaction of people in today's society described by Judt stems from the work problems, individualism, distrust and isolation caused by capitalism. The different reactions to the same problem expressed in the two stories illustrate that as times change, so do the methods of conflict resolution..