10. Post-scarcity & Degrowth: A Tale of Two Tomorrows

As we become more aware of the existential threat of climate change, it can feel like the economy is a runaway engine driving us toward extinction. We know that something is wrong, but we don’t know how to stop the momentum of this extractive economy that seems to have a will of its own. Episode 10 explores two alternatives to this vision of extinction—Post-scarcity and Degrowth—two optimistic attempts to unthink the economic orthodoxy that threatens our world. This is part 3 of a three-part episode exploring our society's tacit belief in the "the end of history," and what we can do to shed this politically-charged and dangerous illusion.

SOURCES

-Mason, Paul. Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016.

-Rifkin, Jeremy. Zero Marginal Cost Society. Reprint edition. New York, NY: Griffin, 2015.

-Thunberg, Greta. Presented at the Climate Action Summit 2019, UN Headquarters NY, September 23, 2019.

-Cassidy, John. “Can We Have Prosperity Without Growth?” The New Yorker, no. February 10, 2020. Accessed August 25, 2020. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/02/10/can-we-have-prosperity-without-growth.

-Platonov, Andrei. “On the First Tragedy of Socialism.” New Left Review, no. 69 (1934). https://newleftreview.org/issues/II69/articles/andrei-platonov-on-the-first-socialist-tragedy.

-Wark, McKenzie. Molecular Red: Theory for the Anthropocene. London: Verso, 2015.

-Kallis, Giorgos. Degrowth. Agenda Publishing, 2018.

-Frase, Peter. Four Futures: Life After Capitalism. London: Verso, 2016.

MUSIC

-Theme music and consultation: Georgina Rossi, www.georginarossi.com

-Interlude: Carl Maria von Weber, Concertino for Clarinet, performed by clarinetist Luis Rossi (www.luisrossi.com) from the upcoming album: Weber, Strauss, Atehortúa; available now on all streaming platforms: https://open.spotify.com/album/6BqELmqO09calWtKzO73cb?si=RBDAbg4YSbu9FzYSZb7SOg