Degrowth

1151 readers

16 users here now

Discussions about degrowth and all sorts of related topics. This includes UBI, economic democracy, the economics of green technologies, enviromental legislation and many more intressting economic topics.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

MrMakabar@slrpnk.net

What to make of this new Abundance manifesto? (www.simonandschuster.com)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world to c/degrowth@slrpnk.net

4 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/27088982

This book is creating quite a buzz. See the basics and one review among many.

People being what they are, there's no doubt that this is an election-winning agenda for the Democrats. And the authors are both very serious people. I'm reluctant to write off Ezra Klein, who IMO is not just very smart but also circumspect and fair-minded.

But all this also looks to me like an advanced case of deluded wishful thinking. Or of "cornucopian economics", as EO Wilson called it.

What to conclude?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] JubilantJaguar@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Interesting insight, thanks!

I do remember the interview with Hannah Richie and thinking something similar. After all this careful hedging about how we need to keep things in perspective and perhaps it's not so bad, she suddenly admits to personal behavior that suggests otherwise! But I definitely took her more seriously because of that.

I'd say EK is cautious rather than a cynic (tho perhaps the meaning of this powerful word is migrating). And honestly, I share his general temperament.

What really bothers me about EK is his apparent ecological illiteracy. Yes, we know that voters like economic growth. To the point that it might even be a prerequisite for democracy and individual rights (I suspect this fear is what is driving EK). But we also know that economic growth is closely correlated with ecological destruction, and that the dream of absolute decoupling is nowhere in sight. And that there will be no social progress left to protect with a biosphere in full breakdown. At this point these observations are pretty close to anodyne scientific truth. I expect doctrinaire orthodox economists to wave them away or ignore them - but so does this thoughtful vegan. I don't get it. Am I really smarter than Ezra Klein? For me it's an ongoing mystery.