Andrew Yang
Naturally, because it is his book and written from his point of view, Andrew Yang is the main character of the book.
A businessman by trade, Yang argues that there is currently, as the title suggests, a war on normal people occurring in which automation is taking their jobs. The only way to remedy this, Yang opines, is to introduce a program called Universal Basic Income (UBI), which was the cornerstone of his failed Presidential campaign.
Yang is an intelligent, compassionate and empathetic, well-spoken, and incredibly thoughtful man, which this book certainly reflects.
Milton Friedman
Another prominent character in Yang's book is libertarian economist Milton Friedman, who once advocated for - to the surprise and chagrin of many of his supporters - a universal basic income through a negative income tax.
Like Yang, Friedman thought that creating a universal basic income program would be incredibly advantageous for the United States because it would reduce government bureaucracy, exemplify the power of the free market, end the "welfare trap," enable and encourage people to work, and ultimately, increase justice and equality.
Thomas Friedman
Economist Thomas Friedman is prominently featured in Yang's book. In the book, Yang offers a sharp rebuke of Friedman, who "believe[s] that Americans can be transformed into lifelong learners" and that Universal Basic Income would never work and is not feasible.
Although very intelligent, Yang believes that Friedman makes a key mistake in his analysis - and rejection - of UBI. Yang contends that all jobs in the U.S. belong in five categories: administrative and clerical work, retail work, food service, transportation jobs, and manufacturing workers.
